1) Kevin Willis

At 44 years and 224 days, Willis finished up his career as the oldest player in league history (arguably; see #31) when he suited up for the Mavericks in their final ’06-’07 regular season game. It was the end of a 23-year career that included two comebacks, one in 1989 from a devastating knee injury and one in 2007 mostly to secure his place as the oldest player in history. He also holds the distinction of being the oldest player to win his first NBA title, at age 40 in 2003 with the Spurs. Willis was known for his incredible off-season work-out programs that allowed him to play well into his 40s, and was still one of the strongest players in the league even in his advancing age. Originally drafted by the Hawks in 1984, he returned to the franchise for the ’04-’05 season to complete his career as the NBA’s third oldest all-time player, but was coaxed out of retirement by a center-depleted Mavericks team in 2007. Willis played just five games for Dallas, but it was good enough to pass Robert Parish as the all-time oldest player to play more than one game in a season.

2) Bob Cousy

Playing without the benefit of modern conditioning and nutrition, many of the NBA’s top stars from the ’50s didn’t manage to last very long into their 30s, let alone their 40s. George Mikan retired at 29 (then returned and retired again at 31), Bob Pettit at 32, Ed Macauley at 31, and Neil Johnston at 30. Cousy, benefiting some from playing point guard, which was less wear-and-tear on his body than battling inside as a forward or center, lasted to the age of 34 before retiring in 1963. Fans openly wept at his final home game in Boston Garden, and Cousy even fielded a congratulatory call from president John F. Kennedy. The Celtics went on to win their fifth straight title that spring, of course, and Cousy hung up his sneakers, transitioning immediately into coaching. He guided Boston College for six successful seasons before returning to the NBA to coach the Cincinnati Royals. Having admittedly taken the job more for the money than the challenge, Cousy was overwhelmed and unsuccessful in the pro ranks from the start. He struggled to connect with the younger generation (though the roster did include his former rival Oscar Robertson) and failed to improve the lagging attendance for the troubled franchise. As a result, team ownership begged Cousy to suit up for a few games to gin up ticket sales, and he sadly obliged, logging seven games of meager play. Though Cousy, then 41, played less than five minutes per game, it did actually boost attendance. But it wasn’t enough to turn things around financially for the team, and they moved to Kansas City two years later.

3) Udonis Haslem
4) Jamal Crawford

When the NBA re-convened its ’19-’20 season in “The Bubble,” Haslem and Crawford officially become the two oldest active players in the league. Both had turned 40 in the interregnum between the league shutting down in March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and picking back up again in July. One other factor in this designation was the retirement of 43-year-old Vince Carter, whose Hawks were not invited to Orlando. Haslem had played just three games all season for the Heat at age 39 but did suit up once as a 40-year-old in “The Bubble,” starting at center in a meaningless regular season finale against the Pacers. He became the 29th person to reach that age as an active NBA player, the first to do so after going un-drafted, and only the fifth to do it while spending his entire career with one team. Crawford actually wasn’t on a roster in March of 2020, having last played with the Suns in ’18-’19. But the longtime bench scoring specialist was one of the feel good stories of “The Bubble,” signing with the Nets as a replacement for players who had opted out of the re-start. Crawford wound up playing just one game for Brooklyn at age 40,   dropping five points and three assists in a win over the Bucks. That was his last NBA appearance but Crawford didn’t officially retire until 2022. Meanwhile, Haslem played three more seasons with the Heat before hanging it up, eventually becoming the oldest player in NBA Finals history in 2023 when he took the court two days shy of his 43rd birthday (the record had previously been held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). 

5) Herb Williams

His career can be easily bifurcated into his days toiling away as a productive center for mostly lousy Pacers and Mavericks teams, and his days as a backup to Patrick Ewing on the title-contending ’90s Knicks. Williams was a first round pick of Indiana in 1981 and almost immediately their starting center. He finished in the top 10 in the NBA in blocks per game four times during his years in Indiana, and averaged as many as 19.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game during the ’85-’86 season. But the Pacers reached the playoffs just once in his seven years with the team, a first round loss in 1986, and a subsequent stop with the Mavericks yielded just one more playoff appearance over the ensuing four years (also a first round loss, in 1990). He was already 34 years old when he signed with the Knicks in 1992, but stuck with the franchise for the rest of the decade, as one of the league’s premier backup centers. New York reached the playoffs all seven seasons he was there, including appearances in the 1994 NBA Finals against the Rockets, and the 1999 NBA Finals against the Spurs, where Williams logged a few minutes of play at age 41 before finally retiring.

