Oldest NBA players: Is LeBron James the king of longevity?

Longevity is hailed as one of the hallmarks of excellence in most sports, and with peak physical performance required in the 82-game NBA season, the average player often retires in their mid-30s in the division.

While physical fitness and athleticism often translate to success on the court in the NBA, we have seen few veterans defy the odds and excel deep into the twilight of their careers.

Some of these unique players have maintained their athleticism deep into their careers, while others have relied on experience to keep their impact on the court. Here, Sports Mole takes a look at the oldest player in the league as well as the 10 oldest players to ever grace the league.

WHO IS THE OLDEST CURRENT NBA PLAYER?

Having stepped foot in the NBA back in 2003, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is the oldest player in the league heading into the 2025-26 season at the age of 40 years.

The Akron-born superstar, who came into the league as the second-youngest player in NBA history, has held this record since Udonis Haslem (42) and Andre Iguodala (41) announced their retirement from the league back in 2023.

LeBron James was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the No. 1 overall pick 23 years ago and quickly stamped his name as one of the most dominant players around and a future Hall of Famer.

After seven years in Cleveland, LeBron moved to the Miami Heat, where he led the franchise to four consecutive NBA finals and was a key part of the formidable trio comprising Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh that delivered the championship in 2012 and 2013.

He made an emotional return to Cleveland in 2014, and after the 2015 finals heartbreak against the Golden State Warriors, he delivered the Cavs’ first-ever championship one year later, teaming up with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to beat the Warriors in a thrilling seven-game series before signing for the Los Angeles Lakers in July 2018.

In the 2023-24 season, LeBron became the NBA's all-time leading scorer — surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 38,387-point tally set in 1989 — while also leading Team USA to a record-extending 17th gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The 40-year-old boasts a total of 42,184 points in the league heading into the 2025-26 campaign.

He further cemented his legacy as the 'GOAT' of the game as he became one half of the first-ever father-son duo in NBA history after Bronny James was picked by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Despite being in the twilight of his career, LeBron continues to put up astonishing numbers, as he made 70 appearances for the Los Angeles Lakers last season, finishing with 24.4 points per game in the regular season to go with 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists to lead them to the playoffs, where they suffered a first-round exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

While LeBron leads the way for the oldest players in the NBA, he is one of just four 40-year-olds in the league, including the New York Knicks’ PJ Tucker, the Los Angeles Clippers’ guard Chris Paul and the Charlotte Hornets’ forward Taj Gibson.

WHO IS THE OLDEST NBA PLAYER OF ALL TIME?

The oldest player to ever play in the NBA remains Nat Hickey, who activated himself as a player and made two appearances two days shy of his 45th birthday while serving as coach of the Providence Steamrollers in the 1947-48 season.

Hickey’s two appearances came in the final two games of a disappointing campaign for the Steamrollers, who finished with a 4-25 record, as he went 0-6 from the field across both games and dropped two points from three trips to the free-throw line.

Former Atlanta Hawks man Kevin Willis is the second-oldest player in NBA history, having featured in the league at the age of 44 years, 224 days, while Robert Parish, who holds the record for most games played (1,611), ranks third on the list at 43 years, 254 days.

Here is a list of the 10 oldest players to feature in the NBA.

1. Nat Hickey — 45 years, 363 days

2. Kevin Willis — 44 years, 224 days

3. Robert Parish — 43 years, 254 days

4. Vince Carter — 43 years, 45 days

5. Udonis Haslem — 42 years, 363 days

6. Dikembe Mutombo — 42 years, 300 days

7. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — 42 years, 58 days

8. Bob Cousy — 41 years, 150 days

9. Herb Williams — 41 years, 129 days

10. John Stockton — 41 years, 35 days