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LeBron James is in Year 21 in the NBA and it appears that he has no desire to retire yet. The superstar point forward has two years remaining on his current deal with the LA Lakers, so it shouldn't come as a surprise if he reaches Year 23 in the league before retiring.
At the same time, there are many veteran players that have 14 or more years of experience and in this article we take a look at the five longest-tenured active players in the league.
5 longest-tenured active NBA players ft. LeBron James
#5 - Al Horford (Boston Celtics)
Al Horford is in Year 17 in the NBA after joining the league in 2007 as the third overall pick. Horford, who is considered among the best big men in the league, has played for four teams (Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics) and is currently in his second stint with the Celtics.
With averages of 13.4 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 3.3 apg in 1,020 career games, Al Horford is still chasing his first championship.
#4 - Mike Conley (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Like Al Horford, Mike Conley is in Year 17 after moving to the league in 2007 with the fourth overall pick. Conley has spent the majority of his playing career with the Memphis Grizzlies (2007-2019), while he has also played for the Utah Jazz (2019-2023) and now the Timberwolves.
Conley, who hasn't won the championship yet, has appeared in 1,032 career games and has averages of 14.6 ppg, 5.7 apg and 3.0 rpg.
#3 - Kyle Lowry (Miami Heat)
A 2019 champion with the Toronto Raptors, Kyle Lowry has spent 17 years in the league, as he was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies back in 2006 with the 24th overall pick.
Lowry played three years for the Grizzlies (2006-2009) and three for the Houston Rockets (2009-2012) before moving to Toronto (2012-2021). Since 2021, he has been playing for the Miami Heat, helping the franchise reach the 2023 Finals.
The veteran guard has played 1,086 games in 18 years in the NBA, averaging 14.5 ppg, 6.3 apg and 4.4 rpg
#2 - Chris Paul (Golden State Warriors)
Now with the Golden State Warriors, Chris Paul is still chasing his first championship after 19 years. Paul joined the league in 2005 as the fourth overall pick and played six years for the Charlotte Hornets (then New Orleans Hornets).
In 2011, he moved to the LA Clippers (2011-2017) before joining the Rockets (2017-2019), Thunder (2019-2020) and Phoenix Suns (2020-2023).
Paul has appeared in 1,086 games and has career averages of 17.9 ppg, 9.5 apg and 4.5 rpg.
#1 - LeBron James (LA Lakers)
As we said, LeBron James is in Year 21 in the NBA and is the longest-tenured player in the league. A four-time champion, Finals MVP and regular-season MVP, James is also the all-time scoring leader.
The "King" has played 1,429 games so far and has averages of 27.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 7.3 apg, splitting his career between the Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-2010, 2014-2018), Miami Heat (2010-2014) and Lakers (2018 - present).
