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.
who played in the nba the most years
Robert Parish Kevin Willis Kevin Garnett