Oldest NBA Players Ever

The oldest players in NBA history by age at their last game, from Nat Hickey at 45 to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at 42, with birth dates and final game dates.

By Coach Shep · Published November 2, 2026 · 3 min read

Coach Shep: A basketball coach sharing what he has learned with other coaches.

Nat Hickey is the oldest player in NBA history at 45 years and 363 days. This list covers the seven oldest by age at last game, with dates and sources.

Nat Hickey is the oldest player in NBA history. He played his last game on January 28, 1948, two days before his 46th birthday. Kevin Willis is second at 44 and Robert Parish third at 43. The table below lists the seven oldest players by age at their last game.

Ages count playoff games. LeBron James, born December 30, 1984, is the oldest active player and is not on this list because his career is not over.

Oldest NBA Players at Their Last Game

Player	Born	Last game	Age at last game
Nat Hickey	January 30, 1902	January 28, 1948	45 years, 363 days
Kevin Willis	September 6, 1962	April 18, 2007	44 years, 224 days
Robert Parish	August 30, 1953	May 11, 1997	43 years, 254 days
Vince Carter	January 26, 1977	March 11, 2020	43 years, 45 days
Udonis Haslem	June 9, 1980	June 7, 2023	42 years, 363 days
Dikembe Mutombo	June 25, 1966	April 21, 2009	42 years, 300 days
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	April 16, 1947	June 13, 1989	42 years, 58 days

Source: this list of the oldest and youngest NBA players, which uses birth dates and final game dates.

Names Worth Knowing

Nat Hickey was coaching the Providence Steamrollers when he put himself on the roster. He played two games in the 1947-48 season, when the league was still called the BAA.
Kevin Willis sat out the 2005-06 season, then signed with Dallas in April 2007 and played five games at 44.
Robert Parish became the oldest player to win a title with the Bulls in 1997. His 1,611 regular season games stood as the record until LeBron James passed it on March 21, 2026.

What This Means for Youth Coaches

This is a fan list. It tells you nothing about how much a young player should practice or lift. For that, use conditioning drills, off-season planning and strength training for basketball.

The rest of this set covers the shortest NBA players, the tallest NBA players and the highest vertical jumps in the NBA. More numbers are on the basketball statistics guide.

Questions Coaches Ask About Old NBA Players

Who is the oldest player to play in an NBA game?

Nat Hickey, at 45 years and 363 days, in 1948.

Who is the oldest NBA player to win a championship?

Robert Parish, with the Chicago Bulls in 1997, at age 43.

How old was Vince Carter when he played his last game?

He was 43 years and 45 days old on March 11, 2020.

Who is the oldest active NBA player?

LeBron James, born December 30, 1984.

Want the printable playbook packs?

Playbook packs: zone attack, press break, press defense, out of bounds, quick hitters, practice plans and the youth turnover cure, each a printable PDF. Or draw your own version free in PlayDraw.

See the playbook packs