The NBA’s strenuous 82 game programs (besides the new games when you make it to the playoffs) can be extremely tough. Playing at an NBA level is not an easy thing. It requires players to be in excellent physical shape as well as possess mental and physical health. When you have to tackle long traveling hours with back-to-back intense games, your body tends to become extremely exhausted and tired out.
Short On Time? Here Is Quick List For You
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Nat Hickey
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Kevin Willis
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Robert Parish
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Vince Carter
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Dikembe Mutombo
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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Bob Cousy
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Herb Williams
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John Stockton
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Charles Jones
Quoting in general that professional sports are a game of only youngsters would be an understatement. However, there have been no such athletes in the past that can be classified as “pro.” In the present day as well, no player to date has defied the odds and been in the league for a long time.
As tough as the league schedule already is, it does not even consider the multiple injuries and accidents these players go through and the energy that is depleted because of playing regularly. So, who can really be classified on the list of the oldest players in the NBA? This article highlights the top ten oldest NBA Players that are truly inspirational and worth admiring and appreciating.
Oldest Players in NBA History
The list of NBA’s oldest prayers comprises a diverse range of people. The top ten most significant and oldest players include five Hall of Famers, a forthcoming inductee, one of the oldest and experienced athletes, and three highly reputable and efficient role players. Moving forward, we will be seeing the top 10 oldest NBA players, one by one.
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Nat Hickey
Nat Hickey has played for a total of 27 seasons since the period of 1921-1948. Altogether, Hickey has represented 14 teams during his entire career. Some of these teams include Chicago Bruins, Hoboken St. Josephs, Original Celtics, New York Crescents, Buffalo Braves, Pittsburgh Raider, etc.).
Nat Hickey stood as one of the most skilled basketball players during many starting professional leagues that took NBA forward. You will probably not find a lot of information or statistics regarding Hickey’s sporting career. However, a fascinating gossip suggests that during his 27 years of basketball season, he dedicated 15 years to minor league baseball too.
Nick Hickey’s process of setting an age record was done by himself when he started off as a player and a coach of the Providence Steamrollers. During this period, he recorded a handful of games for the 1947-1948 season. This was when Hickey played his last two days before he turned 46.
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Kevin Willis
Kevin Willis has played 23 seasons starting from 1984 till 2007 for eight teams, namely: Rockets, Hawks, Nuggets, Warriors, Raptors, Heat, Spurs, and Mavericks). Willis was one of the most respected athletes who spent most of his career playing for the Atlanta Hawks. Unsurprisingly, Willis was a part of the league for very long.
Anyone who witnessed him play during the 1980s and 1990s would be negligent not to observe his physique. He was an early adopter who took physical fitness and weight training very seriously. This was so because he wanted to keep his body ready for the arduous NBA games held every year.
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Robert Parish
Playing for 21 seasons in 1976-1997, Robert Parish was hugely renowned for his victorious contract with the Boston Celtics. He and the other players, including Kevin McHale, Larry Bird, Dennis Johnson, and Bill Walton helped drive Boston Celtics towards success and won three titles during the 1980’s epoch.
Altogether, Parish has played for four teams throughout his basketball career, namely: Celtics, Bulls, Warriors, and Hornets. Parish was the 3rd best player in agreement on the Celtics team, who maintained 9 rebounds and 15 points in every game throughout his career.
His durability and well-maintained body won Parish the NBA record for the most considerable number of regular seasons played in the history of NBA, with a total of 1,611 games. In 2003, he was welcomed into the Basketball Hall of Fame, which is deemed an incredible source of pride for basketball heroes.
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Vince Carter
Vince Carter is another remarkable player who has been playing in the NBA since 1998 and still playing. He played for eight teams, namely: Suns, Raptors, Hawks, Nets, Grizzlies, Magic, Kings, and Mavericks). Vince Carter started playing for NBA in 1998 with the hopes and expectations of someone who would accomplish sky-touching records and slam anyone who came in the way. Carter was regarded as a potent scorer and highflyer during his early years.
For the first twelve years, Carter maintained an average of 23 points in each game. He was eventually named under the eight All-Star teams. In one such All-Star weekend of 2000, everybody had their eyes set on Carter. He played and won one of the most mind-boggling Slam Dunk Contest that the spectators had ever witnessed.
Though Vince Carter has never acquired a double-digit score since the last five seasons, he played resourceful reserve minutes. Recently, he has also started mentoring newcomers and younger players. Vincent continues to be deadly behind the 3-point arc, although his legs are not as power-packed as they were during his peak.
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Dikembe Mutombo
Dikembe Mutombo is one of the most impressive and dominating players in NBA that instantly instilled a sense of fear in anyone playing against him. He has played 19 seasons from 1991 till 2009 for six teams: Rockets, Knicks, Nuggets, 76ers, Hawks, and Nets.
Any player going up against Mutombo would have to think twice before choosing to snatch the ball and taking it to the basket. There was always a chance for Mutombo to block his opponent’s shot and direct it towards the front rows.
