List of National Basketball Association seasons played leaders - wikipedia List of National Basketball Association seasons played leaders Robert Parish was the first to play 21 seasons in the NBA, currently tied for the most in league history. Only seven players in the history of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) have played at least 20 seasons in their 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 then - record 20 seasons played. Robert Parish broke the mark in 1996 -- 97, when he retired after 21 seasons, and Kevin Willis tied him in his final season in 2006 -- 07. They were joined by Kevin Garnett in 2015 -- 16 when he began his 21st season. His Minnesota Timberwolves played their season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant, who became the fifth player to reach the 20 - season plateau that night. The game was the first time in league history that two opposing players each had at least 20 years of experience. Having played his entire career with the Lakers, Bryant was also the first NBA player to spend 20 seasons with one team. In 2017 -- 18, Dirk Nowitzki and Vince Carter each began their 20th NBA seasons. Nowitzki, who has spent his entire career with the Dallas Mavericks, is the only player other than Bryant to have played 20 seasons with one team. In the NBA, big men typically have longer playing careers than smaller men. Older centers and power forwards may have the luxury of pacing themselves while running the court, or they might station themselves in the post. Big men Parish, Willis, and Garnett all had relatively minor roles while playing in their respective 21st seasons. On the other hand, guards are tasked with handling the ball full - court ; in addition, guards are more dependent on traits like speed and quickness that deteriorate with age. Bryant was the first guard to play in 20 seasons, passing the previous mark of 19 seasons for guards held by John Stockton and Jason Kidd. Contents 1 Seasons played leaders 2 See also 3 Notes 4 References Seasons played leaders Following is a list of players who have played the most seasons in the NBA. Active NBA player * Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame † Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration § 1st time nominee for Hall of Fame in 2018 Kevin Garnett began his career with Minnesota, returning later and tying the record of 21 seasons played in 2016. Kareem Abdul - Jabbar retired in 1989 with a then - record of 20 seasons played. Kobe Bryant was the first guard to play 20 seasons. Karl Malone played all but one of his 19 seasons with Utah. Jason Kidd had two stints with Dallas in his career, retiring tied with a then - record 19 seasons as a guard. Rank Player Position Team ( s ) Seasons Robert Parish * Golden State Warriors ( 1976 -- 1980 ) Boston Celtics ( 1980 -- 1994 ) Charlotte Hornets ( 1994 -- 1996 ) Chicago Bulls ( 1996 -- 1997 ) 21 Kevin Willis PF / C Atlanta Hawks ( 1984 -- 1995, 2004 -- 2005 ) Miami Heat ( 1994 -- 1996 ) Golden State Warriors ( 1996 ) Houston Rockets ( 1996 -- 1998, 2001 -- 2002 ) Toronto Raptors ( 1998 -- 2001 ) Denver Nuggets ( 2001 ) San Antonio Spurs ( 2002 -- 2004 ) Dallas Mavericks ( 2007 ) Kevin Garnett PF / C Minnesota Timberwolves ( 1995 -- 2007, 2015 -- 2016 ) Boston Celtics ( 2007 -- 2013 ) Brooklyn Nets ( 2013 -- 2015 ) Kareem Abdul - Jabbar * Milwaukee Bucks ( 1969 -- 1975 ) Los Angeles Lakers ( 1975 -- 1989 ) 20 Kobe Bryant SG Los Angeles Lakers ( 1996 -- 2016 ) Vince Carter ^ SG / SF Toronto Raptors ( 1998 -- 2004 ) New Jersey Nets ( 2004 -- 2009 ) Orlando Magic ( 2009 -- 2010 ) Phoenix Suns ( 2010 -- 2011 ) Dallas Mavericks ( 2011 -- 2014 ) Memphis Grizzlies ( 2014 -- 2017 ) Sacramento Kings ( 2017 -- present ) Dirk Nowitzki ^ PF Dallas Mavericks ( 1998 -- present ) 8 Moses Malone * Buffalo Braves ( 1976 ) Houston Rockets ( 1976 -- 1982 ) Philadelphia 76ers ( 1982 -- 1986, 1993 -- 1994 ) Washington