List of oldest and youngest NBA players
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This is a list of oldest and youngest National Basketball Association players. The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a men's professional basketball league in North America. The NBA was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).[1] The league adopted its current name at the start of the 1949–50 NBA season when it merged with the National Basketball League (NBL).[2] The oldest person ever to play in the NBA was Nat Hickey, a coach who activated himself as a player for a game two games before his 46th birthday. The youngest player ever to play in the NBA was Andrew Bynum, who played his first game only six days after his 18th birthday. The oldest active player is LeBron James, who is currently 41 years, 129 days old. He is the only active player who was born before 1985, as well as the only player to be both on the NBA's list of youngest and oldest players in league history. The youngest active player in the NBA is Cooper Flagg, the 1st overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, who is currently 19 years, 138 days old.
Oldest players
The oldest player ever to play in the NBA was Nat Hickey who played a game in the 1947–48 BAA season when he was 45 years and 363 days old.[3] Hickey, who was coaching the Providence Steamrollers at the time, decided to activate himself and played in a game for the Steamrollers. In his first game as a player for the Steamrollers, he missed all six of his shot attempts and only scored two points from three free throw attempts; he only played in one more game before retiring as a player two days shy of his 46th birthday.[4] The second-oldest player is Kevin Willis, who played 20 seasons (excluding the 1988–89 NBA season he missed due to injury) in the league before he sat out the 2005–06 NBA season and earned a contract with the Dallas Mavericks on April 2, 2007.[5] Willis then played five games for the Mavericks at the age of 44.[4] The third-oldest player is Hall of Famer Robert Parish. Parish, who played with the Boston Celtics in the 1980s, played his last season with the Chicago Bulls at the age of 43.[6] He played in 1,611 regular season games during his 21-year career, which has been taken over by LeBron James on March 21, 2026.[4] When the Bulls won the 1997 NBA Finals, Parish became the oldest player ever to win the NBA championship. There are 36 players who played in the NBA after they turned 40. Following the retirements of Udonis Haslem and Andre Iguodala shortly after the 2022–23 NBA season,[7] the oldest active player is LeBron James.
All-time
| ^ | Denotes player who is still active in the NBA as of the 2025–26 NBA season |
| * | Denotes player who has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
| † | Denotes player who is not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration[8] |
| Player | Pos | Birth date | Last game | Age | Team(s) played (years) | Draft (pick) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nat Hickey | G/F | January 30, 1902 | January 28, 1948 | 45 years, 363 days | Providence Steamrollers (1948) | Undrafted | [9] |
| Kevin Willis | F/C | September 6, 1962 | April 18, 2007 | 44 years, 224 days | 8 teams
|
1984 (11th) | [10] |
| Robert Parish* | C | August 30, 1953 | May 11, 1997 | 43 years, 254 days | 4 teams |
1976 (8th) | [11] |
| Vince Carter* | G/F | January 26, 1977 | March 11, 2020 | 43 years, 45 days | 1998 (5th) | [12] | |
| Udonis Haslem | F/C | June 9, 1980 | June 7, 2023 | 42 years, 363 days | Miami Heat (2003–2023) | 2002 (Undrafted) | [13] |
| Dikembe Mutombo* | C | June 25, 1966 | April 21, 2009 | 42 years, 300 days | 6 teams |
1991 (4th) | [14] |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* | C | April 16, 1947 | June 13, 1989 | 42 years, 58 days | 2 teams |
1969 (1st) | [15] |
| Bob Cousy* | G | August 9, 1928 | January 6, 1970 | 41 years, 150 days | 2 teams |
1950 (3rd) | [16][17] |
| Herb Williams | C/F | February 16, 1958 | June 25, 1999 | 41 years, 129 days | 4 teams
|
1981 (14th) | [18] |
| LeBron James^ | F | December 30, 1984 | Present | 41 years, 129 days | 3 teams
|
2003 (1st) | [19] |
| John Stockton* | G | March 26, 1962 | April 30, 2003 | 41 years, 35 days | Utah Jazz (1984–2003) | 1984 (16th) | [20] |
| Charles Jones | F/C | April 3, 1957 | May 3, 1998 | 41 years, 30 days | 5 teams |
1979 (165th) | [21] |
| Karl Malone* | F | July 24, 1963 | June 13, 2004 | 40 years, 325 days | 2 teams |
1985 (13th) | [22] |
| Dirk Nowitzki* | F/C | June 19, 1978 | April 10, 2019 | 40 years, 295 days | Dallas Mavericks (1998–2019) | 1998 (9th) | [23] |
| Taj Gibson^ | F | June 24, 1985 | Present | 40 years, 292 days | 8 teams
|
2009 (26th) | [24] |
