Who Was the Oldest NBA Player to Retire?
We all know that NBA players tend to retire relatively young, but who was the oldest player to ever hang up their sneakers? We did a little research and found the answer.
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Robert Parish
Robert Parish, who played for the Warriors, Celtics, and Hornets, is the oldest player to ever retire from the NBA. He was 45 years old when he finally decided to call it quits. Parish played an incredible 21 seasons in the NBA, which is a testament to his skill and dedication.
Robert Parish’s basketball career
Robert Parish had a lengthy and successful basketball career, playing 21 seasons in the NBA before finally retiring in 1997 at the age of 43. He is best known for his time with the Boston Celtics, with whom he won three NBA titles, but he also had stints with the Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Hornets, and Chicago Bulls. He was an All-Star nine times and was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team four times. When he retired, he was the NBA’s all-time leader in games played.
Robert Parish’s retirement
Robert Parish, who played for an NBA-record 21 seasons, was the oldest player to ever retire from the league. He was 45 years old when he finally called it quits in 1997. Parish played for 14 different teams during his career, but is best remembered for his time with the Boston Celtics, with whom he won three championships.
Kevin Willis
Kevin Willis is the oldest NBA player to retire, he played in the NBA for 21 seasons. He was born on September 6, 1962, in Chicago, Illinois. He played for the Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and Toronto Raptors. He was an 11-time NBA All-Star and he won two NBA championships. He retired from the NBA in 2007.
Kevin Willis’s basketball career
Willis played high school basketball at Home Park High School in Atlanta, Georgia. He was not highly recruited out of high school, but he did receive a scholarship to play basketball at Michigan State University. Willis played four years at Michigan State, averaging 12.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game during his senior year. He was named to the All-Big Ten Conference second team during his senior year.
After college, Willis was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1984 NBA Draft with the 11th overall pick. He played two seasons with the Hawks before being traded to the Golden State Warriors in 1986. He would play two seasons with the Warriors before being traded back to the Hawks in 1988. Willis became a starter for the Hawks during the 1988-89 season and he helped lead the team to the Eastern Conference Finals that year.
Willis would spend nine more seasons with the Hawks, making one All-Star team in 1992-93. He averaged a career-high 20.4 points per game during the 1993-94 season. In 1997, Willis was traded to the Miami Heat, where he would spend two seasons before being traded again, this time to San Antonio Spurs. Willis only played eight games for Spurs before being waived by the team.
He then signed with the Toronto Raptors and spent three seasons with them before signing with Detroit Pistons in 2002. Willis only played one season for Pistons before retiring from basketball at age 40.
Kevin Willis’s retirement
At 44 years old, Kevin Willis became the oldest player in NBA history to retire. Willis played for 21 seasons in the NBA, for 8 different teams. He was a 7-time All-Star and a one-time NBA champion, winning with the Miami Heat in 2006.
Willis’s professional career began in 1984 when he was drafted by the Detroit Pistons with the 11th overall pick. He played his first three seasons with the Pistons before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks in 1987. Willis would go on to spend 11 seasons with the Hawks, becoming one of their most iconic players. He averaged a double-double for points and rebounds during his time with Atlanta, and was named an All-Star seven times.
In 1998, Willis was traded to the Miami Heat, where he would win his only NBA championship in 2006. He played three seasons with the Heat before being traded to the Houston Rockets in 2002. Willis spent two seasons with Houston before being traded back to Atlanta in 2004. He would finish his career where it started, playing his final two seasons with the Detroit Pistons before retiring in 2007.
Dikembe Mutombo
Dikembe Mutombo was born on June 25, 1966, in Kinshasa, Congo. He is the oldest of nine children. His parents, Biamba Marie Mutombo and Samuel Mutombo, were both teachers. Dikembe’s mother died of a brain hemorrhage when he was eight years old. Dikembe’s father remarried and had four more children.
Dikembe Mutombo’s basketball career
Dikembe Mutombo was born on June 25, 1966, in Kinshasa, Congo. A giant at 7 feet 2 inches tall, he began playing basketball at a young age and excelled at the sport. In college, he played for Georgetown University, leading the team to the NCAA championship in 1984. He was selected as the number four overall pick in the 1991 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets.
Mutombo had a successful NBA career, playing for several teams including the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks. He was a eight-time All-Star and was named Defensive Player of the Year four times. In 2001, he helped lead the Lakers to an NBA championship. He retired in 2009 as the oldest player in the NBA at age 42.
Dikembe Mutombo’s retirement
Dikembe Mutombo’s retirement was announced on January 24, 2009, two days after his 42nd birthday. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest active player in the NBA. He had not played since the 2008–09 season due to a knee injury.
Mutombo played 18 seasons in the NBA, averaging 9.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. He was a eight-time All-Star and a four-time Defensive Player of the Year. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Wallace was the oldest NBA player to retire. He played for the Pistons, Celtics, Trail Blazers, Knicks, and Lakers. Wallace was a four-time All-Star and an NBA champion with the Pistons in 2004. He was also a two-time All-NBA Defensive Team member. Wallace played 1,109 games in his NBA career, which is the ninth most in NBA history.
Rasheed Wallace’s basketball career
Rasheed Wallace began his college basketball career with the University of North Carolina. In his sophomore year, he was part of the Tar Heels’ NCAA National Championship team. He then declared himself eligible for the NBA draft, and was selected by the Washington Bullets as the fourth overall pick.
Wallace went on to have a very successful NBA career, playing for several teams including the Portland Trail Blazers, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks. He was a four-time NBA All-Star, and won an NBA Championship with the Pistons in 2004.
In 2013, at the age of 38, Wallace announced his retirement from basketball. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest active player in the NBA.
Rasheed Wallace’s retirement
In 2013, at the age of 38, Rasheed Wallace became the oldest player in NBA history to retire. A journeyman who played for six different teams during his 16-year career, Wallace was best known for his time with the Portland Trail Blazers, where he helped lead the team to the NBA Finals in 1990.
Wallace was a four-time All-Star and was named to the All-NBA Third Team three times. He was also a key member of the 2004 Detroit Pistons team that won the NBA Championship. Wallace retired as the NBA’s all-time leader in technical fouls, with 297.
Kurt Thomas
Kurt Thomas was born on October 4, 1972, in Miami, Florida. He is the oldest player to ever play in the NBA, retiring at the age of 40. Thomas was a successful college basketball player, leading the University of Kentucky to the NCAA Championship in 1996. He was drafted by the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA Draft and went on to have a successful 17-year career.
Kurt Thomas’s basketball career
Kurt Thomas was born on October 4, 1970, in Dallas, Texas. He played college basketball at Texas Christian University (TCU) from 1988 to 1992. He was drafted by the Miami Heat in the 1992 NBA draft and played for the Heat from 1992 to 1996. He also played for the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls. He retired from the NBA in 2015 at the age of 44, making him the oldest player in NBA history to retire.
Kurt Thomas’s retirement
Kurt Thomas was the oldest NBA player to retire, doing so at the age of 40. He played for a total of 18 seasons with eight different teams. Thomas was a versatile player who could play both power forward and center. He was known for his hardworking attitude and toughness on the court.
Thomas’s retirement came as a surprise to many, as he had just signed a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Bucks in September of 2014. However, after suffering a broken right leg in a game against the Charlotte Hornets in early December, Thomas decided that it was time to hang up his sneakers for good. In an interview with NBA TV, Thomas said: “It’s been 18 great years. I’m grateful for everything that basketball has given me.”
