# The 19 Best Final Seasons of NBA Careers

> Title-winning exits, farewell tours and seasons cut short sit side by side here. How a career ends can say as much as how it began.

*By YPB Team · Published November 9, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-19-best-final-seasons-of-nba-careers*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Bill Russell 1968-69** — score 1000/1000
   Russell won his 11th championship as Boston's player-coach, then retired.
2. **Oscar Robertson 1973-74** — score 592/1000
   Robertson's final season ended with Milwaukee losing a seven-game Finals to Boston.
3. **Wilt Chamberlain 1972-73** — score 525/1000
   Chamberlain led the NBA in rebounding and set a field-goal percentage record of .727 in his last season with the Lakers.
4. **Dwyane Wade 2018-19** — score 525/1000
   Wade was added to the All-Star Game as a special selection during his farewell season with Miami.
5. **Sam Jones 1968-69** — score 525/1000
   Jones retired after the 1969 title, the tenth championship of his Celtics career.
6. **Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1988-89** — score 444/1000
   Abdul-Jabbar's 20th and last season ended with the Lakers in the 1989 Finals.
7. **Tim Duncan 2015-16** — score 444/1000
   Duncan's last season came on a Spurs team that won a franchise-record 67 games.
8. **Paul Arizin 1961-62** — score 444/1000
   Arizin made the All-Star team with Philadelphia in his last NBA season and retired from the league at 33.
9. **John Havlicek 1977-78** — score 444/1000
   Havlicek played all 82 games and made his 13th All-Star team at age 37 in his final Celtics season.
10. **John Stockton 2002-03** — score 444/1000
   Stockton played all 82 games for Utah at 40 and 41 in his 19th and final season.
11. **Dave DeBusschere 1973-74** — score 345/1000
   DeBusschere made his eighth All-Star team in his last season with the Knicks.
12. **Chris Bosh 2015-16** — score 345/1000
   Bosh was named an All-Star with Miami before blood clots ended his season in February 2016, and he never played again.
13. **Drazen Petrovic 1992-93** — score 345/1000
   Petrovic averaged 22.3 points for the Nets and made the All-NBA third team before his death in a car crash in June 1993.
14. **Bob Pettit 1964-65** — score 0/1000
   Pettit made the All-Star team in his final season with St. Louis, as he did in each of his 11 NBA seasons.
15. **Michael Jordan 2002-03** — score 0/1000
   Jordan played all 82 games for Washington at age 39 and 40, averaging 20.0 points, and made his 14th All-Star team.
16. **David Robinson 2002-03** — score 0/1000
   Robinson retired after winning the 2003 championship with San Antonio.
17. **Dirk Nowitzki 2018-19** — score 0/1000
   Nowitzki closed his 21st season with Dallas, a record for one franchise, after a special All-Star selection.
18. **Kobe Bryant 2015-16** — score 0/1000
   Bryant's farewell season with the Lakers ended with a 60-point game against Utah on April 13, 2016.
19. **Julius Erving 1986-87** — score 0/1000
   Erving made the All-Star team on his farewell tour and passed 30,000 combined ABA and NBA points.

Tags: sports, basketball, players, nba, seasons, retirement