The 10 Best NBA Players 35 And Older

Father Time is undefeated and this has been well documented over the history of professional sports. At one time or another, every athlete that has appeared timeless is eventually defeated. The world of basketball offers a unique realm of competition, in which players can compete at a high level into their late 30s and even beyond in some special cases. In 2014, we are still marveling over how teams are comprised of players primarily over the age of 30, such as the Mavericks and Spurs, who still manage to remain in playoff contention in the toughest conference.

There are players sprinkled all over the NBA that have lived for 35 years or more and are still collecting valuable NBA paychecks. Let’s check out the top 10 NBA players at the age of 35 or over.

*** *** ***

10. Chris Andersen
Chris Andersen has never averaged over eight points in his 12-year NBA career and has still managed to play over 10 years in the NBA coming out of Blinn College (Cam Newton played there for a year). The “Birdman” has been through a lot in his NBA career, being suspended two years for drugs and having many other legal issues with the Nuggets. After being cut by the Nuggets a few years ago, Andersen was 34 years old and on the unemployment line. Because, realistically, who would take a flyer on a 34-year-old big man, marred with legal issues? The Miami Heat, naturally. The Heat signed Andersen to a series of 10-day contracts and have never looked back. The Birdman has been recreated with the Miami Heat, causing erratic fans in the arena and at home, to flap their arms like crazy once the Birdman soars to the rim for a putback dunk.

Chris Andersen has recreated his image into something positive that millions of fans enjoy; he is the ultimate energy guy. He fits right into the gameplan of the Miami Heat, whom he captured his first illustrious NBA championship with last season. You can even ask Andersen about his role with the MIami Heat, he understands it well (via USA Today): “I just do what I do. I don’t really think about how many shots I made in a row or how good I am. I just continue to do what I do, and that’s come off the bench and bring defense and bring energy and run the floor and get to my spots. If LeBron calls me up, I’ll come up. If not, I’ll stay in the Bird box.”

This season, Birdman is averaging 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per game. Andersen has been heralded for his efficiency, since most of his shots come right at the rim. He’s converting on 66 percent of his shots, which is first in the NBA. No matter if he sits on the bench for 48 minutes or plays garbage minutes, he’s giving all his energy to cheering his teammates on or crashing the boards. Everything he touches around the rim seems to go in and he always seems to be in the right position for an easy bucket. Even at 35 years old, Andersen has validated his ability to be an important piece on a championship-winning team, something most 30-year-olds can’t have on their resume.

9. Ray Allen
Let’s be honest, by Ray Allen standards, he isn’t having the best season. But, Ray Allen isn’t playing in Miami to have great statistics. He’s trying to win as many rings as possible before his career is over, which could be as early as the end of this season. As we saw in Game 6 of the NBA Finals last season, Ray Allen still has the ability to hit a clutch three without having any time to think about it. His jump shot is still one of the quickest releases seen in the game and whenever it leaves his fingers, it looks like it’s going in. The man that has made over 7,000 three-pointers in his career is no longer among the league leaders, but still one of the best of all time.

This year we found out Ray Allen can still dunk too, which is pretty cool. Plus, he can still do things like this and this, much to the chagrin of Spike Lee, even though the two might be getting together for He Got Game 2, which is the greatest news I’ve ever heard in my life. His percentages aren’t there, but he’s still shown the ability to hit shots when needed, which is something that will never fade away. This season, Jesus Shuttlesworth is averaging 9.5 points on 44 percent from the field, 35 percent from three and 90 percent from the line. Per Synergy, Allen is shooting 47 percent on transition threes, one of the hardest shots to hit in basketball. He’s only shooting 35 percent from three, but still has 12 games shooting 50 percent or better from three-point land. Jesus Shuttlesworth is in the latter stages of his career, but he’s still Jesus Shuttlesworth. You can have Steph Curry, I’ll take Ray Allen anyday of the week, even at 38 years old.

8. Kevin Garnett
The Big Ticket is still cashing in at 37 years old. Even if Father Time has stripped his talent over the past few years, there is not a figure more menacing or powerful than Kevin Garnett — he is the definition of the heart of a champion in the NBA. At times, his performance has been laughable this year, although we would never say that to KG’s face. The Beats By Dre commercial certainly hasn’t helped his reputation this season either. Whatever it is, the criticism of Kevin Garnett has been heavy this season and Kevin Garnett is starting to respond, on the court.

His numbers this season aren’t pretty for someone that has averaged 18 and 10 over an 18-year career — 6.9 points and 6.9 rebounds on 42 percent shooting. But, let’s be fair, NOTHING in Brooklyn was pretty in the beginning of the season. Did we honestly believe Kevin Garnett was just going to dwindle out of the limelight and into retirement, amidst the worst season of his career? I won’t lie, I did. However, the new year brought new life into the Nets and Garnett.