| Manu Ginóbili* | G | July 28, 1977 | April 24, 2018 | 40 years, 270 days | San Antonio Spurs (2002–2018) | 1999 (57th) | [25] |
| Rick Mahorn | C/F | September 21, 1958 | May 23, 1999 | 40 years, 244 days | 4 teams
|
1980 (35th) | [26] |
| John Long | G/F | August 28, 1956 | April 20, 1997 | 40 years, 235 days | 4 teams
|
1978 (29th) | [27] |
| Jason Terry | G | September 15, 1977 | April 28, 2018 | 40 years, 225 days | 6 teams |
1999 (10th) | [28] |
| Grant Hill* | F | October 5, 1972 | May 3, 2013 | 40 years, 210 days | 4 teams |
1994 (3rd) | [29] |
| Chris Paul† | G | May 6, 1985 | December 1, 2025 | 40 years, 209 days | 7 teams
|
2005 (4th) | [30] |
| James Edwards | C/F | November 22, 1955 | May 27, 1996 | 40 years, 187 days | 8 teams
|
1977 (46th) | [31] |
| Joe Johnson | G | June 29, 1981 | December 22, 2021 | 40 years, 176 days | 7 teams
|
2001 (10th) | [32] |
| Kurt Thomas | F | October 4, 1972 | March 18, 2013 | 40 years, 165 days | 9 teams
|
1995 (10th) | [33] |
| Clifford Robinson | F/C | December 16, 1966 | May 12, 2007 | 40 years, 147 days | 5 teams |
1989 (36th) | [34] |
| Jamal Crawford | G | March 20, 1980 | August 4, 2020 | 40 years, 137 days | 2000 (8th) | [35] | |
| Charles Oakley | F/C | December 18, 1963 | April 2, 2004 | 40 years, 106 days | 5 teams
|
1985 (9th) | [36] |
| Juwan Howard | F | February 7, 1973 | April 17, 2013 | 40 years, 69 days | 8 teams
|
1994 (5th) | [37] |
| Steve Nash* | G | February 7, 1974 | April 8, 2014 | 40 years, 60 days | 3 teams
|
1996 (15th) | [38] |
| Michael Jordan* | G | February 17, 1963 | April 16, 2003 | 40 years, 58 days | 2 teams |
1984 (3rd) | [39] |
| Jason Kidd* | G | March 23, 1973 | May 18, 2013 | 40 years, 56 days | 4 teams
|
1994 (2nd) | [40] |
| Andre Miller | G | March 19, 1976 | May 12, 2016 | 40 years, 54 days | 9 teams |
1999 (8th) | [41] |
| Kyle Lowry^ | G | March 25, 1986 | Present | 40 years, 44 days | 5 teams
|
2006 (24th) | [42] |
| Tim Duncan* | F/C | April 25, 1976 | May 12, 2016 | 40 years, 17 days | San Antonio Spurs (1997–2016) | 1997 (1st) | [43] |
| P. J. Tucker† | F | May 5, 1985 | May 16, 2025 | 40 years, 11 days | 8 teams
|
2006 (35th) | [44] |
| Danny Schayes | C/F | May 10, 1959 | May 13, 1999 | 40 years, 3 days | 7 teams |
1981 (13th) | [45] |
Active
This list includes active players who are or will be at least 35 years old in the current season or year.
Youngest players
NBA players usually come from U.S. college basketball. In the past, a college player had to complete his four-year college eligibility before he could enter the league through the NBA draft or as a free agent. In the 1970s, the league began to allow college underclassmen and high school players to enter the league. However, the trend of drafting high school players only began in the mid-1990s. This has led to more younger players entering the league directly after high school graduation. In 2005, the league and the players' union agreed on a new collective bargaining agreement that includes a minimum age limit which requires that players who wish to enter the league must be at least 19 years old on December 31 of the year of the draft, and at least one year removed from high school. International players who did not play college basketball also have to be at least 19 years old on the same date to be able to play in the NBA.[74] Despite a trend toward drafting younger players, the NBA has a higher average age than it had in the 1980s.[75] However, since the NBA introduced the minimum age limit in 2005, the league's average age has decreased in the past few seasons.[76] The youngest player to ever play in the NBA was Andrew Bynum who played his first game at the age of 18 years and 6 days old.[77] Bynum, who was also the youngest player ever selected in the NBA Draft, went into the NBA straight out of high school.[78] Jermaine O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, both drafted in 1996, were the second- and third-youngest players. Serbian Darko Miličić was the youngest player ever to play in an NBA Finals game.[79] He played for the Detroit Pistons in Game 3 of the 2004 Finals at the age of 18 years and 356 days old. The Pistons won the 2004 Finals and Miličić became the youngest player ever to win the NBA championship, being only five days away from his 19th birthday at the time. There are currently 34 players who played in the NBA before they turned 19. Nineteen of them came to the league straight out of high school, while ten of them are international players who never played basketball in U.S. high schools or colleges before they entered the NBA, and five players, Devin Booker, Joshua Primo, Jalen Duren, GG Jackson and Cooper Flagg played one year of college before entering the NBA all while remaining 18 years old throughout the process.