6) Jason Kidd

Joining this club late in the ’12-’13 season with the Knicks, Kidd actually played on his 40th birthday on March 23rd of 2013, netting three points, three rebounds, and two assists in a win over the Raptors. After helping New York reach the second round of the playoffs that spring, Kidd retired and transitioned directly into coaching, taking over immediately as head coach of the Bucks. He was drafted second overall by the Mavericks in 1994, and there must have been something in the water that year at the draft ceremony, as Kidd is one of lottery picks from that day, along with Grant Hill and Juwan Howard, to last until age 40 in the NBA. All three of them actually retired in 2013 but Kidd, who left California after his sophomore season, was slightly younger than Howard, who played three seasons at Michigan, and Hill, who made it through his senior year at Duke. Though he won Rookie of the Year, Kidd was traded by Dallas in 1996 and became one of the league’s biggest stars playing for the Suns and Nets. He returned to the Mavericks 12 years after they initially traded him away, and at age 38 won the first title of his NBA career with the ’10-’11 team. 

7) Charles Oakley

If you’re going to play in the NBA into middle age you’ve got to be tough, and few came tougher than Oakley. Drafted out of Virginia Union in 1985, he lasted nearly two decades in the league before finally retiring in 2004. He spent most of that time as a role player, renowned for his defense, rebounding, and especially intimidation. Oakley led the league in total rebounds twice, early in his career as a member of the Bulls, and averaged 10+ rebounds per game in six seasons. His habitual work-out regimen can certainly be attributed for his lasting in the NBA until turning 40, but it’s also worth considering that his reputation as a fearsome enforcer may have saved wear-and-tear on his body as opponents were fearful of engaging him. After 18 seasons in the league, including 15 playoff appearances, one NBA Finals trip in 1994 with New York, and one All-Star nod, Oakley seemed to be finished at age 39 when he went unsigned for the ’03-’04 season. But he inked a 10-day contract late in the season with the Rockets, just a few months after his 40th birthday, and appeared in seven games. In retirement Oakley moved into some coaching, lots of hanging out with Michael Jordan on golf courses and in casinos, and was feigning a comeback in 2007 at age 44, but apparently didn’t receive any contract offers that caught his fancy.

8) Dirk Nowitzki

Even before his 21 seasons in the NBA (which is tied for the second most all time behind only Vince Carter’s 22), Nowitzki spent four years playing professionally in his native Germany, starting with DJK Wurzburg at age 16. Lithe and inexperienced when he joined the Mavericks as a rookie in ’98-’99, Nowitzki hardly looked like a player with the potential longevity he eventually achieved. He was getting pushed around regularly by more athletic power forwards and centers early on, and struggling to adapt to NBA schemes and strategies. But Nowitzki bulked up and more importantly developed one of the most reliable offensive weapons in league history with his fadeaway jumper. This turned him into a consistent, reliable offensive weapon, still averaging 18+ points per game at age 37. In his final season at age 40, Nowitzki became the first player to last 21 seasons with a single team, surpassed Wilt Chamberlain for sixth on the all-time scoring list, and made his 14th All-Star appearance. He also became the first European player to stay active in the NBA at age 40.

9) James Edwards

Nicknamed “Buddha” for his signature Fu Manchu and general stoicism, Edwards also followed the religious prophet’s habit of longevity, lasting 19 years in the NBA. He also followed in the prophet’s habit of a meandering life’s journey, playing for eight different teams in his career. Edwards was drafted by the Lakers in 1977 with the 46th pick (the second latest pick of a player that lasted until age 40, behind only Charles Jones) and later played for the Pacers, Cavaliers, Suns, Pistons, Clippers, Lakers again, Trail Blazers, and Bulls. Able to play effectively at both power forward and center, Edwards was a reliable scorer early in his career, averaging as much as 16.7 points per game in ’81-’82, but later took on a secondary role. In his capacity as a role player Edwards won three titles, two with the Pistons in 1989 and 1990, and one with the Bulls in 1996. It was early during that ’95-’96 title season that he turned 40, celebrating his birthday by playing for four minutes as the Bulls defeated the Spurs to start 3-0 (they would eventually finish a record 72-10). Though he didn’t appear in any NBA Finals games that year, Edwards did become the second oldest player to ever win a title, behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, though he would be passed one year later by Robert Parish, who chased his own ring with the next season’s Bulls team.

