Being old does not generally mean you are unfit to compete in professional sports. Let us take amateurs for example, we probably find a couple of elderly individuals in the playground practicing hoops, juggling a soccer ball, or throwing lob passes to their children. Age doesn’t always put an end to fitness. It relies on strict body maintenance and conditioning. Several athletes in the professional environment do this as well.
For instance, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is one such athlete who might push past the retirement age threshold. The 4x League MVP invests over a million dollars every year to stay in good shape. Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, and MMA’s Yoel Romero are other examples. Romero turned 46 years old in April 2023 and competed for a division title at Bellator.
Random but kinda crazy: Vince Carter’s first and last assisted baskets of his career were assisted by players drafted 33 years apart.
Charles Oakley – 1985 draft.
Trae Young – 2018 draft. pic.twitter.com/6KwYBKMuds— Automatic (@automaticnba) July 17, 2023
In the NBA, only a handful of players have been able to push past the threshold of a 20-season career. The most seasons played by any NBA player is 22 by Vince Carter. He retired at the age of 43 in 2020. Similarly, Boston Celtics legend Robert Parish holds the record for most games played in the NBA with 1,611 appearances. He retired at the age of 43 as well with a career spanning 21 seasons. Let’s find out who are oldest active players.
List of top ten oldest active players in the NBA
If you’re a loyal Golden State Warriors fan, you probably know that Andre Iguodala is the oldest active player in the NBA right now. He entered the league back in 2004 at the age of 21. Iguodala was born on January 28, 1984, which makes him 49 years old today. He won four titles with the Warriors making him an elite member of the team. Andre will shortly complete 20 years in professional sports and even though his numbers aren’t too great, Iggy is a strong mentor.
LeBron James is the 2nd oldest player currently in the NBA 😳 pic.twitter.com/tFsv0ZAeMp
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 18, 2023
LeBron James is the second-oldest active player in the NBA. Despite being 38 years old, the 4x NBA Champion still averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game. He also broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record while doing so. James has shown no sign of decline either. PJ Tucker is the third oldest in the league. The 38-year-old has a locker room presence quite like Iguodala’s and is still a strong defender. Here is a list of the top ten oldest active players in the NBA.
List of the top ten oldest active players in the NBA:
1. Andre Iguodala – Golden State Warriors (39)
2. LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers (38)
3. PJ Tucker – Philadelphia 76ers (38)
4. Chris Paul – Golden State Warriors (38)
5. Taj Gibson – Washington Wizards (38)
6. Al Horford – Boston Celtics (37)
7. Kyle Lowry – Miami Heat (37)
8. Goran Dragic – Milwaukee Bucks (37)
9. George Hill – Indiana Pacers (37)
10. Danny Green – Cleveland Cavaliers (36)