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 tend to have more time. John Stockton spent his entire professional basketball career, which lasted 19 years, as a point guard for the Utah Jazz. Stockton holds the NBA record for most assists (15.80) and steals (3.26) and is considered one of the best point guards of all time. Herb Williams played in the NBA for 18 years and is the seventh-oldest player in history.
Williams was drafted in the first round of the Indiana Pacers draft in 1981, but he didn't necessarily have a notable career. At the end of his playing career, Williams had 11,944 points, 6,509 rebounds and 1,605 blocks. While Herb Williams may not have set any NBA records, he still holds some college career records with the Ohio States Buckeyes, including the most field goals scored in his career (834 in 114 games), the second most rebounds (1.11) and the second most blocked shots (32). Cousy retired as a player in 1963, but went on to coach Boston College and, eventually, the Cincinnati Royals. In 1970, Cousy returned, at 41, as a Royals player at the end of the season, in an effort to increase ticket sales: ticket sales increased 77 percent.
Bob Cousy was the first president of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), which was created in 1954. The NBPA is the oldest union of the four major sports leagues in North America (MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL). Dikembe Mutombo is a former NBA player best known for being one of the best blockers and defensive players of all time and has won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award four times. He is also one of the oldest people to play in the NBA. Mutombo's career lasted 18 years and he played for the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets.
Carter has played basketball since he was a child and began his professional career when he was chosen fifth in the 1998 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors, who traded Carter to the Toronto Raptors. So far in his career, Carter has played for several NBA teams, including the New Jersey Nets, the Orlando Magic, the Phoenix Suns, the Dallas Mavericks, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Sacramento Kings. In addition to his longevity, Carter is widely considered to be the best dunker in the history of basketball. Robert Parish was first drafted to the NBA in 1976 after graduating from college and played for 21 consecutive years.
Parish is the third-oldest player in NBA history and has a record of 1,611 regular season games during his career. Willis only played five games with the Mavericks at the end of the regular season. Thanks to his long career, Willis is one of the 15 players in NBA history to have scored more than 16,000 points and 11,000 rebounds in his career. To stay in the NBA, you have to prove that you're one of the best players in the world and that you're up to the league's standards.
John Stockton comes from a family of athletes: his grandfather, Hust Stockton (John Houston Stockton) played in the NFL in its early days and Stockton's children played basketball in college and professionally. He always adapted to his role and did it, and that's why he stayed in the NBA for 20 years despite being an average player at best. 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. Only ten players in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA) have played 20 or more seasons in their respective careers.
A study by The Game Day claims to have found the best NBA players of all time, placing Michael Jordan and LeBron James out of the top five. 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. Charles Jones' brothers (Wil, Caldwell and Major) played basketball at both Albany State (such as Charles) and in the NBA. Bob Cousy is the sixth oldest person to play in the NBA and is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Kevin Willis shares the record for most seasons played in the NBA with Robert Parish, Kevin Garnett, Vince Carter and Dirk Nowitzki. Stockton also has five of the six best assist seasons in NBA history, the other with Isiah Thomas, and also holds the record for the most games and consecutive games played with a team. In addition to LeBron, there are two other players who are ready to register their 20th year in the NBA this season.
