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5 NBA players who have started the most games in the 21st century

LeBron James (#23) shakes hands with Dirk Nowitzki.
LeBron James (#23) shakes hands with Dirk Nowitzki.

Since the 2000-01 NBA season, Vince Carter is the only player to have appeared in more than 1400 games. It's a feat that stands to this day. The only other player to ever come close to Carter's tally is Dirk Nowitzki, who appeared in 1393 games.

At present, LeBron James is the only active player who can even hope to break this record set by Air Canada. His tally of 1310 games is 119 more than Andre Iguodala, a three-time NBA champion who stands second on the list of most games played by current players.

Now that we know the tallies for most games played, it is only natural to wonder about the players who have started the most games. Not considering playoff games, here's a look at the five players who have started the most NBA games in the 21st century:


#5 Tony Parker - 1151 NBA games

Tony Parker in a San Antonio Spurs vs Phoenix Suns game
Tony Parker in a San Antonio Spurs vs Phoenix Suns game

Tony Parker is the ray of hope that has motivated French basketball aspirants for the last two decades. His is a story that did not begin with a marching band and fireworks. Instead, it began by proving his prowess.

When he was with the San Antonio Spurs, Parker was by no means Greg Popovich's first choice. He had to outperform Antonio Daniels in his rookie season to earn the right to be Popovich's starting player.

Parker would go on to become one of the Spurs' Big 3 three, a trio that won four championships together. In his quest for glory, Parker started 1151 of his 1254 NBA games.


#4 Paul Pierce - 1166 games

Paul Pierce, like Parker, was part of a formidable Big Three. In Paul's case, this Big Three belonged to the Boston Celtics, a team as old as the NBA itself. Pierce spent most of his career playing for the Celts. He is one of only three players in Celtics' history to have scored more than 20,000 points.

'The Truth' later played for the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards and the LA Clippers. In his 1222 career games, Pierce started in 1166. His prolific career includes one NBA Championship, one Finals MVP, and ten All-Stars appearances.

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