NBA Power Rankings: Kobe Bryant and the 50 Best Iron Men in NBA History
The NBA is a grown man's game, and only the strongest, most durable players have careers that are long and productive.
These iron men are players who have played many minutes and games in their careers, while playing through injuries and performance slumps.
Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and Ray Allen are players in today's game who have shown great durability throughout their careers.
Each of them are very committed to keeping themselves in great shape, and thus still contribute in positive ways for their teams right now.
Several of the players in this article were not superstars, but their dependability and consistent play were reasons they kept finding teams with interest in them long after their primes were over.
All stats in each slide are from regular-season play unless stated otherwise.
Here is my list of the top 50 iron men in NBA history. Enjoy!
Nicholas Goss is a B/R Featured Columnist and Boston Globe Correspondent, follow him on Twitter
50. Tayshaun Prince
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Tayshaun Prince is one of the NBA's iron men among current players, and had his streak of 497 consecutive games played snapped in 2010.
Prince is a very good all-around player, and is one of the most durable players in the NBA.
49. Bill Laimbeer
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Bill Laimbeer is one of the most hated players in NBA history, mostly for his dirty play. Celtics and Bulls fans have painful memories of elbows and cheap shots Laimbeer dished out on a regular basis.
But for all of Laimbeer’s antics, he was a guy you could depend on suiting up every night.
Laimbeer’s best consecutive games played streak was 561 straight games from 1982 to 1989.
48. Paul Silas
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Paul Silas played 16 seasons in the NBA, winning two championships with the Boston Celtics during the 1974 and 1976 seasons.
Silas is 20th all time in games played (1,254).
Paul Silas has stayed in basketball as a head coach since his retirement as a player, and is currently the head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats.
47. Tim Duncan
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Tim Duncan is one of the best forwards the NBA has ever seen, and in his 14th season he still puts up solid numbers.
Duncan has played 37,533 minutes in his career, and appears to have plenty left in the tank for a couple more seasons.
He is perhaps one of the last of a dying breed of stars who play for one team their entire career.
46. Michael Finley
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Michael Finley played on four different NBA teams in his 15 NBA seasons, winning a championship in 2007 with the San Antonio Spurs.
Finley was a good all-around player who played much of his career in Dallas.
He played 1,103 games during his career, logging 37,997 minutes in that span.
45. Robert Horry
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Robert Horry was a winner, and was fortunate enough to play on seven championship teams during his 16-year career.
“Big Shot Bob” wasn’t just a footnote on his title-winning teams; he played a significant role in each, hitting many important playoff shots during his career.
Horry won two titles with the Houston Rockets, three with the Los Angeles Lakers and two with the San Antonio Spurs.
Horry played 1,107 games during his career.
44. Patrick Ewing
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Patrick Ewing helped resurrect the New York Knicks, who selected him first overall in the 1985 NBA draft.
Ewing was one of the best centers in the NBA throughout the 1990s, and helped the Knicks reach the NBA Finals in 1994 and 1999, but lost both times.
Ewing played 15 seasons in New York, finishing his career with the Seattle Supersonics in 2001 and the Orlando Magic in 2002.
Ewing is 21st on the all-time minutes played list (40,594).
43. Jack Sikma
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Jack Sikma was one of the better centers of the 1980s, and helped the Milwaukee Bucks become a perennial playoff contender during that time.
Sikma played 1,107 games for Milwaukee and Seattle, logging 36,943 minutes during that time.
42. Tree Rollins
9 of 50Tree Rollins played for five different teams during his career, which spanned 18 seasons.
He played 1,156 games in that time, and was a good role player coming off the bench for much of his career.
41. Terry Porter
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Terry Porter played 17 solid seasons in the NBA for three different teams, but was best known as the starting point guard for the 1990 and 1992 Portland Trail Blazers who made the NBA Finals, but lost both times.
Porter is 16th all time in games played (1,274).
Porter was a very durable guard who could score well in addition to his quality passing skills.
40. Scottie Pippen
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Scottie Pippen is best remembered as Michael Jordan’s right-hand man during the Bulls’ six-championship run in the 1990s.
Pippen however, was a more durable player than Jordan, and after Jordan retired, Scottie took his talents to Houston and Portland.
Pippen is 18th all time in minutes played (41,069).
