Most Minutes Played in NBA History
There are 48 minutes in regulation time of an NBA game and 3,936 minutes in an 82-game season. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the players who rack up the most minutes include some of the greatest to ever play the game.
While some changes have occurred over the years as far as rotations and leaving players on the floor, what hasn't changed is keeping your best players out there for as much playing time as they can handle.
These players logged the most minutes in NBA history.
30. Bill Russell — 40,726 Minutes
College: San Francisco
Seasons: 13 (1956-69)
Teams: Boston Celtics
Position: Center
Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 215 pounds
Minutes per game: 42.3
Other stats: 963 G, 15.1 PPG, 22.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, 44.0 FG%
NBA titles: 11 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969)
Hall of Fame: 1975
Bottom line: Bill Russell was the centerpiece of the greatest dynasty in NBA history, winning 11 NBA championships in his 13 seasons.
The five-time NBA Most Valuable Player needed to define toughness to succeed in his era, with his direct counterpart none other than Wilt Chamberlain, the only other player besides Russell to grab 50 rebounds in a single game.
Now, that's tough.
28. Pau Gasol — 41,011 Minutes (Tied)
College: None
Years: 18 seasons (2001-19)
Teams: Memphis Grizzlies (2001-08), Los Angeles Lakers (2008-14), Chicago Bulls (2014-16), San Antonio Spurs (2016-19), Milwaukee Bucks (2019)
Position: Center
Height/weight: 7-foot-1, 250 pounds
Minutes per game: 33.4
Other stats: 1,226 G, 17.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 3.2 APG, 50.7 FG%
NBA titles: 2 (2009, 2010)
Hall of Fame: Not eligible yet
Bottom line: Pau Gasol doesn't get the credit he deserves for his Hall of Fame-worthy career.
His greatest years were paired with Kobe Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers, where the two formed one of the best inside-out combinations of the last 20 years.
The Lakers played in three straight NBA Finals with the two of them running things, winning back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010.
28. Michael Jordan — 41,011 Minutes (Tied)
College: North Carolina
Years: 14 (1984-93, 1995-98, 2001-03)
Teams: Chicago Bulls (1984-93, 1995-1998), Washington Wizards (2001-03)
Position: Shooting guard
Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 210 pounds
Minutes per game: 38.3
Other stats: 1,072 G, 30.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG, 49.7 FG%
NBA titles: 6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)
Hall of Fame: 2009
Bottom line: Widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time, if not the greatest athlete, Michael Jordan hardly left the floor during his 14 seasons in the NBA.
Jordan played in the NBA Finals six times and won each time, also winning NBA Finals MVP each time.
The only slight ding in his legacy is two weird seasons with the Washington Wizards from 2001 to 2003.
27. Scottie Pippen — 41,069 Minutes
College: Central Arkansas
Years: 17 seasons (1987-2004)
Teams: Chicago Bulls (1987-98, 2003-04), Houston Rockets (1998-99), Portland Trail Blazers (1999-2003)
Position: Small forward
Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 228 pounds
Minutes per game: 34.9
Other stats: 1,178 G, 16.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.2 APG, 47.3 FG%
NBA titles: 6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)
Hall of Fame: 2010
Bottom line: Scottie Pippen was the perfect complement to Michael Jordan during the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990s.
Pippen also was one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history and made 10 All-NBA defensive teams.
He and Jordan's Batman and Robin routine produced six championships in nine full seasons together and cemented both players as two of the greatest of all time.
26. Shaquille O'Neal — 41,918 Minutes
College: LSU
Years: 19 seasons (1992-2011)
Teams: Orlando Magic (1992-96), Los Angeles Lakers (1996-2004), Miami Heat (2004-08), Phoenix Suns (2008-09), Cleveland Cavaliers (2009-10), Boston Celtics (2010-11)
Position: Center
Height/weight: 7-foot-1, 325 pounds
Minutes per game: 34.7
Other stats: 1,207 G, 23.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 58.2 FG%
NBA titles: 4 (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006)
Hall of Fame: 2016
Bottom line: Shaquille O'Neal was one of the most dominant players in NBA history.