Bullets ( 1986 -- 1988 ) Atlanta Hawks ( 1988 -- 1991 ) Milwaukee Bucks ( 1991 -- 1993 ) San Antonio Spurs ( 1994 -- 1995 ) 19 James Edwards Los Angeles Lakers ( 1977, 1992 -- 1994 ) Indiana Pacers ( 1977 -- 1981 ) Cleveland Cavaliers ( 1981 -- 1983 ) Phoenix Suns ( 1983 -- 1988 ) Detroit Pistons ( 1988 -- 1991 ) Los Angeles Clippers ( 1991 -- 1992 ) Portland Trail Blazers ( 1994 -- 1995 ) Chicago Bulls ( 1995 -- 1996 ) John Stockton * PG Utah Jazz ( 1984 -- 2003 ) Karl Malone * PF Utah Jazz ( 1985 -- 2003 ) Los Angeles Lakers ( 2003 -- 2004 ) Charles Oakley PF / C Chicago Bulls ( 1985 -- 1988, 2001 -- 2002 ) New York Knicks ( 1988 -- 1998 ) Toronto Raptors ( 1998 -- 2001 ) Washington Wizards ( 2002 -- 2003 ) Houston Rockets ( 2004 ) Shaquille O'Neal * Orlando Magic ( 1992 -- 1996 ) Los Angeles Lakers ( 1996 -- 2004 ) Miami Heat ( 2004 -- 2008 ) Phoenix Suns ( 2008 -- 2009 ) Cleveland Cavaliers ( 2009 -- 2010 ) Boston Celtics ( 2010 -- 2011 ) Juwan Howard PF / C Washington Bullets / Wizards ( 1994 -- 2001 ) Dallas Mavericks ( 2001 -- 2002, 2007 -- 2008 ) Denver Nuggets ( 2002 -- 2003, 2008 ) Orlando Magic ( 2003 -- 2004 ) Houston Rockets ( 2004 -- 2007 ) Charlotte Bobcats ( 2008 -- 2009 ) Portland Trail Blazers ( 2009 -- 2010 ) Miami Heat ( 2010 -- 2013 ) Jason Kidd * PG Dallas Mavericks ( 1994 -- 1996, 2008 -- 2012 ) Phoenix Suns ( 1996 -- 2001 ) New Jersey Nets ( 2001 -- 2008 ) New York Knicks ( 2012 -- 2013 ) Tim Duncan PF / C San Antonio Spurs ( 1997 -- 2016 ) Paul Pierce † SG / SF Boston Celtics ( 1998 -- 2013 ) Brooklyn Nets ( 2013 -- 2014 ) Washington Wizards ( 2014 -- 2015 ) Los Angeles Clippers ( 2015 -- 2017 ) Jason Terry ^ Atlanta Hawks ( 1999 -- 2004 ) Dallas Mavericks ( 2004 -- 2012 ) Boston Celtics ( 2012 -- 2013 ) Brooklyn Nets ( 2013 -- 2014 ) Houston Rockets ( 2014 -- 2016 ) Milwaukee Bucks ( 2016 -- present ) See also National Basketball Association portal List of National Basketball Association career games played leaders List of National Basketball Association career minutes played leaders List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise List of oldest and youngest National Basketball Association players Notes ^ Jump up to : Willis ' career spanned 23 years, but he missed two seasons. He was out injured all of 1988 -- 89, and initially retired and did not play in 2005 -- 06 before returning for five games in 2007. References General `` For single seasons, played in the NBA / BAA, in the regular season, from 1946 - 47 to 2016 - 17, sorted by most seasons matching criteria ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2017. Specific Jump up ^ Bonk, Thomas ( September 28, 1985 ). `` Lakers Move Closer to Signing Kareem for a Year or 2 More ''. Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 2, 2015. Jump up ^ Johnson, Roy S. ( May 22, 1983 ). `` THE LONG - RUN SUCCESS OF KAREEM ABDUL - JABBAR ''. The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 2, 2015. Jump up ^ Goldaper, Sam ( February 12, 1984 ). `` HAYES ENJOYING FAREWELL SEASON ''. The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 2, 2015. Jump up ^ Murray, Jim ( November 17, 1992 ). `` A Chapter Closed, He Is Opening ''. Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 2, 2015. Jump up ^ Pandian, Ananth ( March 6, 2015 ). `` For ticket sales the Lakers will honor Kobe 's 20th season ''. CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2015. Jump up ^ Armour, Terry ( August 26, 1997 ). `` After 21 Seasons, Parish Walks Away ''. Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 2, 2015. Jump up ^ Bjarkman, Peter C. ( 2002 ). Boston Celtics Encyclopedia. Sports Publishing. p. 54. ISBN 9781582615646. Retrieved December 2, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Kevin Willis Stats ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved December 5, 2015. Jump up ^ Carlton, James ( July 7, 2015 ). `` Garnett will become just the third NBA player to play 21 seasons ''. FoxSports.