Top 10 Fan Favorite NBA Veterans of All-Time
The NBA has their share of veterans in the league, with roughly over 15% of players in the NBA today who’ve been around at least 10 years or more. As some question as to why Veterans are needed in the NBA, this video below explains it perfectly.
Veterans are pivotal to an organizations success. Experienced players understand the nuances of the game, manage the pressures of a professional career, and have cultivated the right mindset to last in the league as long as they have. With the have average NBA career lasting just 4-5 years, these vets can instill in the rookies and developmental players invaluable lessons to carry with them on and off the court.
When do you become a veteran in the NBA?
In the NBA, a player is generally considered a veteran after seven or more years of experience. This is often tied to the concept of a “Designated Veteran” contract, which a player can be eligible for if they meet specific criteria related to their contract and performance. While there’s no official definition of an NBA vet, generally players with 7+ years often start taking on leadership roles and mentoring younger players.
Check out the Top Ten Fan Favorite NBA Veterans on All Time
10. Chris Paul
Chris Paul is one of the most experienced players in the NBA today. Paul has taken on a mentorship role in the later stages of his career, sharing knowledge with the young established superstars in the NBA today, including Devin Booker, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama
9. James Johnson
One of the most feared vets in the league, James Johnson is a player you love to have on your team, and hate to go against. His physicality around the rim and around the ring, is why he’s known today as the NBA’s Enforcer.
8. Mike Conley
Winner of the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, Mike Conley’s mentorship has been pivotal to the league as he’s affected NBA Champion Kyle Lowry, has had hands in the success of Donovan Mitchell, and is apart of the developemenal process of rising NBA superstar Anthony Edwards.
7.Dikembe Mutombo
A kindred spirit, Dikembe Mutombo came from humble beginning to become the man that he was in the NBA. After making his claim to fame as ‘Mount Mutombo’, he made history, becoming the NBA’s first ever Global Ambassador. Mutombo spent countless time and resources advocating, scouting, and investing, as his humanitarian work extended to numerous countries. Today we see of healthy amount of overseas excellence in the league, including NBA Champions Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Pascal Siakam; as well as former NBA MVP Joel Embiid.
6. Shaquille O’Neal
Undoubtedly one of the NBA’s most colorful personalities of all-time, O’Neal is a the epitome of a good veteran; A player that can motivate the locker room, crack open a beer party with, but can also be no nonsense at the snap of a finger. Shaq is all of that and some, as players of today and yesterday have fond memories of Shaq in the veteran stages of his career
5. Russell Westbrook
Another of the NBA’s most colorful aura’s, Russell Westbrook is by far one of the most endeared NBA Vets for his silly antics, savyy attitude, and a work ethic that even the rookies barely keep up with. Westbrook and ‘journeyman’ doesn’t even feel like they should be in the same sentence; that’s because he’s made such an impact on the five teams he’s been apart of the last six years. Russell has been a help to the young players of the Lakers organization including rising star Austin Reeves. Although Russ hasn’t found his dance partner, Westbrook coached up a young Peyton Watson as the Nuggest made a deep playoff run in the 2024-2025 season.
4. Jure Holiday
A 3-time Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award winner, Holiday exemplify’s what is means to be a great teammate. Apart for being a key veteran in the Celtics 2024 NBA Championship, Holiday has instilled knowledge on and off the court in a young Lozo Ball and Josh Hart, and even dropped some gems on Anthony Davis back in New Orleans.
3. Udonis Haslem
The textbook definition of an NBA veteran, Udonis Haslem has been the Miami Heat’s reasoning as to why Veterans are so important to a teams success. Someone who’s been-there-done-that, got the ring, knows their role, and a leader of men. Since 2016, Haslem has not played more than 20 games for the Miami Heat, this was not due to injury. Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra so much value in Haslem being on the team, that after Haslem’s last multi-year contract had expired in 2016, he was continued year-after-year on a veteran’s minimum. Haslem’s leadership peaked as his experience helped the Jimmy Butler led Heat, reach the NBA Finals in 2020.
2. LeBron James
With James dominating the NBA since his rookie year, we could argue he’s been a veteran since 2003. LeBron has mentored some of the greatest names we will soon be left with in the five years in: Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and now Luke Doncic. LeBron has not only been an example to his teammates but to all players in the league, and some model their game after him, many fear him, but everyone respect him. With him being in the league so long
1. P.J. Tucker
If there is one person everyone in the league respects, it’s P.J. Tucker. A veterans’ vet, an NBA champion, and one of the most swaggiest players in the league with undoubtedly the largest sneaker collection of all-time. Tucker’s gear alone won the cool kids of the league over, as they figure out what to pair with denim jeans, they also figure out how to defend the screen. Tucker’s longevity being a journeyman in the league has to be studied. Players ’til this day come up to Tucker on advice on how to be like him, and he gives them all the same respone: “Go watch game 6 of the 2021 NBA Finals”. A player who know’s his role and is able to find a way to be irreplaceable for every team he’s ever played for, P.J. Tucker walks away the fan favorite, best NBA veteran of all-time.
Top 10 Fan Favorite NBA Veterans of All-Time was originally published on wrnbhd2.com