The behemoth center teamed up with Kobe Bryant to win three consecutive NBA titles from 2000 to 2002 and another title with Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in 2006.
O'Neal captured one NBA MVP trophy in his career, in 2000, and won three consecutive NBA Finals MVP trophies.
25. Jason Terry — 42,034 Minutes
College: Arizona
Years: 19 seasons (1999-2018)
Teams: Atlanta Hawks (1999-2004), Dallas Mavericks (2004-12), Boston Celtics (2012-13), Brooklyn Nets (2013-14), Houston Rockets (2014-16), Milwaukee Bucks (2016-18)
Position: Point guard/shooting guard
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 185 pounds
Minutes per game: 29.8
Other stats: 1,410 G, 13.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3.8 APG, 38.0 FG%
NBA titles: 1 (2011)
Hall of Fame: Not eligible yet
Bottom line: Jason Terry's greatest years were with the Dallas Mavericks, culminating in one of the greatest NBA Finals upsets of all time in 2011 over the Miami Heat and LeBron James.
Terry was a winner on every level. He also grabbed back-to-back state titles at Seattle's Franklin High and won an NCAA title at Arizona in 1997.
24. Buck Williams — 42,464 Minutes
College: Maryland
Years: 17 seasons (1981-98)
Teams: New Jersey Nets (1981-89), Portland Trail Blazers (1989-96), New York Knicks (1996-98)
Position: Power forward
Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 215 pounds
Minutes per game: 32.5
Other stats: 1,307 G, 12.8 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 1.3 APG, 54.9 FG%
NBA titles: None
Hall of Fame: Not enshrined
Bottom line: Buck Williams was the No. 3 overall pick in the 1981 NBA draft by the New Jersey Nets and won Rookie of the Year honors in 1982.
Williams (and his signature goggles) became best known for his years with the Portland Trail Blazers, helping lead the team to three consecutive Western Conference finals appearances and two NBA Finals.
He didn't have eye-popping stats, but he was dependable and efficient. That might be why he's somewhat underrated.
23. Clifford Robinson — 42,561 Minutes
College: Connecticut
Years: 18 seasons (1989-2007)
Teams: Portland Trail Blazers (1989-97), Phoenix Suns (1997-2001), Detroit Pistons (2001-03), Golden State Warriors (2003-05), New Jersey Nets (2005-07)
Position: Power forward
Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 225 pounds
Minutes per game: 30.8
Other stats: 1,380 G, 14.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.2 APG, 43.8 FG%
NBA titles: None
Hall of Fame: Not enshrined
Bottom line: You can make a good argument that Cliff Robinson would have been an even bigger star in today's game.
He was the tallest player in NBA history to hit 1,000 3 pointers at 6-foot-10 until Dirk Nowitzki and Rashard Lewis broke that record.
Robinson died of cancer in August 2020 at 53 years old.
22. Oscar Robertson — 43,886 Minutes
College: Cincinnati
Years: 14 seasons (1960-74)
Teams: Cincinnati Royals (1960-70), Milwaukee Bucks (1970-74)
Position: Shooting guard
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 205 pounds
Minutes per game: 42.2
Other stats: 1,040 G, 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, 48.5 FG%
NBA titles: 1 (1971)
Hall of Fame: 1980
Bottom line: Oscar Robertson was a triple-double machine and one of the greatest players the NBA has ever seen.
Off the court, Robertson was just as influential, and his antitrust lawsuit against the NBA when he was president of the players association laid the groundwork for the multimillion dollar contracts players have enjoyed for the last 30-plus years.
That's the embodiment of a hard worker.
21. Hakeem Olajuwon — 44,222 Minutes
College: Houston
Years: 18 seasons (1984-2002)
Teams: Houston Rockets (1984-2001), Toronto Raptors (2001-02)
Position: Center
Height/weight: 7-foot, 255 pounds
Minutes per game: 35.7
Other stats: 1,238 G, 21.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.5 APG, 51.2 FG%
NBA titles: 2 (1994, 1995)
Hall of Fame: 2008
Bottom line: Hakeem Olajuwon was the No. 1 pick in the fabled 1984 NBA draft and played all but one of his 18 NBA seasons with the Houston Rockets, where he won back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995.