All-time
| ^ | Denotes player who is still active in the NBA as of the 2025–26 NBA season |
| * | Denotes player who has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
| Player | Pos | Birth date | First game | Age | Team(s) played (years) | Draft (pick) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Bynum | C | October 27, 1987 | November 2, 2005 | 18 years, 6 days | 3 teams |
2005 (10th) | [80] |
| Jermaine O'Neal | F/C | October 13, 1978 | December 5, 1996 | 18 years, 53 days | 1996 (17th) | [81] | |
| Jim Browne | C | October 3, 1930 | November 30, 1948 | 18 years, 58 days | 2 teams |
Undrafted | [82][83] |
| Kobe Bryant* | G | August 23, 1978 | November 3, 1996 | 18 years, 72 days | Los Angeles Lakers (1996–2016) | 1996 (13th) | [84] |
| Darko Miličić | C | June 20, 1985 | October 31, 2003 | 18 years, 133 days | 2003 (2nd) | [85] | |
| Stan Brown | F | June 27, 1929 | November 13, 1947 | 18 years, 139 days | Philadelphia Warriors (1947–1948, 1951–1952) | Undrafted | [86][87] |
| Bill Willoughby | F/C | May 20, 1957 | October 23, 1975 | 18 years, 156 days | 1975 (19th) | [88] | |
| Tracy McGrady* | G/F | May 24, 1979 | October 31, 1997 | 18 years, 160 days | 1997 (9th) | [89] | |
| Yaroslav Korolev | F | May 7, 1987 | November 4, 2005 | 18 years, 181 days | Los Angeles Clippers (2005–2007) | 2005 (12th) | [90] |
| Andris Biedriņš | C | April 2, 1986 | November 5, 2004 | 18 years, 217 days | 2 teams |
2004 (11th) | [91] |
| C. J. Miles | G/F | March 18, 1987 | November 14, 2005 | 18 years, 241 days | 7 teams |
2005 (34th) | [92] |
| Amir Johnson | F | May 1, 1987 | January 24, 2006 | 18 years, 268 days | 4 teams |
2005 (56th) | [93] |
| Darryl Dawkins | C | January 11, 1957 | October 27, 1975 | 18 years, 289 days | 4 teams |
1975 (5th) | [94] |
| Joe Graboski | F/C | January 15, 1930 | November 6, 1948 | 18 years, 296 days | Undrafted | [95][96] | |
| Ulrich Chomche | C | December 30, 2005 | October 23, 2024 | 18 years, 298 days | Toronto Raptors (2024–2025) | 2024 (57th) | [97] |
| Joshua Primo | G | December 24, 2002 | October 20, 2021 | 18 years, 300 days | 2 teams |
2021 (12th) | [98] |
| LeBron James^ | F | December 30, 1984 | October 29, 2003 | 18 years, 303 days | 3 teams
|
2003 (1st) | [19] |
| Cooper Flagg^ | F | December 21, 2006 | October 22, 2025 | 18 years, 305 days | Dallas Mavericks (2025–present) | 2025 (1st) | [99] |
| Jonathan Bender | F | January 30, 1981 | December 10, 1999 | 18 years, 314 days | 2 teams |
1999 (5th) | [100] |
| GG Jackson^ | F/C | December 17, 2004 | October 30, 2023 | 18 years, 317 days | Memphis Grizzlies (2023–present) | 2023 (45th) | [101] |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo^ | F | December 6, 1994 | October 30, 2013 | 18 years, 328 days | Milwaukee Bucks (2013–present) | 2013 (15th) | [102] |
| Eddy Curry | C | December 5, 1982 | October 31, 2001 | 18 years, 330 days | 4 teams |
2001 (4th) | [103] |
| Dwight Howard* | C | December 8, 1985 | November 3, 2004 | 18 years, 331 days | 7 teams
|
2004 (1st) | [104] |
| Josh Smith | F | December 5, 1985 | November 3, 2004 | 18 years, 334 days | 5 teams
|
2004 (17th) | [105] |
| Jalen Duren^ | C | November 18, 2003 | October 19, 2022 | 18 years, 335 days | Detroit Pistons (2022–present) | 2022 (13th) | [106] |
| Sekou Doumbouya | F | December 23, 2000 | November 23, 2019 | 18 years, 335 days | 2 teams |
2019 (15th) | [107] |
| Martell Webster | G/F | December 4, 1986 | November 4, 2005 | 18 years, 335 days | 3 teams |
