If a player can play in the league for more than 12 seasons, then it is already very good, and if you can play for such a long time, even if you are not a superstar, you have a good fighting ability in the league. So do you know which player in NBA history has the longest career?
Some fans will think that it is Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Nowitzki or Carter, and these people have indeed played in the NBA for quite a long time. Abdul-Abdul-Jabbar and Kobe Bryant played 20 seasons in the league, while Nowitzki played for the Mavericks for 21 years, and Carter played 22 seasons.
This player is called Willis, a name that many people are unfamiliar with, but he is actually a player of the Diamond Generation in '84. He entered the NBA with the 11th pick that year and represented eight teams in the league during his career. Entering the NBA in '84 and retiring in 2007, he played a total of 1,424 games in the league. Although not a superstar in the league, he is also a very important member of the team.
Willis averaged 26.9 minutes per game in his career, averaging 12.1 points and 8.4 rebounds, winning a championship, making an All-Star and a third-team all-time game. The reason why he can play in the league for such a long time is that his physical fitness is relatively good, he has not suffered a big injury, and at the same time, he will also have strict requirements for himself, and he is very disciplined in his life and rest.
And if anyone is likely to surpass Willis in the league in the future, then it is probably James. James entered the NBA in '03 and has now played 19 seasons in the league. And now that James is still at the peak of his career, the 37-year-old is still averaging 30.3 points per game, and we have reason to believe that James can still maintain a long period of peak.
James spends at least $3 million a year on his body, plus he also hopes he can play with his son in the league, so he may surpass Willis and become the player who has played in the NBA for the longest time.