Lakers: Can LeBron James Become The Oldest Player To Suit Up In League History?

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar has a ways to go.

Let's face it: LeBron James is basketball-old.

The 37-year-old superstar is in the midst of his 20th NBA season. Only James and 42-year-old Miami Heat reserve power forward Udonis Haslem (a former James teammate from 2010-14) remain from the 2003-04 rookie class. Haslem went undrafted out of Florida in 2002, but did not make an NBA roster until the subsequent season. There is one other player who was a rookie that year who could suit up theoretically on a league roster this season, former 2021-22 Lakers reserve forward Carmelo Anthony, now 38.

James is actually just the third-oldest active player in the league at present, behind both Haslem and 38-year-old Golden State Warriors reserve swingman Andre Iguodala, selected with the ninth selection by the Philadelphia 76ers out of the University of Arizona in the 2004 draft.

James has openly discussed an ambition to play alongside both his sons, Sierra Canyon High School senior LeBron "Bronny" James Jr. and freshman Bryce James. Bronny will be NBA-eligible in 2024, ahead of his dad's year-40 season. Should the elder LeBron suit up that year (he is under contract with the Lakers for 2024-25, but does have a player option), he would be playing in his 22nd season. The all-time record for seasons played is currently held by another hyper-athletic Hall of Fame wing, Vince Carter, with 23. 

Vinsanity suited up for his final NBA contest, as an Atlanta Hawks reserve, at the ripe old age of 43 years and 45 days. But he was only the fourth-oldest league pro in history.

So what's the all-time record, not in terms of seasons played but age? Swingman Nat Hickey played at the age of 45 years and 363 days for the Providence Steamrollers (a team in NBA precursor league the BAA) on January 28th, 1948. He had been the club's head coach, but elected to activate himself as a player with the team reeling.

James would need to play until December 27th, 2030, a day before his 46th birthday, to beat Hickey's record, set nearly 75 years ago. He's already started breaking down, and can no longer be counted on to remain healthy for a full season. He takes historically good (and expensive) care of his body, but one can only log so many NBA miles before things go permanently south. He could probably break the record, but does he even want to? The all-time seasons mark seems much more doable.