10) Dikembe Mutombo

Due to not attending college until the age of 21, Mutombo was celebrating his 25th birthday the night before getting selected fourth overall by the Nuggets in the 1991 NBA Draft. Even though he had never played competitive basketball before his time at Georgetown, Mutombo still came to the NBA as a fully formed shot blocking monster, thanks in part to his advanced age. He finished second in Rookie of the Year voting behind Larry Johnson and in ’94-’95 won his first of four Defensive Player of the Year awards. Mutombo’s 18 NBA seasons also included 10 All-Star Games (including in 2002, at the age of 35), three shot blocking titles, two rebounding titles, and NBA Finals appearances in 2001 with the 76ers and 2003 with the Nets. His age 40 season came in ’06-’07 with the Rockets and the Congolese star was still an effective rebounder and shot blocker, even sometimes filling in as a starter for the oft-injured Yao Ming. During one such occasion, Mutombo became the oldest player in NBA history to record 20+ rebounds in a game, grabbing 22 in a win over the Nuggets. He also played significant minutes for the Rockets in the 2008 playoffs at age 41, averaging 6.5 rebounds per game, and could have probably played to 45 or older. But Mutombo ruptured his quadriceps in a freak injury during the 2009 playoffs, forcing him to retire just a few weeks before his 43rd birthday.

11) Joe Johnson

Johnson’s life in the NBA got off to an inauspicious start, getting traded away during his rookie season by the Celtics despite being their 10th overall pick in 2001. Two decades later, he returned to Boston to close out his incredible career with a brief comeback at age 40. In between, Johnson was one of the top scorers of his generation, averaging 20+ points per game for five straight seasons in his prime and receiving the nickname “Iso Joe” for his one-on-one dominance. He was also named to seven All-Star teams while playing for the Hawks and Nets and reached the 20,000 career point plateau at age 35. When no team signed him for the ’18-’19 season, Johnson kept in shape and stayed active, earning two league MVP awards in the BIG3 and dropping big numbers for the U.S. national team during FIBA AmeriCup qualifying. When the Celtics’ active roster was ravaged by COVID-19 in the winter of 2021, Johnson jumped at the chance to make one last go of it in the NBA, signing a 10-day contract with the team. He made just one appearance but did score a basket in a win over the Cavaliers, giving Johnson the unique distinction of being one of just two players, along with Dirk Nowitzki, to score a basket for the same franchise at age 20 and at age 40.

12) Andre Miller

At some point late in his career, Miller picked up the nickname “The Professor” and hhe wound up doling out lessons up until the age of 40 before retiring in 2016. His 40th birthday came late in the ’15-’16 season, his denouement with the Spurs, and Miller was a DNP-coach’s decision on that milestone in a Spurs upset of Golden State. Miller did make six regular season appearances for San Antonio after turning 40, and five more in the playoffs before finally retiring. For years, he was the league’s best player (and possibly of all-time) without a second round playoff appearance, but Miller finally remedied that in 2014 when he reached the second round at age 38 as John Wall’s backup point guard on the Wizards. He ultimately played for nine teams (including three separate stints with the Nuggets) over 17 seasons, and though he was never an All-Star (he’s the highest rated player on our list without an All-Star appearance), Miller was the league assist leader in ’01-’02, and is 10th all-time in career NBA assists.