2005 (6th) | [108] |
| Robert Swift | C | December 3, 1985 | November 3, 2004 | 18 years, 336 days | Seattle SuperSonics / Oklahoma City Thunder (2004–2009) | 2004 (12th) | [109] |
| Noa Essengue^ | F | December 18, 2006 | November 22, 2025 | 18 years, 339 days | Chicago Bulls (2025–present) | 2025 (12th) | [110] |
| Dragan Bender | F/C | November 17, 1997 | October 26, 2016 | 18 years, 344 days | 3 teams |
2016 (4th) | [111] |
| Joan Beringer^ | C | November 11, 2006 | October 24, 2025 | 18 years, 347 days | Minnesota Timberwolves (2025–present) | 2025 (17th) | [112] |
| Maciej Lampe | F | February 5, 1985 | January 23, 2004 | 18 years, 352 days | 3 teams |
2003 (30th) | [113] |
| Al Harrington | F | February 17, 1980 | February 5, 1999 | 18 years, 353 days | 7 teams
|
1998 (25th) | [114] |
| Devin Booker^ | G | October 30, 1996 | October 28, 2015 | 18 years, 363 days | Phoenix Suns (2015–present) | 2015 (13th) | [115] |
Active
This list shows the 20 youngest active players in the current season who have appeared in an NBA game.
| Player | Pos | Birth date | Age | Team(s) played (years) | Draft (pick) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Flagg | F | December 21, 2006 | 19 years, 138 days | Dallas Mavericks (2025–present) | 2025 (1st) | [99] |
| Noa Essengue | F | December 18, 2006 | 19 years, 141 days | Chicago Bulls (2025–present) | 2025 (12th) | [110] |
| Joan Beringer | C | November 11, 2006 | 19 years, 178 days | Minnesota Timberwolves (2025–present) | 2025 (17th) | [112] |
| Jeremiah Fears | G | October 14, 2006 | 19 years, 206 days | New Orleans Pelicans (2025–present) | 2025 (7th) | [116] |
| Khaman Maluach | C | September 14, 2006 | 19 years, 236 days | Phoenix Suns (2025–present) | 2025 (10th) | [117] |
| Ace Bailey | F | August 13, 2006 | 19 years, 268 days | Utah Jazz (2025–present) | 2025 (5th) | [118] |
| Rocco Zikarsky | C | July 11, 2006 | 19 years, 301 days | Minnesota Timberwolves (2025–present) | 2025 (45th) | [119] |
| Kasparas Jakučionis | G | May 29, 2006 | 19 years, 344 days | Miami Heat (2025–present) | 2025 (20th) | [120] |
| Nolan Traoré | G | May 28, 2006 | 19 years, 345 days | Brooklyn Nets (2025–present) | 2025 (19th) | [121] |
| Ben Saraf | G | April 14, 2006 | 20 years, 24 days | Brooklyn Nets (2025–present) | 2025 (26th) | [122] |
| Tre Johnson | G | March 7, 2006 | 20 years, 62 days | Washington Wizards (2025–present) | 2025 (6th) | [123] |
| Egor Dëmin | G | March 3, 2006 | 20 years, 66 days | Brooklyn Nets (2025–present) | 2025 (8th) | [124] |
| Dylan Harper | G | March 2, 2006 | 20 years, 67 days | San Antonio Spurs (2025–present) | 2025 (2nd) | [125] |
| Will Riley | F | February 10, 2006 | 20 years, 87 days | Washington Wizards (2025–present) | 2025 (21st) | [126] |
| Hugo González | F | February 5, 2006 | 20 years, 92 days | Boston Celtics (2025–present) | 2025 (28th) | [127] |
| Carter Bryant | F | November 26, 2005 | 20 years, 163 days | San Antonio Spurs (2025–present) | 2025 (14th) | [128] |
| Jase Richardson | G | October 16, 2005 | 20 years, 204 days | Orlando Magic (2025–present) | 2025 (25th) | [129] |
| Liam McNeeley | G/F | October 10, 2005 | 20 years, 210 days | Charlotte Hornets (2025–present) | 2025 (29th) | [130] |
| Asa Newell | F | October 5, 2005 | 20 years, 215 days | Atlanta Hawks (2025–present) | 2025 (23rd) | [131] |
| Drake Powell | G | September 8, 2005 | 20 years, 242 days | Brooklyn Nets (2025–present) | 2025 (22nd) | [132] |