Who is the only NBA player to play in four different decades?

Longevity is an underrated aspect of an NBA player's game and Vince Carter is arguably the best example of it.

Not many players last long in the league as injuries are part and parcel of playing any professional sport. LeBron James will enter his 19th season in the league and has been to 10 NBA finals, including eight straight finals at one point. He has been dubbed the most durable superstar in the NBA as he rarely takes time off and almost always plays into the postseason.

Kobe Bryant of the LA Lakers played 20 seasons in the NBA. He was drafted in 1996 and hung up his sneakers in 2016, having played in three different decades. Similarly, Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks and Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs have had lengthy careers in the league. However, one name that is often left out of these durability discussions is Vince Carter.

ESPN story on Vince Carter agreeing to a one-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks, whose star rookie @TheTraeYoung was born three months after Carter was drafted in 1998. https://t.co/cyOgjTXNSi

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 25, 2018

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Vince Carter is the only NBA player to have played in four different decades

Vince Carter with the Toronto Raptors [Source: The Athletic]

Vince Carter was drafted in 1998 and played till 2020 making him the only player in the NBA to play in four different decades - the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s. Although he played just two seasons in the '90s and just one in the 2020s, it still makes him eligible for this category.

Carter ranks 1st all-time in most seasons played in the NBA with 22 and no other player has reached that mark. The list of NBA players with long and durable careers is mostly filled with forwards and centers. Few guards have made it to this exclusive list as they rely on speed, athleticism and quickness for their game. These qualities tend to deteriorate with age, making Carter's 22-year career even more impressive.

During his lengthy career, he played for eight different NBA franchises. These include the Toronto Raptors, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks.

Carter was known for his thunderous dunks and airtime that often got the crowd on their feet. He won the 2000 slam dunk contest and has been ranked the greatest dunker of all time by Bleacher Report, FOX Sports (later changed to #2), and even the NBA itself. Carter's flashy dunks earned him the nickname "Vinsanity", "Half Man, Half Amazing" and even "Air Canada" during his time with the Raptors.

From 1998 to 2019, Vince Carter’s best dunk from each season! pic.twitter.com/tj198KGtcX

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) November 23, 2018

Vince Carter was an eight-time All-Star with two All-NBA selections. He was also the 1999 Rookie of the Year and won the NBA Sportsmanship Award in 2020.