13) Karl Malone
14) John Stockton

They will forever be inexorably linked with each other, teammates starting in ’85-’86, when Malone was 22 and Stockton was 23, until the end of the ’02-’03 season, when Stockton retired at age 41 while Malone, who would turn 40 that ensuing summer, played one more season with the Lakers. They played together in 1,412 regular season games, 172 playoff games, and 12 NBA Finals games, but famously never won an NBA title. They can take some solace in having won two gold medals together as part of the 1992 and 1996 U.S. Olympic basketball teams, the latter coming when Stockton was already 34 years old. Stockton turned 40 late in the ’01-’02 season, and though he wasn’t quite the same player anymore he could still fill up the stat sheet, scoring 20 points with six assists on his 40th birthday, a March 26th win over the Rockets. He was the first point guard to stay active into his 40s and became the first player to put up 10 or more assists in a game in his 40s, something he wound up accomplishing 28 times (only Steve Nash has also done it, and he only pulled it off twice). After Stockton retired in 2003, Malone signed a contract with the Lakers just a week before turning 40. He was still able to average 20+ points per game at age 39, but something seemed to fall apart after reaching the magic number of 40, as the ’03-’04 season turned out to be the worst of Malone’s career. He struggled throughout the year with injuries and seemingly lackadaisical play (setting off thousands of “mailing it in” jokes), and the Lakers eventually were upset by the Pistons in the NBA Finals, denying Malone his title. Despite being 41 years old and coming off major knee surgery, there were rumors Malone was going to return for the ’04-’05 season with the Spurs for one more title run, but instead the Mailman officially announced his retirement in February of 2005, ending one of the lengthiest and greatest careers the league has ever seen. 

15) Jason Terry

This list is mostly split between superstars who utilized conditioning and other factors to lengthen their careers, and role players who avoided star-level wear-and-tear, helping them play for years beyond their prime. Terry falls somewhere in between. He was never an All-Star, and though scoring was his prime directive on the court, he never averaged 20+ points per game in a season. But Terry was the heart and soul of the Mavericks for many years, including when he won Sixth Man of the Year in ’08-’09 and when he was the team’s second leading scorer in the playoffs when they pulled off their shocking 2011 NBA Finals upset over Miami. Flitting between the starting lineup and bench throughout his career, Terry was also versatile in his position on the floor, logging big minutes at both guard positions. He could certainly score but was also a solid passer and play maker, averaging as many as 7.4 assists per game in ’02-’03. Three days after his 40th birthday, he re-signed with the Milwaukee Bucks and played in 51 games during the ’17-’18 season, acting as a mentor to the Bucks’ various budding young stars.

16) Tim Duncan

Of course Duncan was going to last to age 40. How could he not? Even when he started out in the NBA at age 21, Duncan was playing like a proverbial old man, with his bank shot jumpers, impeccable post moves, and discreet play making skills. This stood in stark contrast throughout his career to flashier, more dynamic rivals like Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal, the man who dubbed him “The Big Fundamental.” But Duncan was remarkably consistent, averaging 19+ points and 10+ rebounds per game in each of his first 12 NBA seasons, while earning Rookie of the Year, league MVP twice, and three Finals MVP awards. The Spurs clinched their fifth title during Duncan’s career in 2014, just a few weeks after he’d turned 38. The franchise legend hung around for two more seasons after that, making a 15th All-Star appearance in 2015, and then turning 40 during the 2016 playoffs, which ended with San Antonio losing to the Thunder in the Conference Semifinals.

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By the numbers: Age superlatives in NBA history, oldest player to…

Play in an NBA game: Nat Hickey in 1948 (45 years, 363 days)
Play in an NBA game with a continuous career: Robert Parish (43 years, 254 days) in 1997 in his 20th consecutive season
Win an NBA championship: Robert Parish (43 years, 287 days) in 1997 with the Bulls
Earn the NBA Finals MVP award: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38 years, 54 days) in 1985 with the Lakers
Earn the NBA league MVP award: Karl Malone (35 years, 307 days) in 1999
Play in an NBA All-Star Game: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (41 years, 302 days) in 1989
Lead the NBA in scoring: Michael Jordan (35 years, 117 days) in ’97-’98 with 28.7 points per game
Lead the NBA in assists per game: Steve Nash (37 years, 65 days) in ’10-’11 with 11.4 assists per game
Lead the NBA in rebounds per game: Dennis Rodman (36 years, 340 days) in ’97-’98 with 15.0 rebounds per game
Score 20 points in an NBA game: Udonis Haslem (42 years, 304 days) with 24 points in 2023
Score 30 points in an NBA game: Dirk Nowitzki (40 years, 294 days) with 30 points in 2019
Score 40 points in an NBA game: Michael Jordan (40 years, 4 days) with 40 points in 2003
Finish with a triple-double in an NBA game: Karl Malone (40 years, 127 days) in 2003
Finish with a triple-double in an NBA playoff game: John Stockton (39 years, 33 days) in 2001

