Kobe Bryant and the Top 10 NBA Players Likely To End Career on One Team
Basketball players often decide to play for different teams throughout their careers for a variety of reasons.
Some players often opt to join a team that is challenging for a championship, hoping to be the missing piece in the puzzle. Other players just need a change of scenery with hopes of playing in a different system or just a different city.
Some players, though, chose to play their entire careers with a single team. Throughout history, players have been able to be very successful with a single organization, but in a lot of situations, have never been able to reach the ultimate goal of winning an NBA Championship.
History has taught players different things, including specific values of loyalty, trust, and success.
This list ranks players one through 10 based on how likely it is for each respective player to finish their career with their current team.
Every player has a different story and a different reason to stick around. Got a different opinion? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
Now sit back and enjoy reading.
10. Andrew Bogut
1 of 10
Entering his prime at the age of 25, Andrew Bogut has gone through everything in his short career. He had an above-average rookie season, and has constantly fought adversity and gotten better on the court. After fighting through injuries and constant criticism about being the former 2005 first overall pick, Bogut finally had his breakout year last season.
A few years ago, it would have been a fallacy to state that the Milwaukee Bucks had a shot building a franchise with the Australian big man as the centerpiece, considering the constant injuries of former franchise player, Michael Redd. Today, it is a different story.
The front office has done a marvelous job this summer to surround Bogut with emerging young talent and veterans still in their primes. The Bucks will be a force in the Eastern Conference for a good number of years behind Bogut, Brandon Jennings, Corey Maggette, John Salmons, and company.
It is only logical to think that Bogut will play through the rest of his prime for the up-and-coming Bucks and possibly through the rest of his career.
9. Yao Ming
2 of 10
Just a few weeks ago, it was reported that Yao Ming was considering retirement after the end of the following season. That statement might have placed Ming at the top of the list considering he has played only for the Houston Rockets.
But there was a big “if” in his statement. This big “if” was that his concerns were about his health. While any problem pertaining to his ankle during the season would make his retirement imminent, one can only think about the possibility of Ming playing beyond next season if he is healthy.
Will Ming keep playing for the rebuilding Rockets and hope for them to become a contender quickly? Will Yao chase a veteran team contending for a championship? Although the second option seems more likely for a veteran in Yao’s position, his loyalty to the organization and his good heart place him on this list.
8. Dwight Howard
3 of 10
Already the franchise player for the Orlando Magic and the best center in the league, Dwight Howard has little less to chase as an NBA player other than an NBA Championship. Playing in a big market city, free agents have always been attracted to Orlando. That being said, the front office will have an easier time filling the roster with enough talent around Howard to keep the Magic contending for a championship for years to come.
Howard loves Orlando and has already embraced the Superman title given to him by fans. With still some room to develop, the Magic’s superstar center will continue to make his team better. The Magic are among the best in the league as far as providing Howard with a chance to win a championship every year.
You might think of why he was not higher on this list. Well, another Superman happened to be in roughly the same situation and every NBA fan knows what happened.
7. Derrick Rose
4 of 10
Players like Derrick Rose do not come around often. Rose has the combination of quickness, athletic ability, court vision, and determination that few other players around the league can match. In all seriousness, Rose is potentially a consistent long-range jump shot from reaching top five caliber player in the NBA.
As a Chicago native, Rose loves playing at home in front of his family, friends, and fans. The Bulls are not a team looking to cut costs and will do whatever they can do to keep him on the roster at any cost.
The addition of Carlos Boozer as well as a few other important pieces this offseason automatically puts the Bulls in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. This will only strengthen the case for Rose and the Bulls management to keep him as the franchise player for years to come.
Few factors, if any at all, can prevent Rose from being a Bull for the rest of his career.
6. Paul Pierce
5 of 10
Players like Paul Pierce do not play much beyond the age of 36. That being said, Pierce probably signed his last contract with his one and only team this offseason.
After more than a few tormenting seasons with the Celtics in which the franchise player opted to trust management to build around him, the Celtics were finally a contender with the acquisitions of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Pierce’s patience finally paid off.
