Kyle Lowry re-signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, meaning that he’ll be playing in his 20th NBA season in 2025-26. That means he joins an exclusive list, hitting a mark that only 11 players before him have ever accomplished.
Who Are The Longest Tenured Players In NBA History?
Lowry started his career all the way back in 2006. He selected by the Memphis Grizzlies that year after two seasons at Villanova, and has played for the Rockets, Raptors, Heat, and 76ers in the time since. While playing last season at the age of 38, he saw his numbers drop significantly, with his scoring average down to 3.9 points per game while getting just 18.8 minutes of court time.
Kyle Lowry has agreed on a 1-year deal to return to the Philadelphia 76ers, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/q7BLVpUPtw
— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 7, 2025
But it is the veteran leadership that Philadelphia is interested in bringing back, and there aren’t many players in the history of the NBA that can say they have as many seasons under their belts as Kyle Lowry does.
LeBron James will sit alone atop the throne as soon as he steps foot on the court in October. He will become the first player ever to participate in 23 NBA seasons, breaking a tie with Vince Carter, who retired in 2020.
There is another active player who is a full season up on Lowry, but doesn’t currently have a team. Chris Paul has stated publicly that the upcoming campaign will be his last in the league, and he’ll be suiting up for his 21st season when he does eventually land with a franchise.
Don’t think I’ll ever wrap my head around Kyle Lowry being a 20 year vet
— Ocho (Furkan Korkmaz Muse) (@OchoReacts) July 7, 2025
The rest of the list of players who have participated in 20+ NBA seasons includes Robert Parish, Kevin Willis, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Jamal Crawford, and Udonis Haslem. Six of those players have been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
There are a couple of guys right behind Lowry on the list. Both Mike Conley and Al Horford will be entering their 19th seasons in the NBA in 2025-26, and both are still regular contributors who could very likely make it to Year 20.
Full List Of Players Who Have 20+ Seasons Of NBA Experience:
- LeBron James (23 years in 2025-26)
- Vince Carter (22)
- Robert Parish (21)
- Kevin Willis (21)
- Kevin Garnett (21)
- Dirk Nowitzki (21)
- Chris Paul (21 years in 2025-26)
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (20)
- Kobe Bryant (20)
- Jamal Crawford (20)
- Udonis Haslem (20)
- Kyle Lowry (20 years in 2025-26)