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17) John Long

Even making it to the NBA was no guarantee for Long, who was a second round draft choice of the Pistons in 1978, in what was perceived as a mercy pick by his college coach (at Detroit Mercy) turned Pistons coach Dick Vitale. But he persevered and thrived, averaging 18.7 points per game in his first four seasons and then continuing to contribute as the starting shooting guard in the early days of the “Bad Boys” dynasty. Long was traded to the SuperSonics in 1986 and bounced around a bit from there, but made two comebacks to his hometown Pistons, first as part of the ’88-’89 title team, and then briefly in ’90-’91 before getting waived. That seemed to be end of Long’s NBA career at age 34 but he did stay active, spending time in the CBA, the French LNB, and as part of several of Magic Johnson’s barnstorming teams. An old friend and back court mate came calling in 1996, when then Raptors vice president Isiah Thomas signed Long to act as a steady, veteran influence for the young roster. Though he was 40 years old and a full five years removed from his last NBA action, Long proved he still had something left, especially when he hit a game winner in an early season victory over the Bullets.

18) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

It’s one thing to stay active in the NBA into your 40s, but it’s another to actually still succeeed. Much has been made about Abdul-Jabbar’s “retirement tour” distracting the Lakers and possibly preventing a three-peat for the team in ’88-’89, but the fact remains that at age 41 he was still starting at center and averaging double-digit points. Abdul-Jabbar has claimed he refined his signature sky-hook in fifth grade, and 30 years later it was still unstoppable at the highest levels of the sport. He was also certainly not hanging around just for statistical accolades, as he had already eclipsed the all-time scoring mark in 1984. And though he wasn’t the same player anymore, the Lakers were still going to their man in the middle in clutch playoff situations, including the 1988 Finals where he hit the series-clinching free throws against the Pistons. The most astonishing part of Kareem’s late-career success is the amount of pure mileage he had already put on his body. Not only did he play 1,560 regular season games in 20 seasons, he also played in the postseason 18 times, with his teams reaching at least the Conference Finals round 14 times, and the NBA Finals 10 times.

19) Grant Hill

Over the course of four seasons during starting at the age of 28, Hill played in just 47 games out of a possible 328, missing the majority of his prime due to ankle issues. At the time, it seemed like the six-time All-Star was more likely to never play again than he was to last until age 40. But Hill made an incredible comeback, returning to his All-Star form at age 32 for the Magic in ’04-’05. Yes, he continued to struggle with injuries from there and certainly wasn’t the same dynamic player, but Hill found shocking longevity by re-imagining himself as a defensive and passing specialist. He made the first (and only) Conference Finals appearance of his career in 2010, as the starting small forward for the Suns at age 37. Hill’s final season was an appropriately injury-plagued one, but he did take the floor 30 times in ’12-’13 for the Clippers, officially announcing his retirement after a first round playoff loss. 

20) Charles Jones

Though Jones’ NBA career lasted 15 years, he played in just 726 games over that span, an average of 48 per season. That does include 32 game appearances after passing the age of 40 late in ’96-’97. A shot-blocking specialist, Jones was one of four siblings who played at Albany State (though they all grew up in Arkansas, the brothers were ignored by local universities that weren’t eager to recruit black players) and reached the NBA, along with Caldwell, Major, and Wil. Though Caldwell had the most successful and lengthiest career, Charles is the one who stayed active to age 41. He came into the league late, starting off at 26 years old for the 76ers in ’83-’84, after getting drafted in 1979, then subsequently signed and cut by three different franchises. Though he played in just one game in his rookie season – for three total minutes – and averaged just 2.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game for his career, Jones did appear in every NBA season between ’83-’84 and ’97-’98. Most of his prime came with the Bullets, for whom he was the starting center for five seasons, and he also suited up for the Sixers, Bulls, Pistons, and Rockets. Jones won a championship in 1995 as a member of the latter team, and turned 40 while playing for Houston in 1997. Though he didn’t contribute much for the Rockets, Jones was still on the roster in ’97-’98, and even played in four playoff games that season at age 41.