In the last three years, the Celtics have been able to win an NBA Championship and reach another NBA Finals. Other Celtics players are also nearing the end of their careers, so they will give it a push for the next few years together.
Pierce is a classic example of player loyalty, patience, and determination. Thankfully for him, it paid off. Because of this, it is easy to predict that he will return the favor for the remaining of his career.
5. Tim Duncan
6 of 10
Not a single soul in the NBA community can even begin to picture Tim Duncan in a different uniform than the San Antonio Spurs. Timmy has been the centerpiece of Spurs squads that have won four championships in the past decade.
It is no secret that Duncan’s productivity and health have taken a hit over the past few years. Although he is still posting dominant numbers, his age is showing by a loss of speed and stamina. Regardless, he is still capable of being a main contributor for the Spurs and possibly lead them to playoff success.
With that in mind, it is expected that San Antonio will try to keep Duncan until he retires and continuously build the team so that it can stay relevant through the years of transition from the Duncan era.
Duncan is the type of player every coach wants. At the very least, he will be the perfect mentor for the Spurs' new young frontcourt players in DeJuan Blair and Tiago Splitter.
4. Dwyane Wade
7 of 10
It is hard to believe that a trio like Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James will ever be separated. But it is possible. Sometimes players retire and teams are forced to rebuild. But in this case, if someone goes first, it is Wade.
Not many people around the league realize Wade is 28 years old. That is two years older than Bosh and three years older than LeBron. By the time his contract ends, he will be 34. A player like Wade will not play much more after that kind of age. If the Heat are able to capitalize in the next few years, Wade might not play at all after this contract.
Even if Wade is to sign a new contract, it will probably just be an extension with the Heat after his fifth contract year.
It will be hard for this group to split, but it is even harder to think it would be Wade who would play somewhere else.
3. Kevin Durant
8 of 10
Had Kevin Durant been a bit older, he would have challenged to be at the top of this list. The NBA has not seen a player like Durant in more than a few years. He has not only emerged as a superstar at an early age, but he has also emerged as a role model for every basketball fan around the world.
In just a few seasons, Durant has emerged from NBA Rookie of the Year, to NBA All-Star, to the alpha dog of the USA National Team. It really cannot get any better. And on top of everything, he has carried his passion for the Oklahoma City Thunder with him all along the way.
Durant refers to his teammates as brothers and to the Thunder organization as family. He has never complained about a single thing within the organization and seems to be the happiest player on the court at all times, even when losing.
Kevin Durant is a rare player, and most importantly, a rare mixture between humility and talent. His heart and his game will most likely make him the best Thunder player for decades to come, and definitely for the rest of his career.
2. Dirk Nowitzki
9 of 10
Has there been a player more attached to his franchise or a franchise more attached to their franchise player? It is hard to find a relationship like Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks.
Nowitzki has repeatedly stated throughout his career that he wants to be a Maverick for life. Unlike other players around the league with similar remarks about their current teams, it is often very hard not to believe Dirk.
The Mavericks' relationship with Dirk is so strong that even during a summer where the Mavericks could have used their expiring contracts and cap space to rebuild and Nowitzki could have joined a premier contender, they both stuck with each other.
Similarly to Tim Duncan, the NBA community will have a hard time picturing Nowitzki in a different jersey. The good news is that they will not have to. There is not even the slightest possibility of Nowitzki playing anywhere else for the rest of his career. He will retire as the best Maverick to ever play the game.
1. Kobe Bryant
10 of 10
There is no other player in the league that is more of a shoe-in to stay with their current team than Kobe Bryant. Bryant is fresh off his fifth NBA Championship, of which two have come in the past two years. The way the Lakers are built, they will be contending for the title until at least the end of Kobe’s contract.
Kobe is playing at the highest level of his career even at the age of 32. While some injuries might have slowed him down just a little bit, he can still dominate games for 48 minutes and single-handedly beat opponents with clutch shooting.
Even with Kobe’s history with the Lakers, the team’s success throughout the past two years and the bright future ahead of them make Bryant a lock at the No. 1 player on this list. He will make a strong case for the best Laker to ever play the game by the time his career is done.
.png?w=600 "Predicting Every 2nd-Round Series 🔮")