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2015. Jump up ^ `` NBA short takes ''. The Starr - Tribune. October 31, 2015. Archived from the original on December 2, 2015. Jump up ^ Beacham, Greg ( October 29, 2015 ). `` Kobe clears another milestone, begins 20th Lakers season ''. Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 2, 2015. Jump up ^ Holmes, Baxter ( October 29, 2015 ). `` Kobe Bryant sets NBA record for seasons played with one franchise ''. ESPN.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Top stats to know : Kobe Bryant 's statistical legacy ''. ESPN.com. November 29, 2015. Archived from the original on November 30, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Recap : Mavs fall to Hawks 117 - 111 ''. The Dallas Morning News. Associated Press. October 18, 2017. Archived from the original on October 24, 2017. Jump up ^ Chalabi, Mona ( November 30, 2015 ). `` The Kobe Bryant outlier : how his career compares to the NBA average ''. The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 2, 2015. Jump up ^ Groothuis, Peter A. ; Hill, J. Richard ( April 2004 ). `` Exit Discrimination in the NBA : A Duration Analysis of Career Length '' ( PDF ). Economic Inquiry. 42 ( 2 ). pp. 341 -- 49. ISSN 0095 - 2583. Archived ( PDF ) from the original on December 2, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Evans, Rich ( March 25, 2001 ). `` Center court : Stock portfolio ''. Deseret News. Archived from the original on December 3, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Friedman, Dave ( December 25, 2014 ). `` Kobe Bryant is not as Good as Michael Jordan -- So What ? ''. 20 Second Timeout. Archived from the original on December 3, 2015. Jump up ^ Friedman, Dave ( November 9, 2015 ). `` The Twilight of Kobe Bryant ''. Twenty Second Blog. Archived from the original on December 3, 2015. Jump up ^ McWilliams, Julian ( October 9, 2015 ). `` Jalen Rose : Kobe Bryant ' Does n't Want to Take A Back Seat ' ''. Huffington Post. Archived from the original on December 2, 2015. Jump up ^ Newman, Pete ( October 18, 2015 ). `` The inconsistent season of Kobe Bryant ''. Sheridan Hoops. Archived from the original on December 2, 2015. Jump up ^ A player is not eligible for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame until he has been fully retired for three calendar years. Jump up ^ `` Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Announces Eligible Candidates for the Class of 2018 ''. Retrieved 29 December 2017. hide National Basketball Association statistical leaders Players Career Regular season Points Franchise Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks Turnovers Three - point field goals Free throws Seasons Games Minutes Playoffs Points Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks Turnovers Three - point field goals Free throws Games Minutes Annual Points Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks Minutes Field goal percentage Three - point field goals Three - point field goal percentage Free throw percentage Season Points Rookie Rebounds Rookie Game Points Playoffs Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks Misc Tallest players Shortest players Oldest and youngest players Highest - paid players Teams Winningest teams All - time win - loss records Winning streaks Losing streaks Misc Highest - scoring games Records Regular season Playoffs All - Star Game Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_National_Basketball_Association_seasons_played_leaders&oldid=847050562 '' Categories : National Basketball Association lists National Basketball Association statistical leaders Hidden categories : Articles with hCards Talk Contents About Wikipedia Edit links This page was last edited on 22 June 2018, at 15 : 42 ( UTC ). 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Question: who had the longest career in nba history
Answer: Robert Parish