Which NBA players have had longest tenure with one franchise? Udonis Haslem to return to Heat for 20th season
He’s not done yet. On Sunday, Udonis Haslem announced that he will return to the Heat for the 2022-23 season, marking his 20th (!) year in Miami.
The 42-year-old has become a fixture of Heat culture and has brought a veteran presence to the Miami bench over the past half decade. Though Haslem has only appeared in 42 regular-season games over the past five years, Miami continues to bring him back as a coach-like figure and mentor to the younger players on the roster.
Haslem, who announced his return to his alma mater, Miami Senior High School, explained that he is dedicating his final season to his father, who passed away a year ago.
“I have another one for Pop. I have another one for town. I have one more for the team,” Haslem said. according to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press.
“Won’t be the same, won’t be as easy. The goal is still the same – win. Win a championship. Keep it on the line and keep your head up when it’s all over.”
Looking to expand his three championships with the Heat, Haslem won it all in 2006 alongside Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O’Neal and competed back-to-back alongside Miami’s Big 3 of Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh in 2012 and 2013.
Haslem spent 20 seasons with a franchise and entered NBA history. He joined Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki as the only players to pull off the feat.
MORE: Can Heat put together a trade package to land Kevin Durant?
Which NBA players have had the longest tenure with a franchise?
Nowitzki surpassed Bryant’s record for most seasons with a franchise when he returned to the Mavericks for a final year in 2018-19.
Before Bryant became the first player ever to serve 20 seasons with the same franchise, John Stockton and Tim Duncan tied for that record, spending 19 seasons in Utah and San Antonio, respectively.
| player | team | number of seasons | years played |
| Dirk Nowitzki | outsider | 21 | 1998-2019 |
| Udonis Haslem | heat | 20 | 2003-2023 |
| Kobe Bryant | lakers | 20 | 1996-2016 |
| Tim Duncan | spores | 19 | 1997-2016 |
| John Stockton | jazz | 19 | 1984-2003 |
| Reggie Miller | pacemaker | 18 | 1987-2005 |
| Manu Ginobili | spores | 16 | 2002-2018 |
| John Havlicek | Celts | 16 | 1962-1978 |
Who are the oldest players in the NBA?
Below is a list of the 10 oldest players scheduled to play in the 2022-23 NBA season.
Note: Free agents such as Carmelo Anthony (38) and Andre Iguodala (38) are not included as their status for the upcoming season is yet to be determined.
| Surname | team | Age* | Date of birth | NBA experience |
| Udonis Haslem | heat | 42 | 9.6.1980 | 20 |
| Lebron James | lakers | 37 | 12/30/1984 | 20 |
| PJ Tucker | 76er | 37 | 5/5/1985 | 12 |
| ChrisPaul | to sunbathe | 37 | 5/6/1985 | 18 |
| Taj Gibson | wizard | 37 | 6/24/1985 | 14 |
| Kyle Lowry | heat | 36 | 3/25/1986 | 17 |
| Goran Dragic | cops | 36 | 5/6/1986 | fifteen |
| Garrett Temple | pelicans | 36 | 5/8/1986 | 13 |
| Al Horford | Celts | 36 | 6/3/1986 | 16 |
| Rudy Gay | jazz | 36 | 8/17/1986 | 17 |
*Age on opening night falling on October 18, 2022