Vince Carter, who began his career with the Raptors, is the only player in the NBA. The eight-time All-Star first played with the Toronto Raptors in 1998 and was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1999. In 1985-86, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke the previous record of 16 NBA seasons held by Dolph Schayes, John Havlicek, Paul Silas and Elvin Hayes; he finished his career in 1988-89 with a record of 20 seasons played. Only ten players in NBA history have played 20 or more seasons in their respective careers. In such a fast and physically challenging game, not many can last two decades in the NBA, as the sport seriously affects the athlete's body.
After the “21 Club”, we have four other basketball greats who played for 20 seasons: Los Angeles Lakers legends, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the late Kobe Bryant, Jamal Crawford, three-time winner of the NBA's sixth man of the year award, and Udonis Haslem, of the Miami Heat.