Olajuwon was the 1994 NBA MVP, a 12-time All-Star and one of just four players to ever record a quadruple-double.
And he averaged over 35 minutes a game for his career as a 7-footer.
20. Joe Johnson — 44,234 Minutes
College: Arkansas
Years: 17 seasons (2001-18)
Teams: Boston Celtics (2001-02), Phoenix Suns (2002-05), Atlanta Hawks (2005-12), Brooklyn Nets (2012-16), Miami Heat (2016), Utah Jazz (2016-18)
Position: Small forward and shooting guard
Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 240 pounds
Minutes per game: 34.7
Other stats: 1,276 G, 16.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, 44.1 FG%
NBA titles: None
Hall of Fame: Not eligible yet
Bottom line: "Iso Joe" was known for his skills on isolation plays, which wasn't always a good thing for the teams he played on.
In one of the weirder moments in NBA history, the Atlanta Hawks made Joe Johnson the highest-paid player of all time with a six-year, $123 million contract in 2010.
Maybe they thought his minutes per game were points per game?
19. Moses Malone — 45,071 Minutes
College: None
Years: 19 seasons (1976-95)
Teams: Buffalo Braves (1976), Houston Rockets (1976-82), Philadelphia 76ers (1982-86, 1993-94), Washington Bullets (1986-88), Atlanta Hawks (1988-91), Milwaukee Bucks (1991-93), San Antonio Spurs (1994-95)
Position: Center and forward
Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 215 pounds
Minutes per game: 34.0
Other stats: 1,455 G, 20.3 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 1.3 APG, 49.5 FG%
NBA titles: 1 (1983)
Hall of Fame: 2001
Bottom line: Moses Malone would be much higher on this list if not for having spent his first two seasons in the ABA.
He had a reputation for being aloof, but much of that was media-driven — Malone quietly mentored younger players throughout his career.
He used tough love to help shape the careers of many future All-Stars, most notably Charles Barkley when he was a rookie for the 76ers in 1984.
18. Robert Parish — 45,704 Minutes
College: Centenary
Years: 21 seasons (1976-97)
Teams: Golden State Warriors (1976-80), Boston Celtics (1980-94), Charlotte Hornets (1994-96), Chicago Bulls (1996-97)
Position: Center
Height/weight: 7-foot-1, 230 pounds
Minutes per game: 28.4
Other stats: 1,611 G, 14.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.4 APG, 53.7 FG%
NBA titles: 4 (1981, 1984, 1986, 1997)
Hall of Fame: 2003
Bottom line: Robert Parish's 1,611 career games are the most in NBA history, and he was also at the center of one of the greatest trades in NBA history.
Celtics president Red Auerbach swapped his No. 1 overall pick in 1980 for Parish and the No. 3 overall pick. The Warriors took all-time draft bust Joe Barry Carroll No. 1, and the Celtics took Hall of Famer Kevin McHale at No. 3.
The rest is history.
17. Paul Pierce — 45,880 Minutes
College: Kansas
Years: 19 seasons (1998-2017)
Teams: Boston Celtics (1998-2013), Brooklyn Nets (2013-14), Washington Wizards (2014-15), Los Angeles Clippers (2015-17)
Position: Small forward
Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 235 pounds
Minutes per game: 34.2
Other stats: 1,343 G, 19.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.5 APG, 44.5 FG%
NBA titles: 1 (2008)
Hall of Fame: Not eligible yet
Bottom line: Paul Pierce had one of the great NBA nicknames of all time, "The Truth."
He also was a 10-time All-Star who teamed up with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to win the NBA championship in 2008 for the Celtics.
Pierce was the 2008 NBA Finals MVP and his famous histrionics — being carried off the court, then returning to play in Game 1 — were some of the more interesting theater in recent NBA history.