After shooting an abysmal 36 percent from the field in December and 35 percent in November, Kevin Garnett is shooting 62 percent in January. He has almost doubled his shooting percentage in just a month, remarkable for someone that’s 37 years old and has as much mileage on him as Garnett. KG is averaging 8.1 points and 7.1 rebounds in January, playing 23.4 minutes per game. On top of his recent success, the Brooklyn Nets are 10-2 in January. The month of January includes wins over Oklahoma City, Miami and Golden State. Only if they could beat those pesky Raptors. Even though Kevin Garnett appeared to be digging his grave at the beginning of the season, he’s returned in 2014 to remind us that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!

7. Shawn Marion
The Matrix has been ballin’ since 1999 and like a few other members on this list, has found success with the Dallas Mavericks during the latter stages of his career. Marion is 35 years old and has played 14 seasons in the NBA and is yet to average under 10 points and five rebounds in a season. One word to describe Marion would be consistent and that’s the exact thing that keeps a player in the NBA for so long. Even though Marion is an afterthought for most fans, he’s still an important contributor to a team on the right side of the playoff race in the hardened Western Conference.

This season, Marion is averaging 11.2 points and 6.9 rebounds. He’s shooting 47 percent for the season and 36 percent from deep, which is his highest mark since his fourth season in 2002-2003. His increased efficiency in three-point percentage isn’t due to taking less shots from beyond the arc, or switching up his quite unorthodox jumper. The jumper is only ugly if it isn’t going in, right? Marion is taking 2.4 three-pointers per game, which is his highest mark since the 2007-2008 season. Marion is still playing 31.5 minutes per game at 35 years old, which is a testament to his work ethic and ability to keep his body in tip-top shape. The Mavericks are currently 26-20 on the season, holding the eighth seed in the West. The Dallas Mavericks aren’t considered a title contender by any standards, but anything is possible when the playoffs begin. This is a grizzled team, deep with playoff experience and NBA championship hardware, with Shawn Marion being an integral piece to the puzzle, even at age 35. There aren’t many collection of Shawn Marion highlights on YouTube, but this DJ Steve Porter remix should do justice.

6. Manu Ginobili
The 2013-2014 was supposed to be another season where the Spurs finally began to regress into the bottom tier of the Western Conference. No one really expected the Spurs to come back and compete with teams stacked with talent like Chris Paul, Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge, while the Spurs returned their same, old, aging team. Jokes on us, again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me every year…I’m not sure. After the NBA Finals loss to the Miami Heat, even Vegas wouldn’t believe that the Spurs would be back. Surprise, the Spurs are back amongst the leaders of the Western Conference and Manu Ginobili is one of the aging stars that’s still executing.

To date, Ginobili is averaging 12.1 points, 4.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds, along with a PER of 19.30, which is higher than Damian Lillard and Kemba Walker. Back in December, Ginobili averaged 15.3 points on 50 percent from the field and 43 percent from deep. Ginobili has showed us that he can be dangerous over a long stretch, like this past December. Even in the dark ages of his career, he’s still one of the more lethal sixth men in the NBA. Ginobili has six games scoring 20-plus points this season, never shooting less than 47 percent in these games. That patented lefty jump shot is still working. Ginobili might not be the firecracker he once used to be, but this former second-round pick is still continuing to perform amongst the elite at 36 years old.

5. Vince Carter
Half-Man, Half-Amazing is one of the most polarizing figures in the history of basketball. Just bringing up the name Vinsanity throws images of poster dunks that used to hang in my room as a child in my head, that I tried to recreate on my Lil Tykes rim. Vince Carter has lost most of his hops, but he still throws back the clock from time to time to remind us he’s still in the NBA. A dunker usually has a problem staying in the league when their athleticism begins to dwindle, but Carter has been able to fine-tune his game as his age increases. He’s comfortable in a sixth man role this season with the Mavericks, being able to supply some scoring, because no matter what athleticism remains in him, Vince Carter is still Vinsanity. He can still fill up the stat sheet on any given night.

This season, Carter is averaging 11.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 rebounds. He’s shooting 41 percent from the field and 36 percent from deep. Carter has 10 games in double-digit scoring in January, proving that he is still a valuable piece to a team looking to make a playoff run. All the success in Dallas will be contributed to the bounceback season of Dirk Nowitzki, but Vince Carter has been as consistent as they come this season. The fact that I can still find a 15-minute mix video of a 37-year-old is remarkable and a testament to the greatness that Carter is still embodying. He might never have an opportunity to win a ring, but Carter’s legacy won’t be tarnished without one — his greatness stands alone.

4. Paul Pierce
Was it ever more evident that Paul Pierce is still relevant in the NBA than the other night against the Raptors, when he scored 33 points on 63 percent from the field (10-16) and 70 percent from deep (7-10). Even though the Nets completely blew this game, Paul Pierce showed us why his nickname is still The Truth. There was a moment in the game where Paul Pierce came down the court and nailed three straight three-pointers, which was the main reason the Nets were in position to win this game. I’m still a believer in Paul Pierce — he’s averaging 14.8 points in January on 43 percent shooting from the field.