21) Danny Schayes

His career obviously pales in comparison to his Hall of Fame father Dolph, but Danny did have the advantage in one area, longevity, playing to age 40 while Dolph retired at 35. Danny was a serviceable center for 18 NBA seasons, averaging as high as 13.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in his prime. He was drafted 13th overall by the Jazz in 1981, out of Syracuse, and after playing less than two seasons with Utah he spent most of his prime years with the Nuggets before moving on to short gigs with the Bucks, Lakers, Suns, Heat, and Magic. His final appearances came in the lockout shortened ’98-’99 season with the Magic, during which Schayes played in just 19 games due to injury. His 40th birthday came on May 10 of 1999 and three days he later he made his first, and only, NBA appearance as a 40-year-old, logging no stats in eight minutes of action during a playoff game loss to the 76ers. He signed with the Timberwolves for the ’99-’00 season but was waived before playing in any games, and subsequently announced his retirement. Schayes holds the distinction of having the shortest post-40th-birthday career of any player on this list, as it consisted of just the one playoff game with Orlando. Another fun Schayes fact: due to his retirement, the ’99-’00 season was the first in NBA history without any active Jewish players.

22) Michael Jordan

Though few believed at the time that it was permanent, Jordan’s first retirement in 1993 came at the age of 30. After coming back to win three more titles with the Bulls, his second retirement, in 1998 at the age of 35, seemed much more invariable. But, based on what we’ve later come to understand is a personality trait bordering on sociopath behavior, Jordan just couldn’t leave well enough alone. Three seasons removed from his last NBA game, he came back at age 38 to play for the Washington Wizards, announcing that his salary would be donated to relief efforts for the 9/11 attack victims. Now a little heftier and slower and playing small forward, he didn’t look too good in his first season back but was as popular as ever. Jordan returned healthier in ’02-’03, and eight days after putting on a star performance in the 2003 All-Star Game, he officially joined the forty-and-over club. In his second game after turning 40, Jordan dropped 43 points and 10 rebounds in a win over the Nets, becoming the first player over 40 to score 40+ in a game. Maybe even more impressive is that just two nights later, in an overtime loss to Dallas, he logged 52 minutes of playing time, scoring 30 points.

23) Cliff Robinson

Thanks to the interlocking careers of Clifford Trent Robinson and Clifford Ralph Robinson, we actually had a Cliff Robinson playing in the NBA for almost 30 consecutive years. Clifford Ralph (no relation to Clifford Trent), or Cliff, for short, was in the league for 18 years himself, missing the playoffs in just one of them. He played in the NBA Finals in two of his first three years in the league, with Portland in 1990 and 1992, was an All-Star in 1994, and averaged 20+ points per game in three different seasons. Robinson missed two games or less in 14 of the seasons he played, including the ’05-’06 season, during which he turned 39. His longevity and reliability is even more impressive when considering his myriad off-court issues, from DUIs to assault convictions, to reckless driving tickets, to marijuana suspensions. His 40th birthday came in December of 2006 while he was rehabbing his knee, hoping to return to action for the Nets in his 18th and final season. Robinson did eventually come back in January of 2007, playing effectively off the bench at power forward and center, helping the Nets reach the second round of the playoffs.

24) Steve Nash

With a headlong style, typically played at breakneck speed, Nash in his prime certainly didn’t look like a player who would last 18 seasons. But his detailed workout techniques, which he’s since been imparting to young point guards like Lonzo Ball, set him up for continuing success all the way to age 40. The two-time MVP and five-time assists leader was durable in his prime, never missing more than seven games during the regular season between ’01-’02 and ’11-’12, before leg, back, and hamstring issues caused him to sit out large chunks of his final two seasons with the Lakers. Like several players on this list Nash was also a late bloomer, with his breakout season coming in ’01-’02 as he turned 28 years old. Though he played in just 15 games for the Lakers in ’13-’14, one of those appearances was on his 40th birthday, and it was arguably Nash’s best performance of the season, with 19 points and five assists in a win over the 76ers. He planned on playing one final season in ’14-’15 but opted to retire after suffering a back injury during the preseason. Nash famously never reached the NBA Finals despite playing in four Conference Finals, but turned down an offer to suit up for the title contending Cavs in 2015, at the age of 41.

