LeBron James turns 40. How did other stars perform when they turned 40?
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will soon become the 32nd player to play in the NBA at the age of 40.
The four-time MVP became the league's oldest active player following the retirements of Udonis Haslem and Andre Iguodala after the 2022–23 season.
James has averaged 23.5 points, 9 assists and 7.9 rebounds in 28 games played this season.
He will continue his climb up the list of the league's oldest players ever during the 22nd season of his career. Danny Schayes is the youngest member of the 40-year-old club, playing his last game just three days after he turned 40. Nat Hickey is the oldest person to play in the NBA at 45 years and 363 days old.
James will become the only player in the 40-club to also be among the 31 youngest players ever to play in the NBA. He started his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 29, 2003, at 18 years, 303 days old.
P.J. Tucker, Chris Paul and Taj Gibson are the only other active 39-year-old players with a chance to join the 40-club.
Here are some of the more notable players to play at the age of 40.
* stats per game
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers
∎ (Season he turned 40: 1986-87) 78 starts, 31.3 minutes*, .564 FG%, 17.5 points*, 6.7 rebounds*, 2.6 assists*, 1.2 blocks*
Abdul-Jabbar won his fifth NBA championship at the end of the 1986-87 season. He retired at age 42 in 1989. The Lakers legend held the NBA's career scoring record for nearly 39 years, finishing his career with 38,387 points, before he was passed by LeBron James in February 2023.
Michael Jordan, Washington Wizards
∎ (Season he turned 40: 2002-03) 82 games (67 starts), 37 minutes, .445 FG%, 20 points*, 6.1 rebounds*, 3.8 assists*, 1.5 steals*
The longtime Chicago Bulls star decided to return to the NBA in 2001 after a three-year hiatus and spent two seasons with the Washington Wizards. Jordan is often considered the league’s best player, having won six NBA championships and five MVP awards.
Bob Cousy, Cincinnati Royals
∎ (1969-70) 7 games played, 4.9 minutes*, .333 FG%, 0.7 ppg*, 0.7 rebounds*, 1.4 assists*
Cousy, then 41, returned to the court for seven games during the 1969-70 season for the Cincinnati Royals. The longtime Boston Celtics star had retired after the 1963 season. He served as a coach for Cincinnati from 1969 to 1972.
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
∎ (2018-19) 51 games, 15.6 minutes, .359 FG%, 7.3 points*, 3.1 rebounds*, 0.7 assists*
Nowitzki played the entire 2018-19 season at 40 years old. He retired after that season, having spent his entire 21-year career in Dallas. He was named Finals MVP in 2011 after leading the Mavericks to their first NBA championship.
Karl Malone, Los Angeles Lakers
∎ (2003-04) 42 starts, 32.7 minutes, .483 FG%, 13.2 points*, 8.7 rebounds*, 3.9 assists*
Malone turned 40 ahead of his last season in the NBA, which saw him join the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the only season that he did not play for the Utah Jazz. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
Steve Nash, Los Angeles Lakers
∎ (Season he turned 40: 2013-14) 15 games, 20.9 minutes, .383 FG%, 6.8 points*, 5.7 assists*, 1.9 rebounds*
Nash finished out his career with two seasons in Los Angeles. The Hall of Famer won the NBA MVP in 2005 and 2006 and finished as the league’s leader in assists five times.
List of oldest NBA players ever
| Player | Birth date | Last game | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nat Hickey | Jan. 30, 1902 | Jan. 28, 1948 | 45 years, 363 days |
| Kevin Willis | Sept. 6, 1962 | April 18, 2007 | 44 years, 224 days |
| Robert Parish | Aug. 30, 1953 | May 11, 1997 | 43 years, 254 days |
| Vince Carter | Jan. 26, 1977 | March 11, 2020 | 43 years, 45 days |
| Udonis Haslem | June 9, 1980 | June 7, 2023 | 42 years, 363 days |
| Dikembe Mutombo | June 25, 1966 | April 21, 2009 | 42 years, 300 days |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | April 16, 1947 | June 13, 1989 | 42 years, 58 days |
| Bob Cousy | Aug. 9, 1928 | Jan. 6, 1970 | 41 years, 150 days |
| Herb Williams | Feb. 16, 1958 | June 25, 1999 | 41 years, 129 days |
| John Stockton | March 26, 1962 | April 30, 2003 | 41 years, 35 days |
| Charles Jones | April 3, 1957 | May 3, 1998 | 41 years, 30 days |
| Karl Malone | July 24, 1963 | June 13, 2004 | 40 years, 325 days |
| Dirk Nowitzki | June 19, 1978 | April 10, 2019 | 40 years, 295 days |
| Manu Ginobili | July 28, 1977 | April 24, 2018 | 40 years, 270 days |
| Rick Mahorn | Sept. 21, 1958 | May 23, 1999 | 40 years, 244 days |
| John Long | Aug. 28, 1956 | April 20, 1997 | 40 years, 235 days |
| Jason Terry | Sept. 15, 1977 | April 28, 2018 | 40 years, 225 days |
| Grant Hill | Oct. 5, 1972 | May 3, 2013 | 40 years, 210 days |
| James Edwards | Nov. 22, 1955 | May 27, 1996 | 40 years, 187 days |
| Joe Johnson | June 29, 1981 | Dec. 22, 2021 | 40 years, 176 days |
| Kurt Thomas | Oct. 4, 1972 | March 18, 2013 | 40 years, 165 days |
| Clifford Robinson | Dec. 16, 1966 | May 12, 2007 | 40 years, 147 days |
| Jamal Crawford | March 20, 1980 | Aug. 4, 2020 | 40 years, 137 days |
| Charles Oakley | Dec. 18, 1963 | April 2, 2004 | 40 years, 106 days |
| Juwan Howard | Feb. 7, 1973 | April 17, 2013 | 40 years, 69 days |
| Steve Nash | Feb. 7, 1974 | April 8, 2014 | 40 years, 60 days |
| Michael Jordan | Feb. 18, 1963 | April 16, 2003 | 40 years, 58 days |
| Jason Kidd | March 23, 1973 | May 18, 2013 | 40 years, 56 days |
| Andre Miller | March 19, 1976 | May 12, 2016 | 40 years, 54 days |
| Tim Duncan | April 25, 1976 | May 12, 2016 | 40 days, 17 days |
| Danny Schayes | May 10, 1959 | May 13, 1999 | 40 years, 3 days |
| LeBron James | Dec. 30, 1984 | Active | 40 years old |