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How will LeBron compare this season to the 5 players that also played in 21 NBA seasons?



**Year 21 Averages (PTS/REB/AST)**

Robert Parish: 4/2/1

Kevin Willis: 2/2/0

Kevin Garnett: 3/4/2

Vince Carter: 7/3/1

Dirk Nowitzki: 7/3/1

[Source](http://twitter.com/WITNESSKJ)

The COMBINED stats for these 5 players: 23/14/5

I think that there is a good chance LBJ will beat their combined stats, what do you think?

Also, Air Canada was the only one playing a 22nd season? There is a chance that he will not be alone with that stat after next year.

Overall – incredible longevity, hope I don’t Jinx it.

Do you guys think there is any current player who will play in his 21st season?

by readball

31 Comments

  1. Alternative_Lov

    Kevin Durant will likely reach it, especially given he doesnā€™t have any kids or a wife and just loves to play.

    But with the league adding more games and the rules against resting, it might make things more difficult for younger players

  2. Ragnar_OK

    more points, fewer rebounds, more assists than all of them you listed COMBINED

  3. m00s3m00s3m00s3

    Ima go with 27.5/7.7/8.0

    Not even close to the boards, but incredible achievement.

  4. SteamCleaner23

    Are these stats normalized for steroid use?

  5. Sixersleeham

    What ages were everyone else in their 21st season?

  6. IanicRR

    Putting their stats up like that it really does hammer home how incredible and unlikely LeBron’s longevity has held up. No one on this list averaged even 10 points, LeBron’s going to averaged at least 20. He’s gone like 1000+ regular season games without dipping below 10 points and I doubt that streak ends anytime soon.

  7. None of these players could claim to still be a Top 10/Top 15 player entering their 21st season in the NBA. LeBron will be again this season. That shows you LeBronā€™s exceptional longevity.

  8. aja_ramirez

    With the way modern science is advancing, I would bet that there is at least one other current nba player that will play 21 seasons, yes

  9. aulixindragonz34

    25-7-8

    Lakers have more scorers and better players now so he isnt gonna carry the load as much and not gonna play as much compared to last year

  10. Dudeman-Jack

    Does anyone else believe that the longer Lebron goes on the more obvious it is that he is taking PEDs?

  11. C0nsistent_

    Can you make a separate comment for careers compared by the age of 38/39?

  12. Nanuqsaurus

    In Kareem’s age 39 season, he averaged 17/7/3 and 21/7 in the finals.

  13. jackmtr

    23/14/5 sounds like too much of a workload for LeBron at this point of his career (not that he can’t do it, more like he shouldn’t try for it and break down his body more). Also you’d think the Lakers will have a better regular than years past, meaning more rest and less minutes for LeBron. I’d say something like 18-6-6 is probably closer to what LeBron will average this coming year (bump that point average to like 24 if any of the other top laker scorers go down)

  14. junkit33

    Obviously better than that list.

    The more fair comparison though is age, not season number. Lebron skipped college so his season count is way higher, but the load on his body is not really any different than the kids who did play in school.

    Age 38-39 you’d have Parish at a 14/9, Kareem at a 23/6/4, and Dirk at a 14/7. Probably a couple others I’m not thinking of as well.

    Lebron is still realistically about to put up the best ever season at this age, but at least make the comp fair.

  15. clayton191987

    I believe we should be comparing age for league year, not tear in league. Compared to these peers, LBJ is likely on avg. 3-4 years younger.

  16. nowhathappenedwas

    LeBron will be 39.

    Others at age 39:

    * Malone: 21/8/5 in 81 games
    * Stockton: 13/3/8 in 82 games
    * Kareem: 18/7/3 in 78 games
    * Parish: 13/10/1 in 79 games
    * Reggie: 15/2/2 in 66 games
    * Jordan: 20/6/4 in 82 games

  17. RealPrinceJay

    Heā€™ll easily beat the combined stats except for rebounds

  18. ryan_the_traplord

    Hot take Iā€™m going to say he falls off a little but still dusts these old guys. My guess is 22/6/4.

  19. freshprince44

    defensively worse than Garnett and maybe Parish, but we only talking about offensive numbers as usual (this is a sassy comment, relax everybody lol)

  20. bart_cart_dart_eart

    Those guys all looked like old head skeletons dressed in a jersey and shorts – Creaky bones and all. Lebron is something else man.

    VC probably looked the most athletic but he coasted for a while on some of those teams. As a Raps fan, Iā€™m well aware of his ability to coastā€¦

  21. Traditional-Orange35

    Lebron probably wont average many boards this year. I think this is the year he can focus on being a facilitator/off-ball scorer. Especially now that the Lakers wont have to fight tooth and nail for every win

  22. Agreed_fact

    Also interesting to look at players in their age 39 season.
    Karl ā€œpedoā€ Malon averaged 20.6, Mike averaged 20, Kareem 17.5, Reggie 15, Stockton 13.4. A bunch of other guys averaged 7+ points.
    Of them all, Reggie and Malone were the only ā€œwinningā€ players with significant contribution. Tim Duncan was playing winning ball but averaged 8-7-3, same with manu the next season with 7-2-3.
    Iā€™d guess Lebron averages around 25 and plays winning basketball.
    His longevity becomes godly if he produces for one more season, only three guys have averaged double digits in their age 40 season: Kareem at 14.6, Parish at 11.7, Stockton at 10.8. Stockton and Kareem were still playing winning ball.

  23. Em4gdn3m

    These weren’t just average players either. As you would expect for any player sticking around for 21 seasons, but these are some of the all time best players on this list. That we’re talking LeBron realistically surpasses the combined stats of all these players in two categories is absolutely insane.

  24. iCE_P0W3R

    Run from it, dread it, LBJ averages 27/7/7 still

  25. AccomplishedBake8351

    I think heā€™ll be about average, like 5/2/1

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