Top 5 oldest NBA players to have taken to NBA court in history featuring Robert Parish, Vince Carter, and more

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#3 Robert Parish

Robert Parish was one of the NBA's best big men in the '80s. [photo: YouTube]

Robert Parish was the anchor in the middle of those great Boston Celtics teams in the ‘80s. He was part of Boston’s legendary frontline that included the great Larry Bird and Kevin McHale. These three were the main reasons why those Celtics squads were considered one of the greatest teams ever assembled.

Parish was already 23 years old when he was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 1977. The Warriors decided to rebuild and traded “The Chief” to the Celtics for the No.1 and No.13 picks of the 1980 draft. In his first year with the C’s, he played a vital role in helping Boston to their first championship since 1976.

The Hall of Famer won three championships in Boston before adding a fourth one while playing alongside Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in 1997. He holds the record of being the oldest player to be part of a championship team.

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#2 Kevin Willis

Kevin Willis was the second-oldest player in NBA history. [photo: Tire Review Magazine]

The Atlanta Hawks picked Kevin Willis at No. 11 in the 1984 NBA draft. He was part of probably the greatest draft class in league history that featured the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley.

Willis spent more than a decade with the Hawks, where he earned his only All-Star selection during the 1991-92 season. He became a journeyman after his stint with the Hawks. “Devo” bounced around the league without winning a championship.

It wasn’t until he arrived in San Antonio as a backup big man who he finally earned a well-deserved NBA championship ring. He rode the coattails of Tim Duncan and helped the Spurs hoist the 2003 crown.

After a brief retirement in 2005-06, he returned to play for the Dallas Mavericks for one more season. He retired in 2007 at age 44.

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#1 Nat Hickey

Nat Hickey [left] was 45 when he played two games in the BAA. [photo: Medium]

Nat Hickey is a name that’s almost forgotten in NBA history. He rightfully gets credit for being the oldest player in the NBA.

The Croatian-American was the coach of the Providence Steamrollers that played under the Basketball Association of America (BAA). In 1948, he played two games for the team, making him an official player of the league at age 45.

Hickey is better known in baseball circles, where he was a minor leaguer for 15 seasons as a player and two as a manager.