16. Ray Allen — 46,344 Minutes
College: Connecticut
Years: 18 seasons (1996-2014)
Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (1996-2003), Seattle SuperSonics (2003-07), Boston Celtics (2007-12), Miami Heat (2012-14)
Position: Shooting guard
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 205 pounds
Minutes per game: 35.6
Other stats: 1,300 G, 18.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.4 APG, 45.2 FG%
NBA titles: 2 (2008, 2013)
Hall of Fame: 2018
Bottom line: Ray Allen's jump shot was a work of art — perfect in almost every sense.
The star of Spike Lee's 1998 film "He Got Game" became so synonymous with his character, Jesus Shuttlesworth, that it became one of Allen's nicknames for the rest of his career.
Allen won an NBA title with the Celtics in 2008, then jumped ship to the rival Miami Heat and won again in 2013.
15. Vince Carter — 46,387 Minutes
College: North Carolina
Years: 22 seasons (1998-2020)
Teams: Toronto Raptors (1998-2004), New Jersey Nets (2004-09), Orlando Magic (2009-10), Phoenix Suns (2010-11), Dallas Mavericks (2011-14), Memphis Grizzlies (2014-17), Sacramento Kings (2017-18), Atlanta Hawks (2018-2020)
Position: Forward and shooting guard
Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 220 pounds
Minutes per game: 30.1
Other stats: 1,541 G, 16.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.1 APG, 43.5 FG%
NBA titles: None
Hall of Fame: Not eligible yet
Bottom line: Vince Carter can stake a claim as the greatest dunker of all time.
At the 2000 Olympics, he might have had the greatest single dunk of all time, when he leaped over 7-foot-2 French center Fredric Weis.
Carter was more than just a dunker, though. He was an eight-time All-Star selection who played a staggering 21 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2020.
14. John Havlicek — 46,471 Minutes
College: Ohio State
Years: 16 (1962-78)
Teams: Boston Celtics
Position: Small forward and shooting guard
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 203 pounds
Minutes per game: 36.6
Other stats: 1,270 G, 20.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 43.9 FG%
NBA titles: 8 (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976)
Hall of Fame: 1984
Bottom line: John Havlicek was one of the greatest winners in basketball history and also one of the game's greatest defensive players.
Havlicek was an eight-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection, 11-time All-NBA pick and helped lead the Celtics to eight NBA titles in 16 seasons.
Havlicek, who also won an NCAA title at Ohio State in 1960, died in 2019 at 79 years old.
13. Gary Payton — 47,117 Minutes
College: Oregon State
Years: 17 seasons (1990-2007)
Teams: Seattle SuperSonics (1990-2003), Milwaukee Bucks (2003), Los Angeles Lakers (2003-04), Boston Celtics (2004-05), Miami Heat (2005-07)
Position: Point guard
Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 180 pounds
Minutes per game: 35.3
Other stats: 1,335 G, 16.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.7 APG, 46.6 FG%
NBA titles: 1 (2006)
Hall of Fame: 2013
Bottom line: The only point guard to ever win NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Gary Payton is tied with Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett for the most NBA All-Defensive Team first-team selections with nine.
Payton is best known for his time with the Seattle SuperSonics, where he played his first 13 seasons, but won an NBA title in 2006 with the Miami Heat.
He also was one of the best trash-talkers in NBA history.
12. Tim Duncan — 47,368 Minutes
College: Wake Forest
Years: 19 seasons (1997-2016)
Teams: San Antonio Spurs
Position: Center and power forward
Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 250 pounds
Minutes per game: 34.0
Other stats: 1,392 G, 19.0 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 3.0 APG, 50.6 FG%
NBA titles: 5 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014)
Hall of Fame: 2020
Bottom line: Is Tim Duncan the greatest power forward of all time? It's tough to name someone better.
Duncan played all 19 of his seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and won five NBA titles and two NBA MVP trophies. Duncan also was a three-time NBA Finals MVP, 15-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA selection and 15-time NBA All-Defensive Team pick.
Duncan retired in 2016 and became an assistant coach for the Spurs.