This season, Pierce is averaging 13.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.1 rebounds per game. He’s taking about four less shots per game this season, which can explain his drop in scoring. However, as we saw the other night, Pierce can still fill it up when it’s needed. At 36 years old, Paul Pierce is still able to be one of the more consistent pieces on a playoff team. Obviously, things have been rough in Brooklyn, but they’ve won 10 games in January and are currently holding the seventh seed in the East. The Nets are only 2.5 games out of third place in the East, which will show you how much the standings can fluctuate before the end of the season. The Nets could very well end up as high as the third seed in the East. The chemistry is starting to roll in Brooklyn and Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are looking like some form of their old selves. Even in 2014 and at 36 years old, The Truth is still the truth.

3. Tim Duncan
If you told me five years ago that Tim Duncan would still be in the NBA in 2014 and still considered to be one of the top power forwards, I would probably discredit your knowledge of basketball entirely. Here we are, entrenched in another NBA season and the Spurs are once again dominating, without anyone paying attention. So is Tim Duncan, who is averaging 14.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. He is 17th in the NBA in PER at 21.59. Tim Duncan is still a double-double machine at the age of 37, with 18 this season in 42 games (eighth in the NBA), meaning he turns a double-double in 43 percent of the time he steps on the court this season.

Duncan has over 42,600 minutes in his career and still has the ability to perform better than some of the youngest, upcoming big men in the league. Per SportVU, Tim Duncan grabs 39.4 percent of his contested rebounds, which is higher than Dwight Howard, Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMarcus Cousins, etc — the list goes on. At 3.9 contested rebounds per game, Duncan is better in that category than LaMarcus Aldridge, David Lee and Blake Griffin. Also, opponents are shooting 46.8 percent at the rim on Duncan, which is better than Andrew Bogut, Andre Drummond and DeAndre Jordan. The point is that, even at 37 years old, with over 42,000 miles on his body, Tim Duncan is still playing at a higher level than some of these rising, upcoming stars we all tend to salivate over. We will all forget to mention the Spurs — or Duncan — amongst the best in the NBA, but I’m sure they’ll have something to say about that once June rolls around.

2. Kobe Bryant
No matter what Magic Johnson thinks about Kobe Bryant, his greatness is undeniable. I’ll even admit that I’m not the biggest fan of Kobe, but I have to respect his greatness. Obviously, Kobe is injured and has only played in six games this season, scoring 13.8 points on 43 percent shooting. It looks like Kobe will be re-evaluated in about three weeks — he is still experiencing pain and swelling in his left knee knee. Adversity has been hitting Vino like a brick wall this past year and the hits keep coming, but it still doesn’t remove his stature as one of the best players when healthy, even at 35 years old.

Just last season, Kobe “Bean” Bryant was averaging 27.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game — which is remarkable at his age, playing 38.6 minutes per game. Maybe the huge allocation of minutes finally wore the Black Mamba down, maybe we’ve seen the last of the Black Mamba. Knowing the pedigree of Bryant and the level that he holds himself too, I highly doubt this is the case. The man that tore his Achilles and walked to the free throw line to shoot will not be marred by injuries to end a career covered with NBA championships. A healthy Kobe Bryant is one of the best players in the NBA, even at the age of 35.

1. Dirk Nowitzki
At 35 years old, the season Dirk Nowitzki is having is just remarkable. At the same time, absolutely no one is talking about Dirk. He’s on the verge of yet another 50/40/90 season, after appearing like he was on his last limbs last season after returning from injury. He’s shooting 48 percent from the field, 39 percent from three and 90 percent from the line. Dirk Nowitzki is playing 32.4 minutes per game this season, which is the highest on this list. This season, he’s averaging 21.2 points and 6.0 rebounds, which are nearly on pace of his career numbers of 22.6 and 8.1. For someone at 35 years old to be able to keep pace with their career numbers is unheard of and for some reason I haven’t heard of Dirk Nowitzki as an All-Star? His team is in playoff contention in a tough Western Conference at 26-20, which is the eighth seed in the West. Just to keep this in mind, the Mavericks would be a third seed in the East.

Dirk is being productive by doing the same things he’s been doing his whole career. Per Synergy, Nowitzki is fifth in the NBA in post-ups, which account for over 30 percent of his offense. Nowitzki is averaging 1.07 points per possession on post-ups, shooting 49.4 percent. As the P-n-R roll man, Dirk is shooting 54 percent (scoring 1.18 PPP) and shooting 43 percent from deep. The jumper is still butter and Nowitzki is looking to make another playoff push. No one will talk about the Mavericks as a serious threat to any of the top teams in the West, but this team could be dangerous. Dirk Nowitzki is unguardable when he’s on point and there’s no telling when Monta Ellis can catch fire. We might never see a Dirk Nowitzki like the one possessed in the 2011 NBA Playoffs, but he’s proved that he’s capable of being a top-tier player at 35 years old.

What do you think?

Follow Drew on Twitter at @dcorrigan50.

Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.

Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.

×