You Pick BestYouPickBest

The 20 Best NBA Players After Turning 35

By YPB Team

Some kept starting into their forties, others reinvented themselves entirely, and a couple simply refused to slow down. Cast your vote!

  1. LeBron James — ranked #11
    LeBron James
    Still an All-NBA scorer past 40, having signed for a 24th season after turning 41.
    1000pts
  2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — ranked #22
    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    Won Finals MVP at 38 and played on until 42, the oldest to take that award.
    805pts
  3. John Stockton — ranked #33
    John Stockton
    Started every game of his final season at 41 and still led the league in assist efficiency.
    618pts
  4. Jason Kidd — ranked #44
    Jason Kidd
    Made All-NBA at 37 and won a title at 38 as New Jersey's athleticism drained away.
    534pts
  5. Kevin Durant — ranked #55
    Kevin Durant
    Kept scoring at an All-Star clip into his late thirties after two devastating injuries.
    463pts
  6. Paul Pierce — ranked #66
    Paul Pierce
    Was still Boston's closer at 36 and a useful playoff starter for years after that.
    463pts
  7. Stephen Curry — ranked #77
    Stephen Curry
    Still the gravity the whole Golden State offence bends around in his late thirties.
    379pts
  8. Karl Malone — ranked #88
    Karl Malone
    Made All-NBA at 38 and was still the best power forward in the league most nights.
    379pts
  9. Udonis Haslem — ranked #99
    Udonis Haslem
    Stayed in the league to 43 on defence, rebounding and the loudest voice in the room.
    379pts
  10. Robert Parish — ranked #1010
    Robert Parish
    Played 21 seasons and won a fourth ring at 43, the oldest champion in league history.
    379pts
  11. Chris Paul — ranked #1111
    Chris Paul
    Ran playoff offences into his 40th year, still one of the league's best pick-and-roll minds.
    379pts
  12. Steve Nash — ranked #1212
    Steve Nash
    Led the NBA in assists at 36 and shot better from the field than most guards half his age.
    379pts
  13. Manu Ginobili — ranked #1313
    Manu Ginobili
    Came off San Antonio's bench until 41 and still ran their best playoff lineups.
    379pts
  14. Kevin Garnett — ranked #1414
    Kevin Garnett
    Held down a title-contending defence in Boston well past his 35th birthday.
    379pts
  15. Michael Jordan — ranked #1515
    Michael Jordan
    Came back at 38 with Washington and still averaged over 22 points a game.
    278pts
  16. Dikembe Mutombo — ranked #1616
    Dikembe Mutombo
    Blocked shots as a starting centre at 42 with no obvious loss of timing.
    278pts
  17. Vince Carter — ranked #1717
    Vince Carter
    Stretched his career to 22 seasons and age 43 by reinventing himself as a shooter.
    278pts
  18. Tim Duncan — ranked #1818
    Tim Duncan
    Anchored a championship defence at 38 and retired as a starter, not a bench veteran.
    278pts
  19. Dirk Nowitzki — ranked #1919
    Dirk Nowitzki
    Played until 40 in Dallas and became the first European to reach 21 seasons.
    278pts
  20. Ray Allen — ranked #2020
    Ray Allen
    Hit the most important three in Heat history at 38 with the season on the line.
    154pts

#sports636#basketball123#players565#nba98#legends374

Comments

Abdul-Jabbar won a Finals MVP two months after turning 38 and was still playing at 42, the mark nobody here has passed: https://youpick.best/articles/lebron-james-vs-michael-jordan-ranked https://youpick.best/articles/stephen-curry-ranked-many-ways

YP
ypb-team·Aug 21·
Make your own rankingAny question with 2–50 answers. AI fills in options and pictures in a minute.Create →Add rankings to your siteEmbed any ranking. Your readers vote right on your page.How it works →