Top 5 active NBA players who have been in the league for 15 years or more

Basketball is one of the toughest sports in the world. A player has to remain at his physical best throughout the season to survive in the sport. However, there have been many players in the NBA that have successfully managed to compete at the highest level for over 15 years.

Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Karl Malone are some of the biggest examples of players who were around the NBA for over 15 years. The aforementioned players won the respect of fans and fellow teammates through their dedication and hustle.

Even in modern basketball, there are some players who have been able to compete at the highest level for a long time. In today's article, we mention five players who have been in the league for well over a decade.

Five players who have been in the league for 15 years or more

#5 Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard was the number one pick in the 2004 draft. He was drafted by the Orlando Magic and spent eight years with them. During his stint there, Howard led the team to the NBA finals, where they lost 4-1 to the Lakers. Playing at center position, Howard has won three defensive player of the year trophies.

He was also the youngest player in the league to record 20 rebounds or more. In his 17 year career, Howard has been a two-time blocking champion. After spending seasons with the Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets and the Washington Wizards before eventually moving to the LA Lakers. It was with the Lakers that the center won his first NBA championship.

He then moved to the Philadelphia 76ers the following season. After helping them win the top seed in the east, Howard made his way back to the Purple and Gold outfit for the 2021-22 season. With already a championship and several other laurels to his name, Howard will be looking to make this year count by putting in his best for the Lakers.

#4 Rajon Rondo

Rajon Rondo was drafted 21st overall by the Phoenix Suns in 2006, but was later traded to the Boston Celtics. He was an integral part of the Celtics team that won the championship in 2008. His flashy passes and the all-famous behind-the-back pass made him one of the best point guards in the league.

Rondo is a four-time All-Star and was also part of the All-NBA third team in 2012. The point-guard won three assist titles and was the steals leader in 2010. After a successful stint with the Celtics, Rondo decided to take his talents to the Dallas Mavericks.

However, things didn't go well there and he later moved to Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls and the New Orleans Pelicans before settling down with the Los Angeles Lakers. He played two years with the Lakers and also played a vital part in the championship-winning season.

His brilliance in the post-season gave him the name 'Playoff Rondo'. After winning the championship, he moved to inner city rivals the Los Angeles Clippers. But after a year with them, Rondo moved back to the Lakers for the 2021-22 season.

#3 Carmelo Anthony

New Orleans Pelicans v Portland Trail Blazers

Carmelo Anthony was drafted third overall by the Denver Nuggets in the famous 2003 draft. He impressed fans with a fantastic rookie year, where he averaged 21.0 PPG. After an impressive spell with the Nuggets, Melo moved to the New York Knicks in 2011.

His performances kept getting better and he became a certified scorer for them. Throughout his 19 year NBA career, Carmelo has been a part of 10 NBA All-Star teams. He has also made it to 2 All-NBA second teams and was the scoring champion in 2013.

After spending five years in New York, Carmelo went to the Oklahoma City Thunder to form an incredible team with Paul George and Russell Westbrook. However, things didn't work out well there and he was traded to the Houston Rockets after just one season.

Carmelo's career took a significant dip as he was waived off by the Rockets. But the champion that he was, Melo, bounced back strong. He signed with the Portland Trail Blazers and proved his haters wrong.

After a roller-coster of a career, Carmelo is finally all set to play with his long-time friend LeBron James. He will be hoping to be at his very best this season and try and make a run at that NBA championship that still eludes him.

#2 Chris Paul

Chris Paul was selected fourth overall by the New Orleans Hornets in the 2005 draft. He made an instant impact with them and won the Rookie of the year award in 2006. After six seasons with the Hornets, Paul moved to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2011.

He was part of the Lob City team, along with Blake Griffin, Matt Barnes, JJ Redick and DeAndre Jordan. However, the team failed to make it past the second round throughout Paul's stay at the franchise. The 'Point God', as he is famously called, then paired up with James Harden in Houston.

The two were prolific in the regular season, however failed to make it to the NBA finals. He then decided to make a bold decision and move to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019. The team was predicted to never make it to the playoffs that season, but Chris Paul changed the narrative with his brilliance.

He led from the front and helped OKC get to the playoffs, where they faced the Houston Rockets in the first round. Although they lost the series, Chris Paul proved all the doubters wrong.

After one season with OKC, CP3 decided to go to the Phoenix Suns. In his very first season he helped the team to the NBA finals. After taking a 2-0 lead, it looked like the Suns had control, however, brilliance from the Milwaukee Bucks meant that Chris Paul would have to wait longer to win his first championship.

After re-signing with the Suns, Chris Paul will enter the 2021-22 season with a vengeance on his mind. He will be hoping for another stellar performance this season and make another trip to the NBA finals, where he gets to compete for the championship.

#1 LeBron James

Minnesota Timberwolves v Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James was drafted as the number one pick in the 2003 draft class. He was one of the most hyped players in his class and lived to every bit of it, as he won the rookie of the year award in 2004. He was the face of the Cleveland Cavaliers and helped the team make several deep playoff runs.

After seven years with the Cavs, LeBron made the decision to move to the Miami Heat in 2010. He formed a super team with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade to win his first championship there. After falling short against the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, LeBron helped the team to two consecutive championships. He was announced the Finals MVP on both occasions.

After a successful stint with the Heat, LeBron returned to Cleveland in 2014. He then helped the team to four consecutive NBA finals. Cleveland's first taste of success came in 2016. After going 3-1 down to the Golden State Warriors, the Cavs pulled off one of their most amazing comebacks.

LeBron led the team from the front and motivated the Cavs to level the series 3-3. With all to play for in Game 7, LeBron scored 41 and led the team from the front to win the championship. After delivering the championship, LeBron had two more runs to the finals with the Cavs, but on both occasions they came up short against the Warriors.

He moved to the Lakers in 2018-19 season, but injuries meant he would miss out on the playoffs that year. LeBron then came back strong the following season, he lead the Lakers to their 17th championship and also secured his fourth Finals MVP trophy.

In the 2020-21 season, the Lakers were eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in the first round. This was the first time in his career that he was eliminated in the first round. However, LeBron has time and again proven that he makes the strongest comebacks. He will be hoping to give in his best this year as he has a loaded team that looks locked in to compete for the championship.