11. Reggie Miller — 47,619 Minutes
College: UCLA
Years: 18 seasons (1987-2005)
Teams: Indiana Pacers
Position: Shooting guard
Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 185 pounds
Minutes per game: 34.3
Other stats: 1,389 G, 18.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 47.1 FG%
NBA titles: None
Hall of Fame: 2012
Bottom line: One of the best players in NBA history to never win an NBA title, Reggie Miller played his entire career with the Indiana Pacers.
The famous "Knick Killer" once scored eight points in nine seconds to beat the Knicks in the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals.
He also is currently No. 2 in NBA history for made 3-pointers behind Ray Allen.
10. John Stockton — 47,764 Minutes
College: Gonzaga
Years: 19 seasons (1984-2003)
Teams: Utah Jazz
Position: Point guard
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 170 pounds
Minutes per game: 31.8
Other stats: 1,504 G, 13.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 10.5 APG, 51.5 FG%
NBA titles: None
Hall of Fame: 2009
Bottom line: John Stockton played his entire NBA career with the Utah Jazz, teaming with power forward Karl Malone to lead the team to the only two NBA Finals appearances in franchise history.
Stockton owns two NBA records by large margins that might never be broken — career assists (15,806) and steals (3,265).
He was also a member of the famed 1992 U.S. Olympic Dream Team.
9. Wilt Chamberlain — 47,859 Minutes
College: Kansas
Years: 14 seasons (1959-73)
Teams: Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors (1959-63), Philadelphia 76ers (1965-68), Los Angeles Lakers (1968-73)
Position: Center
Height/weight: 7-foot-1, 275 pounds
Minutes per game: 45.8
Other stats: 1,045 G, 30.1 PPG, 22.9 RPG, 4.4 APG, 54.0 FG%
NBA titles: 2 (1967, 1972)
Hall of Fame: 1979
Bottom line: Wilt Chamberlain led the NBA in minutes played nine out of his 14 seasons, but it was actually a stretch on the bench that defined his career as much as anything else.
Trailing 103-102 to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Butch van Breda Kolff famously refused to put Chamberlain back in with two minutes left and the Lakers lost.
Chamberlain set the single-season record with 3,881 minutes played in 1961-62.
8. LeBron James — 48,551 Minutes
College: None
Years: 17 seasons (2003-present)
Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers (2006-10, 2014-18), Miami Heat (2010-14), Los Angeles Lakers (2018-present)
Position: Forward and guard
Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 250 pounds
Minutes per game: 38.4
Other stats: 1,265 G, 27.1 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 7.4 APG, 50.4 FG%
NBA titles: 4 (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020)
Hall of Fame: Not eligible yet
Bottom line: Is LeBron James the greatest basketball player of all time?
He continued to make his case by leading his third different franchise to an NBA championship and winning his fourth NBA title overall (and fourth NBA Finals MVP) in 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers.
With a few more seasons, James will finish his career as the NBA leader in points and minutes played.
7. Kobe Bryant — 48,637 Minutes
College: None
Years: 20 seasons (1996-2016)
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers
Position: Shooting guard
Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 212 pounds
Minutes per game: 36.1
Other stats: 1,346 G, 25.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.7 APG, 44.7 FG%
NBA titles: 5 (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010)
Bottom line: Kobe Bryant was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers by the Charlotte Hornets on draft day in 1996, and began playing in the NBA just a few months after his 18th birthday.
He went on to become one of the greatest players in NBA history as a five-time NBA champion, 15-time All-NBA pick and 12-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection.
Bryant died tragically in a helicopter crash in January 2020 alongside eight others, including his daughter Giana.
6. Elvin Hayes — 50,000 Minutes
College: Houston
Years: 16 seasons (1968-84)
Teams: San Diego/Houston Rockets (1968-72, 1981-84), Baltimore/Washington Bullets (1972-81)
Position: Forward and center
Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 235 pounds
Minutes per game: 38.4
Other stats: 1,303 G, 21.0 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 45.2 FG%
NBA titles: 1 (1978)
Hall of Fame: 1990
Bottom line: Elvin Hayes' career minutes represent one of the cooler statistical anomalies in NBA history — he played exactly 50,000 minutes in his 13-year career.