39. Mark Jackson
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Mark Jackson was a very good point guard his entire career, and finished career second on the all-time assists list, behind John Stockton.
Jackson played 17 seasons in the NBA, most notably with the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers.
He is 12th on the all-time games played list (1,296).
38. Otis Thorpe
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Otis Thorpe played 17 seasons for several NBA teams, and had an important role on the 1994 Houston Rockets NBA Finals-winning squad.
Thorpe is 19th all time in career games played (1,257).
37. Dwight Howard
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Dwight Howard started his career with 352 consecutive games played.
The Orlando Magic franchise player and best center in the NBA, Howard is one of the more durable players in the NBA.
Howard keeps himself in great shape, and rarely misses a game, even with the pounding he takes inside the paint on a nightly basis.
36. Sam Perkins
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Sam Perkins played 17 seasons in the NBA for four different teams. For much of his career, Perkins was ahead of his time as a shooting big man.
He could stretch any defense with his superb outside shooting for someone playing the center position.
Perkins is 13th all time in games played (1,286).
35. Dale Ellis
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Dale Ellis played 17 NBA seasons for five different teams, and is considered one of the best three-point shooters of all time.
His superb conditioning allowed him to remain healthy enough to play for 17 seasons.
34. Hal Greer
17 of 50Hal Greer was one of the first great guards in NBA history, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982.
Greer is one of the best Philadelphia 76ers players ever, and played all of his 15 professional seasons in Philly.
Greer logged 39,788 minutes in 1,122 games for the 76ers.
33. James Edwards
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James Edwards was a dependable big man for many seasons, and won championships with the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls.
He played 19 seasons with eight different teams! His ability to contribute even in his later years made him a valuable asset off the bench.
Edwards played 1,168 games in his career.
32. Derek Fisher
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On December 8, 2010, Derek Fisher of the Los Angeles Lakers became the active leader in consecutive games played with 434.
Fisher has been a vital part of the Lakers' five NBA championships since 2000, and deserves to have his jersey retired when he leaves the game for good.
Fisher is also a clutch player in the playoffs, and has been one of Phil Jackson’s most durable players for over a decade.
31. Kevin Willis
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Kevin Willis played 21 seasons in the NBA, with his best years coming in the 1980s with the Atlanta Hawks, the team that drafted him.
Willis played for eight different NBA teams, playing 1,424 games, good for fifth all time.
30. Charles Barkley
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Charles Barkley played for 16 seasons for three different teams, but was never able to capture a championship.
“The Round Mound of Rebound” was one of the best offensive forwards ever, and like his nickname suggests, he was an excellent rebounder too.
Barkley played in 39,330 minutes during his Hall of Fame career.
29. Juwan Howard
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Although Juwan Howard is best known as a member of the University of Michigan’s “Fab Five” college basketball team, he’s had a respectable professional career in the NBA.
Howard was drafted in the first round of the 1994 draft by the Washington Bullets, and currently is a role player for the Miami Heat.
Howard has changed teams nine times since his rookie season in 1995, but his durability and experience remain valuable to teams like the Heat, that have limited playoff experience.
28. Charles Oakley
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Charles Oakley was a rebounding machine for the Chicago Bulls in the mid-1980s, and was traded to the New York Knicks later in the decade.
Oakley and Patrick Ewing gave New York a fierce rebounding tandem in the paint, and both players struggled through injuries to play many minutes each night.
Oakley is 14th all time in games played (1,282).
27. Oscar Robertson
24 of 50Oscar Robertson is the only player to ever average a triple-double for an entire season, and is one of the best players ever.
“The Big O” helped the Milwaukee Bucks win the 1971 NBA title, his first season in Milwaukee.
He played 14 NBA seasons for the Cincinnati Royals and Bucks, and is 13th on the all-time minutes played list (43,886).
26. John Havlicek
25 of 50John Havlicek spent his entire 16-year career with the Boston Celtics, winning many NBA titles along the way.
Havlicek is one of the best scorers in NBA history, and is among the league’s all-time best clutch players too.
“Hondo” is ninth in all-time minutes played (46,471), and 17th on the all-time games played list (1,270).
25. Hakeem Olajuwon
26 of 50Hakeem Olajuwon was one of the best centers in NBA history, and spent 17 of his 18 seasons as a member of the Houston Rockets, winning back-to-back titles with them in 1994 and 1995.