25) Robert Parish

Nicknamed “Chief” early in his career for his affinity, both physically and in temperament to the character from “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” Parish actually seemed to look younger as he got older and stayed productive into his 40s. He played in a record 1,611 regular season games (plus 184 playoff games) in 21 seasons. To put that in some perspective: the original “Star Wars” (A New Hope) was released in theaters during his rookie season, and Episode I started filming just weeks after he retired. Parish often credited his lifelong martial arts training as the basis of his longevity, and whatever he did certainly worked for him. In the first game of the ’95-’96 season he became just the second player, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to play continuously to age 42, and in ’96-’97 he became the first player to reach age 43. Parish turned 40 right before the ’93-’94 season, which was his 14th and final season with the Celtics, during which time he played in five NBA Finals, winning three titles, and missed just 42 total games. Upon signing with the Hornets in 1994, Parish wasn’t quite the same player anymore at age 41 but still put in decent minutes as a mostly backup center. He signed with the Bulls right after his 43rd birthday in 1996, and won a fourth title with Chicago before retiring.

26) Juwan Howard

Though he was never as big of an NBA star as his Fab Five Michigan teammates Chris Webber and Jalen Rose, Howard far outlasted both of them, playing in 19 seasons before retiring in 2013 at age 40 (Rose retired in 2007 at age 34 and Webber in 2008 at age 35). Drafted fifth overall by the Bullets in 1994, Howard had his best statistical years early on in Washington, and was named to the All-Star Game in 1996 at age 23. After playing in back-to-back NCAA Championship Games at Michigan, Howard appeared in the playoffs just five times in his first 16 NBA seasons, and never further than a second round appearance with Dallas in 2001. Then, at age 37, he signed a free agent contract with the Heat right after the team agreed to terms with LeBron James and Chris Bosh. It was a move that was 14 years in the making for Howard, who had attempted to sign with the Heat back in 1996, but his contract was declared void by the league office due to salary cap violations, forcing him to re-sign with Washington instead. He played three seasons in Miami, earning championship rings in 2012 and 2013 even though he logged just three minutes of playing time across those two Finals. His final contract with the Heat was signed in March of 2013, just a couple weeks after his 40th birthday, and he made seven regular seasons appearances before sitting out the entire postseason.

27) Kurt Thomas

There are 17 players who were older than Thomas at the time of their retirement, but none of them played for as many franchises as he did. He spent eight of his 18 NBA seasons with the Knicks, but the other 10 years were spread across Miami, Dallas, Phoenix, Seattle, San Antonio, Milwaukee, Chicago, and Portland. The Heat were Thomas’ first NBA landing point, as they drafted the hard-nosed power forward 10th overall out of TCU in 1995. But his best seasons came with New York, including as the starting power forward on the ’98-’99 NBA Finals team. He peaked statistically for the Knicks at age 30 in ’04-’05, averaging a double-double with 11.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, then transitioned late in his career into a mercenary role for several contenders. This included Conference Finals appearances with the Suns in 2006, the Spurs in 2008, and the Bulls in 2011. Thomas was traded from the Blazers back to the Knicks in 2012 and turned 40 right before the ’12-’13 season started. He took the floor on opening night alongside fellow 40-year-old Jason Kidd, a 38-year-old Marcus Camby, and a 38-year-old Rasheed Wallace.

28) Rick Mahorn

For a player who had a reputation as one of the toughest and most physical of his era, it’s a marvel that Mahorn was able to last 19 years in professional basketball, retiring just shy of his 41st birthday. Possibly the baddest of the “Bad Boy” Pistons, Mahorn’s career accomplishments read almost like police blotter. He has to be the only player ballsy enough to have fought Charles Barkley, Moses Malone, Michael Jordan, and Charles Oakley (in the final incident, which happened in 1988, he also inadvertently shoved coach Doug Collins into a scorer’s table). Despite being the starting power forward for the Pistons when they won the title in 1989, and a fan favorite in Philadelphia when he teamed up with Charles Barkley as the “Thump and Bump” duo, Mahorn found himself out of an NBA job in 1991 and fled to Europe for a one-year stint in the Italian league. He returned to the Nets at the age of 34, and played seven more seasons in the NBA, including a two-year return to the Pistons and one final season back in Philly. His debut as a 40-year-old came with the 76ers in the lockout-shortened ’98-’99 season. He made 16 appearances down the stretch of the regular season, and even nabbed six rebounds in his final game, a second round playoff loss to Indiana.

