NBA: Longest Serving Players In NBA History To Have Represented Only One Team
When it comes to longevity in the league, it is sometimes hard to believe that some players have lasted in the league as long as they have, let alone with the same team. When you think of players who have lasted a long time in the league with one team, some names come to mind like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, David Robinson, and Jerry West. But to your surprise, these players actually didn't even last 15 years with their organization (a couple of them didn't even play 15 years in the league).
Magic Johnson's 13-year career was sadly cut short due to his battle with AIDS. Larry Bird also lasted 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics but that was cut short due to a back injury. David Robinson's 14-year career ended when he was 38 years old and the wear and tear of the league started to set in.
Finally, Jerry West's 14-year career ended with a really good story. The Lakers' didn't pay West's last contract, so he wanted to sue the organization. The organization decided they weren't going to give West another contract even though he was healthy enough to play another season. Since he wasn't going to get a contract from the Lakers, West decided to end his career rather than play another season with another team.
As you could see, some players do stay loyal to their team, but complications like injury, disease, feuds, and much more can affect the longevity of an NBA player's career. This list is going to focus on all-time players that have spent their entire career with one team. Not only do they stay with one team, but these players have lasted the longest in the league.
#5 Reggie Miller, Indiana Pacers - 18 years
Perhaps one of the greatest three-point shooters of all time, Miller was drafted 11th overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 1987 NBA Draft.
Miller didn’t win very many awards throughout his playing career with the Pacers but he did make an appearance in five All-Star games and made the All-NBA third team three times. Miller is second all-time in total 3-point field goals with 2,560 made on 39.5% 3-point shooting. Lastly, Miller was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2012.
Miller is the best player in Pacers’ franchise history with 174.4 win shares but he has never won a championship with the team although he did make one NBA Finals appearance in 2000. He did have one of the most memorable games in NBA history with the Famous Choke Game in the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks. Miller scored 8 points in nine seconds solidifying his name in the NBA with one of the most impressive comeback games of all time.
Miller retired in 2005 making it 18 years with the Pacers.