Hayes paired with Wes Unseld on the Washington Bullets to form a potent frontcourt and made the NBA Finals three times, winning once in 1978.
The big man was enshrined in Springfield in 1990.
5. Jason Kidd — 50,111 Minutes
College: California
Years: 19 seasons(1994-2013)
Teams: Dallas Mavericks (1994-96, 2008-12), Phoenix Suns (1996-2001), New Jersey Nets (2001-08), New York Knicks (2012-13)
Position: Point guard
Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 205 pounds
Minutes per game: 38.4
Other stats: 1,391 G, 12.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 8.7 APG, 40.0 FG%
NBA titles: 1 (2011)
Hall of Fame: 2018
Bottom line: Jason Kidd seemed good enough to lift almost every team he ever played on into contention, but never more notably than when he led the Nets to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003.
Kidd finally got a long-sought NBA title in 2011 with the Dallas Mavericks when they pulled off a stunning upset of the Miami Heat in the finals.
4. Kevin Garnett — 50,418 Minutes
College: None
Years: 21 seasons (1995-2016)
Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves (1995-2007, 2015-16), Boston Celtics (2007-13), Brooklyn Nets (2013-15)
Position: Power forward
Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 240 pounds
Minutes per game: 34.5
Other stats: 1,462 G, 17.8 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 3.7 APG, 49.7 FG%
NBA titles: 1 (2008)
Hall of Fame: 2020
Bottom line: Kevin Garnett became the first player drafted directly to the NBA out of high school in 20 years when the Timberwolves picked him No. 5 overall in 1995.
It triggered a decade of high school-to-NBA phenoms and saw Garnett rise to the top of the game.
He played 21 seasons, won his lone NBA title in 2008 with the Celtics and was named NBA MVP in 2004.
3. Dirk Nowitzki — 51,368 Minutes
College: None
Years: 21 seasons (1998-2019)
Teams: Dallas Mavericks
Position: Power forward and small forward
Height/weight: 7-foot, 245 pounds
Minutes per game: 33.8
Other stats: 1,522 G, 20.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.4 APG, 47.1 FG%
NBA titles: 1 (2011)
Hall of Fame: Not eligible yet
Bottom line: Widely thought of as the greatest European player in NBA history, Dirk Nowitzki played his entire career with the Dallas Mavericks.
He led the team to its only two NBA Finals appearances in franchise history, losing to the Miami Heat in 2006 and pulling off a stunning upset of the Heat in 2011.
Nowitzki was also named NBA MVP in 2007.
2. Karl Malone — 54,852 Minutes
College: Louisiana Tech
Years: 19 seasons (1985-2004)
Teams: Utah Jazz (1985-2003), Los Angeles Lakers (2003-04)
Position: Power forward
Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 250 pounds
Minutes per game: 33.8
Other stats: 1,476 G, 25.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.6 APG, 51.6 FG%
NBA titles: None
Hall of Fame: 2010
Bottom line: Karl Malone delivered everything in his career except an NBA title.
"The Mailman" teamed with John Stockton to form one of the greatest 1-2 punches in NBA history for the Utah Jazz, leading the team to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998.
Malone won two NBA MVP trophies in 1997 and 1999 and was also a 14-time All-NBA pick.
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — 57,.446 Minutes
College: UCLA
Years: 20 seasons (1969-89)
Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (1969-75), Los Angeles Lakers (1975-89)
Position: Center
Height/weight: 7-foot-2, 225 pounds
Minutes per game: 36.8
Other stats: 1,560 G, 24.6 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, 55.9 FG%
NBA titles: 6 (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985. 1987, 1988)
Hall of Fame: 1995
Bottom line: The only other person (for now) besides Michael Jordan who can make a case for greatest basketball player of all time, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won three national championships at UCLA and six NBA titles.
Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's career leading scorer, was also a six-time NBA MVP, 19-time All-Star and costarred in the 1972 Bruce Lee classic action film "Game of Death" as Mantis.
And he's still working after his playing days, named the best columnist at the Southern California Journalism Awards for five straight years (2016-2020) for his work in The Hollywood Reporter.
Related: Toughest NBA Players Who Ever Lived