29) Manu Ginobili

Though he was 21 years old when the Spurs drafted him in 1999, Ginobili’s NBA debut didn’t come until four years later. He spent all 15 years of his career with San Antonio, a tenure that included five NBA Finals trips and four championships. Over the course of his career Ginobili became immortalized, not just amongst Spurs fans and Argentinians, but also by basketball fans who appreciated his intellect and his unique style of play. Ginobili was just shy of his 26th birthday when he won his first title with the Spurs, in his rookie season, and about to turn 37 when he celebrated his fourth and final title. He was an All-Star for the second time at age 33 in 2011, and though his stats started to dwindle from there, he was still effective off the bench for San Antonio, with his herky-jerky Euro step continuing to confound defenders. His 40th birthday came in the summer before the ’17-’18 season and Ginobili put together arguably the second-greatest all-time offensive performance by a 40-year-old that season, behind only Michael Jordan. Ginobili appeared in 65 games for the Spurs, averaging only 8.9 points per game, but he became the first 40-year-old to ever record multiple 20+ points games off the bench, including a 26-point performance against Portland. Maybe even more impressive than Ginobili’s NBA longevity is his international career, which started with the Argentine junior national team as a 20-year-old in 1997 and ended with a solid performance at age 39 in the 2016 Olympics.

30) Vince Carter

When Carter took the floor for the Hawks on January 4, 2020, he became the first player in NBA history to play across four different decades. The formerly unstoppable offensive force struggled that night, shooting just 1-of-7 from the floor and committing five personal fouls. But it was the culmination of an incredible journey for Carter, who turned 43 just three weeks later. A dynamic, high-flying superstar from the start, Carter was Rookie of the Year and in his second season put on arguably the greatest performance in Slam Dunk Contest history. His thrilling aerial acrobatics and scoring burden seemed anathema to a player who would still be hanging around at age 40 but Carter proved to be a physical marvel, keeping himself not just active at that age, but still able to drop 20 points in a game and occasionally thrill fans with dunks and reverse layups. Unfortunately, Carter didn’t get a proper send-off, as his career officially ended when the NBA did not invite his Hawks to “The Bubble” when play resumed in July of 2020. As it stands, he’s additionally the only player to last 22 seasons in the league, one of just three (along with Kevin Willis and Robert Parish) to stay active to age 43, and he’s third all-time in career games played, with 1,541.

31) Nat Hickey

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the all-time oldest professional basketball player is Abdulmohsen Khalaf Al-Muwallad, who suited up for Ohud Medina in the Saudi Basketball League at the age of 51. Hickey fell a few years short of that but does hold the NBA record at age 45. However, that comes with a huge caveat. A two-sport star in the ’20s and ‘30s, Hickey split his early career across legendary barnstorming and NBL basketball franchises like the Original Celtics and Tri-Cities Blackhawks, while also pursuing an MLB career, playing for 15 years in minor league baseball. He transitioned into coaching in the ‘40s, first in baseball (most notably in the Mountain State League, where he was Stan Musial’s first professional manager) and later on the hardwood with the Indianapolis Kautskys of the NBL. Early in the ’47-’48 NBA season, Hickey was hired by the slumping Providence Steam Rollers to replace the fired Albert Soar. The franchise was atrocious on every level, hurtling towards financial insolvency (they would fold just one year later) while losing games at a historical clip. The team had a 4-22 record heading into a late January game against the St. Louis Bombers when Hickey decided to roll the dice and activate himself as a player. Just a few days shy of his 46th birthday, Hickey took the court and played about as well as you’d expect, missing all five field gals he attempted in a blowout loss. One night later he played again in a Steam Rollers defeat against the Knicks before officially retiring as a player. His final NBA stats: two games, two points, 0-of-6 from the field, 2-of-3 from the free throw line, five personal fouls. Though it’s something of an incommodious designation due to his brief, gimmicky career, Hickey has stood as the game’s oldest player of record for a long time and will likely continue to stand as such for a long time, with the NBA now a highly refined and professional league.

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