The renowned “finger wag” tag was rightly earned by Mutombo as he presently stands at the fourth number in NBA’s all-time blocked shots, with a total of 3,289 rejections.
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the finest and all-time most celebrated basketball players that can rightly be included in this list. He is also the fifth oldest person to play for the NBA. Jabbar’s basketball career covers twenty years, during which he has set numerous records.
Some of his records include 6-time NBA MVP (most valuable player) and 19-time NBA All-star player. He has played for the NBA championship six times and was also voted MVP two times in the NBA Finals. He still possesses the ground-breaking record as the all-time top scorer with 38,387 points and the highest number of wins at 1,074.
In 2016, ESPN titled Jabbar as the 2nd most excellent player in the history of NBA after Michael Jordan. All Jabbar ever did was play a total of 20 seasons and became the leading top-scorer, which won him a spot on the Mount Rushmore of NBA’s most renowned.
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Bob Cousy
Bob Cousy is the 6th ranked oldest player in the NBA who was also welcomed into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Throughout his NBA career, Cousy has remained a 13-time NBA All-Star player and was also awarded the MVP in 1957.
Cousy played his last game on behalf of the Cincinnati Royals, who were also being coached by him. However, the 13 years (1950-1963) of his career were spent playing for the Boston Celtics. In 1963, Cousy retired from playing but later started coaching for Boston College, followed by the Cincinnati Royals.
In 1970, Cousy entered the NBA once again to play for the Royals. This was to boost the sale of tickets, which eventually rose by 77%. Cousy was also the 1st president for NBPA (National Basketball Players Association) that was founded in 1954.
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Herb Williams
Herb Williams has been an NBA player for eighteen years (1981-1999). In 1981, he was a 1st round draft selection for Indiana Pacers but was unable to have a fantastic career. Towards the end of his basketball career, his statistics included 6,509 rebounds, 11,944 points, and 1,605 blocks.
When Williams retired as a player from the NBA, he became the interim and assisting coach for New York Knicks. From 2003-2014, he preceded the Knicks. Currently, Williams stands as the assistant coach for WNBA’s NY Liberty.
Herb Williams may have been unable to set any outstanding records throughout his NBA career. However, he still has some vital records back from his college career with Ohio State Buckeyes. Amongst these records are the highest number of career field goals (834 in 114 games), 2nd highest rebounds (1,111), and 2nd highest blocks (328).
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John Stockton
John Stockton served as a point guard for Utah Jazz throughout his professional career in basketball, which continued for 19 years (1984-2003). He is an NBA record holder for the greatest number of steals (3,265) and assists (15, 806), and is also known as one of the all-time leading point guards.
In 2009, Stockton was introduced to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for his profession as a solo player. In 2010, he was also presented as a member of the 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball lineup.
John Stockton comes from a lineage of athletes, which also includes his grandfather, John Houston Stockton. During his early days, his grandfather played for NFL while his sons played on college and professional levels.
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Charles Jones
Even though Charles Jones played for the NBA for such a long time, he did not have a memorable career. He was unable to leave a noticeable impact. His most noteworthy attribute throughout his career is that he is one of the NBA’s oldest players who retired at 41. The Phoenix Suns drafted Jones in 1979 but started playing in 1984 for the Philadelphia 76ers.
During his tenure with the Houston Rockets, Jones won an NBA Championship in 1995. He then continued playing with four more teams (Chicago Bulls, Detroit Prisons, Washington Bullets), ultimately before he retired in 1998 from the NBA.
Top 3 Oldest Active NBA Players
Apart from looking at the historical names of some of the finest NBA players who are a part of the all-time list, it is essential to mention the 3 oldest players in the league presently. You probably will no longer be seeing these three players fill up the league sheets. However, a lot of other players still play serviceable minutes on the recent team lineups.
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Udonis Haslem
Udonis Haslem has played for 17 seasons (2003-present) and is a part of the renowned Miami Heat team. Udonis Haslem has played an incredibly beneficial role for the Miami Heat. Since he played during the peak years of Miami’s success over their thirty years of career, he has also been fortunate. Udonis has won three titles in the years 2006, 2012, and 2013.
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Kyle Korver
Kyle Korver has also played a total of 17 years (2003-present). Altogether, Kyle Korver is a part of six teams, namely: Jazz, Bucks, 76ers, Bulls, Cavaliers, and Hawks). Throughout a significant fragment of his career, he has experienced a lot of success vastly as a sharpshooter.
Korver owns the NBA record for the highest three-point field goal ratio for a single season, at 0.536%. Furthermore, Kyle has scored a remarkable 43% from three in the entire span of his career, perfect for 6th on the all-time career 3-point shooting ratio list.
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Nene Hilario
Nene Hilario has played for a total of 18 years (2002-present) for three teams in total, namely: Wizards, Nuggets, and Rockets. Nene exploded on the scene as an unfamiliar and unknown player from abroad.
He found his way and played in the startup line for the Denver Nuggets franchise for more than ten years. Nene had also experienced national level basketball success when he starred for the Brazilian National Team and played for the Summer Olympics in 2012 and 2016.
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