Vince Carter, who began his career with the Raptors, is the only player in NBA history to have played in 22 seasons. In the NBA, big men usually have. NBA Hall of Famer Robert Parish made his debut in the 1976-77 season with the Golden State Warriors, then played 14 seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning three rings. Unfortunately, Garnett couldn't win a championship with the Timberwolves, but he wasted no time celebrating with the Boston Celtics, winning a ring in his first season with the equipment.
He always adapted to his role and fulfilled, and that's why he stayed in the NBA for 20 years despite being an average player at best. Being first in the overall draft comes with a lot of pressure and, unfortunately for these NBA players, it was just too difficult to handle. Throughout the history of the league, there have been several important prospects that fell short and didn't even last 10 years in the NBA. Throughout his 21-year career, LeBron James has proven time and again that he is one of the best basketball players to ever walk on a court.
In a league where aging elegantly is as rare as a four-point play, these NBA legends have challenged Father Time with a determination that can only be matched by the durability of their jump shots. From the imperishable presence of Robert Parish and Vince Carter to the leading Dirk Nowitzki and the relentless Kevin Garnett, these basketball legends have not only adorned the court for several seasons, but they have also engraved their names in the annals of NBA history with impressive statistics and records. Dirk Nowitzki played 21 seasons in the NBA, tying Robert Parish for the most seasons played in league history. Haslem was never an outstanding player, but in his prime he was a decent power forward, and then he was a solid bench player in the second half of his career.
The longest-serving player in the NBA is Vince Carter, who played 22 seasons on eight teams: the Toronto Raptors, the New Jersey Nets, the Orlando Magic, the Phoenix Suns, the Dallas Mavericks, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Sacramento Kings and the Atlanta Hawks. The three-time sixth NBA player played his last three seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets. Getting to the NBA is very difficult, because you have to be very talented, work hard and, in addition, be lucky, even if some people say that luck doesn't exist. Speaking of NBA legends, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also played 20 seasons, 14 with the Los Angeles Lakers and six with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Jamal Crawford in the first round of the 2000 NBA Draft, but on the same day of the draft, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls, where he played his first four seasons.
