In 1985-86, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke the previous NBA record of 16 seasons held by Dolph Schayes, John Havlicek, Paul Silas and Elvin Hayes; he ended his own. The eight-time All-Star first played with the Toronto Raptors in 1998 and was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1999. Land of Basketball is a website for sports fans. For official NBA information, visit the NBA website. In such a fast and physically challenging game, not many can last two decades in the NBA, as this sport seriously affects an athlete's body.
Only ten players in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA) have played 20 or more seasons in their respective careers. In 1985-86, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke the previous NBA record of 16 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. 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.