He finished his career in 2002 with the Toronto Raptors.
The two-time NBA Finals MVP award winner played 44,222 career minutes, good for 12th all time.
24. Moses Malone
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Moses Malone played 19 seasons in the NBA, after two ABA seasons.
Malone was a great player for the Houston Rockets, winning the 1982 NBA MVP award in his final season with the Rockets.
He found a new home in Philadelphia the next season, helping the 76ers win the NBA Finals after several seasons of playoff disappointment.
Malone is ninth on the all-time games played list (1,329), and 11th on the all-time minutes played list (45,071).
23. Ray Allen
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Ray Allen is the best pure shooter in NBA history, and on February 10, 2011 he became the all-time leader in three-pointers made in a career, surpassing Reggie Miller.
Allen is still one of the hardest working players in the NBA despite being 35 years old, and playing in his 15th season.
He gets to the arena hours early before every game, and runs more without the ball going through screens trying to get an open look than any NBA player.
Allen’s work ethic is legendary, and has helped him be the Celtics’ most consistent player this season even with his surgically repaired knees.
Ray had a consecutive games played streak of 400 games snapped during the 2002 season.
22. Kevin Garnett
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Kevin Garnett is in his 16th NBA season, currently playing with the Boston Celtics.
After spending much of his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Garnett has become a major part of the Celtics’ recent success.
Few players give as much effort and energy every single night as Garnett does, and he has continued to be a consistent performer after coming to the NBA straight from high school in 1995.
Garnett is currently 14th all-time in minutes played (43,710).
21. Jason Kidd
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Jason Kidd is one of the several active players in this article, and he still continues to be a good player in now his 17th NBA season.
Kidd started his career in Dallas, where he also plays currently.
In between his Dallas days, he played with the Phoenix Suns and New Jersey Nets, where he was one of the best point guards in the NBA every season, and led the Nets to the 2002 and 2003 NBA Finals, failing to win either series.
Kidd is currently 18th on the all-time games played list (1,260), and eighth in minutes played (46,475).
20. Andre Miller
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In December of 2010, Andre Miller was the active leader in consecutive games played with 632 straight appearances.
But Miller was suspended for an early December game for a flagrant foul on Los Angeles Clippers rookie sensation Blake Griffin.
That wasn’t a good way to end an impressive streak, but 632 consecutive games played is amazing nonetheless.
19. Gary Payton
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Gary Payton was one of the best point guards of the 1990s, and helped the Seattle Supersonics become a dominant force in the West, leading them to the NBA Finals in 1996.
Payton played for five different teams during his 17-year career, and retired after winning the 2006 NBA Finals with the Miami Heat.
“The Glove” is eighth all time in games played (1,335), and seventh in minutes played (47,117).
18. Reggie Miller
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Reggie Miller, like Karl Malone and John Stockton, is one of the greatest players who never won an NBA championship.
Miller spent his entire 18-year career with the Indiana Pacers, leading them to one Finals appearance in 2000, when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
Miller is sixth all time in minutes played (47,619), and sixth all time in games played (1,389).
17. Elvin Hayes
34 of 50Elvin Hayes is one of the best players in NBA history, and one of the best scorers ever as well.
Hayes was recently passed by Kobe Bryant on the all-time scoring list, and scored 27,313 career points.
Hayes played 16 professional seasons, and is 11th on the all-time games played list (1,303), and third on the all-time minutes played list (50,000).
16. Wilt Chamberlain
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Wilt Chamberlain played 14 NBA seasons with four different NBA teams. Chamberlain is considered by many historians as the most dominant player ever, and perhaps the best player ever.
Chamberlain once averaged over 50 points per game in a season, and is the only center ever to lead the NBA in assists for a single season.
“The Big Dipper” is fourth all time in minutes played (47,859).
15. Kobe Bryant
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Kobe Bryant has been one of the most durable players since his arrival to the NBA from high school in 1997.
Bryant has battled numerous injuries the past few seasons, yet has led the Lakers to back-to-back NBA titles.
Kobe continues to be the league’s best player, even though he’s played over 14 professional seasons, with 198 career playoff games on top of that.
Bryant had a streak of 235 consecutive games played snapped in 2010 because of an ankle injury.
14. John Stockton
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John Stockton is the all-time career leader in assists and steals, amassing those statistics during 19 consistent seasons.
