Preface
As the best basketball league in the world, the competition here is very fierce, and the phenomenon of survival of the fittest is normal here, and many young people have the possibility of being eliminated at any time even if they have just entered the league, so it is really difficult to have a long NBA career.
Especially in competitive sports, injuries can be encountered at any time such uncontrollable factors, many players have no problem with their own strength, but because of injuries they can only be forced to leave the game, such as Cousins, Wall and other players, they are the top 20 stars in the league before the big injury, but after the injury in the early 30s are all out of the NBA. So let's take a look at the 8 players who have been in the NBA for the longest time, see how many seasons they have played, and what kind of performance they can get now.
8. Thaddeus Young (17 seasons)
This season, he averaged 2 points, 3 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game
Young was drafted with the 12th pick in the first round in 2007 and has now played in the league for 17 seasons, during which he has played for the 76ers, Timberwolves, rebounds, Pacers, Bulls, Spurs, Raptors, and now the Suns, and at his peak Young also averaged 17.9 points, 6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game. But now that Young is basically on the verge of retirement, and he doesn't have many opportunities with the Suns this season, it is very likely that this will be his last NBA season.
7. Green (17 seasons)
This season, he averaged 6.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game
Green was also a rookie in the class of 2007, when he was drafted by the SuperSonics with the fifth pick in the first round, but he proved that his ceiling wasn't too high soon after entering the league, but he still had a chance to be a very good role player. Later, in the Celtics, Green also had surgery for heart problems, but fortunately, in the end, it was not a big problem, and he was able to continue playing in the league.
Green also moved to many teams in order to win the championship, and he finally fulfilled this dream last season with the Nuggets, but he still has oil, and decided to join the Rockets last offseason, and he is still part of the rotation on this young team this season, and he can also help young players grow in the locker room.
6. Al Horford (17 seasons)
This season, he averaged 8.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists per game, and 1 per game
As a rookie in the class of 2007, Horford became the core of the Hawks when he entered the league, and he was later selected to the All-Star team and All-Star team. Later, in order to win the championship, Horford joined the Celtics, and although he is no longer in his prime, he still plays a very important role in this team with the successful transformation to a spatial interior.
Horford, who is 37 years old this season, is still indispensable to the Celtics' system, and his three-point and rim protection are still crucial for the team. This season is also the best chance of Horford's career to win the championship, and if he doesn't grasp it this time, he may well face a lifetime without a championship.
5. Conley (17 seasons)
This season, he averaged 11.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 6 assists and 1.2 steals per game
After entering the league in 2007, Conley quickly became the "engine" of the Grizzlies, and he could play both offensive and defensive ends in the early part of his career, and he was also selected to the best defensive second team at his peak. Under Conley's leadership, the Grizzlies have been one of the toughest teams in the West, but unfortunately they have never made it to the playoffs, and the farthest they have come to the Western Conference finals, and they were swept by the Spurs that year.
Conley then joined the Jazz and then the Timberwolves, and even though he is now 36 years old, he is still very crucial for the Timberwolves. As the best passer on the entire team, the Timberwolves' offense would be even more sluggish without Conley, and whether they can break through in the playoffs and whether Conley can explode in the playoffs is also crucial.
4. Durant (17 seasons)
Averages per game: 27.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.2 per game
One of the best players on the roster, Durant has also played in the league for 17 seasons, and he has suffered major injuries such as a ruptured Achilles tendon. In the past 16 years of his career, Durant has won almost all the honors he deserves, scoring title, MVP, FMVP, etc., and the only thing he has to prove now is that he can still win championships without the Warriors.
Durant's 27.3 points per game this season ranks fifth in the league, and his playing time is also the fifth in the league with 37.2 minutes, which is quite incredible for a 35-year-old veteran to appear at the same time. Most players are at this age, not to mention averaging 27.3 points per game, even an average of 7.3 points per game is still oily. However, Durant's championship prospects this season are not good, the Nuggets dominate in the West, and the Celtics are the strongest version in recent years in the East, and the overall strength of the Suns is still significantly different from them.
3. Lowry (18 seasons)
Averaged 8.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1 steal per game this season
When Lowry first entered the league in 2006, he also played step by step from the bench with the Grizzlies, and later he was still hovering between the bench and the starter when he was with the Rockets. However, since coming to the Raptors, Lowry has slowly sat firmly in the starting lineup, and later he was selected to the All-Star team, and under his leadership, the Raptors have been a regular in the Eastern Conference playoffs all year round.
In 2019, Lowry successfully helped the Raptors win the first championship in team history, and he averaged 15 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game in the playoffs that year. Later, in order to win the championship, Lowry joined the Heat, and last year they staged the "Black Eight Miracle" together, and this season Lowry came to the 76ers, and at the age of 37, he still has the power to fight, and his experience will still be of great help to the team in the playoffs.
2. Paul (19 seasons)
This season, he averaged 9.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game
Paul, known as the "God of Point Guards", averaged 16+5+7 per game in his first season in the league, and since the second season, he has gradually become one of the best point guards in the league, and in the third season, he once became the favorite for MVP with an average of 21+11 per game, but unfortunately he met Kobe Bryant, who was also in great shape that year.
At his peak, Paul also served as the league's No. 1 point guard for several seasons, but unfortunately he never made it to the Western Conference finals at that time, and he only touched the floor of the Western Conference finals for the first time in the Rockets. Paul reached the Finals for the first time in 2021, when he was just two wins away from winning the championship, but was eventually overturned by the Bucks. Paul was traded to the Warriors last year, and no one would have thought that Paul would be able to play with Curry, but now their chemistry is not bad, and Paul, who played as a substitute for the first time in his career, can still play the role of the team's brain on the court, but unfortunately the overall strength of the Warriors this year is average, and they can only hover in the bottom half of the play-offs now.
1. James (21 seasons)
This season, he averaged 25.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game
As the oldest active player, James has played 21 seasons, which is older than many players in the league. In the past few years, James's form has been very good every season, during which he has also led the Heat, Cavaliers, and Lakers to win championships, and he has won 4 MVPs personally, as well as various records he has set, such as the all-time scoring title, the Finals average triple-double, etc.
After 21 seasons of playing, James is still in very hot form, and after once again stabilizing his scoring average at 25+ per game, he has also become the first player in history to average 25+ per game for 20 consecutive seasons. However, the Lakers' current strength is not stable, this season because of the frequent injuries of role players and the Lakers' own mentality, resulting in their best result now is to start the play-offs as the eighth in the West, with their state, even if they make the playoffs, it will be difficult for the Lakers to compete with other strong teams in the playoffs this season.