Stockton is fifth all time in minutes played (47,764), and third all time in games played (1,504).
Stockton was the Utah Jazz’s most efficient player ever, but failed to win an NBA title.
His 609 consecutive games streak from 1990 to 1997 is eighth-best all time, and when he retired, Stockton was on a 442 consecutive games played streak.
13. Shaquille O'Neal
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Shaq is one of the most recognizable athletes in any sport, and in his 19th NBA season, he is still able to provide quality production as a starter to substitute.
Shaq has won four NBA titles, three with the Lakers and one with the Miami Heat.
Until recently, he has not had significant injury problems, something rare for players of his height and weight.
Despite being a massive body, Shaq has kept himself in solid shape, and is always a dependable player despite around two decades' worth of regular-season and playoff games in his career.
12. Dolph Schayes
39 of 50A.C. Green passed NBA legend Dolph Schayes into third place for the league’s longest consecutive games played streak on March 3, 1995.
Schayes played 15 seasons in the NBA, 14 of them with the Syracuse Nationals. He was one of the very first NBA legends, playing most of his career during the 1950s.
11. Terry Tyler
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Terry Tyler is the all-time leader in consecutive games played in the franchise history of the Detroit Pistons.
His best streak of 574 games was played out during 1978 and 1985.
Tyler played seven seasons with Detroit from when the team drafted him in the first round of the 1978 NBA draft.
10. Clifford Robinson
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Clifford Robinson played for five different teams in his 18 professional seasons. He made his rookie debut with the Portland Trail Blazers, helping them reach the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992, but were defeated both times.
Robinson is 15th all time in minutes played (42,561), and seventh in all-time games played (1,380).
9. Bill Russell
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Bill Russell, the greatest player and winner in NBA history, was the last full-time player/coach in league history.
Not only did Russell play at a Hall of Fame level on the court, he had to be the head coach on it as well, something few players, if any, could handle today.
Russell won 11 championships in his 13 seasons with the Celtics, logging 40,726 minutes.
8. Dikembe Mutombo
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Dikembe Mutombo played center for six different teams during his 18-year NBA career. During his 18 seasons, Mutombo was one of the most feared shot-blockers in the league.
He was still a usable role player in his 40s, before finally retiring at age 42 after the 2008-09 season.
Mutombo played 36,791 minutes in his career during 1,196 games.
7. Randy Smith
44 of 50Randy Smith broke the NBA’s most consecutive games played record on November 3, 1982 in his 845th consecutive game.
Smith would go on to play 906 consecutive games, a record that stood until A.C. Green broke it in 1997.
6. Johnny "Red" Kerr
45 of 50Johnny Kerr was the original NBA iron man, and held the league’s most consecutive games played streak for almost 20 seasons.
Kerr played much of his career in the 1960s, without the advanced medical and rehab knowledge athletes have today.
Kerr played in his 844th consecutive game in November, 1965, a record that would stand until 1982.
5. Karl Malone
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Karl Malone played nearly his entire career for the Utah Jazz, teaming with John Stockton to form a lethal point guard/power forward combo.
“The Mailman” is fourth all time in games played with (1,476), and second in all-time minutes played (54,852).
After failing to win an NBA title in Utah, Malone joined the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2004 season, but the Lakers were beaten in five games by the Detroit Pistons in the Finals.
Malone made his 2004 season his 19th and final NBA campaign.
4. Buck Williams
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Buck Williams played 17 NBA seasons for three different teams, most notably the Portland Trail Blazers.
He was an important part of Portland’s 1990 and 1992 NBA Finals teams, although they failed to win either series.
Williams is 10th on the all-time games played list (1,307), and 16th on the all-time minutes played list (42,464).
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won NBA titles with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers during his 20 professional seasons.
Abdul-Jabbar is the all-time leader in minutes played (57,446), and is second all time in games played (1,560).
Kareem is known for his famed skyhook shot, which was immensely effective, and quite difficult to block even when a defender knew it was coming.
Even in his later years, he was an important part of the Lakers' 1985, 1987 and 1988 NBA Finals-winning teams.
2. A.C. Green
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A.C. Green is the all-time record holder for most consecutive games played with 1,192 games.
The streak started in November of 1986 and lasted until April of 2001.
Green began his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning two NBA titles in 1987 and 1988, then returned to Los Angeles in 2000, where he won another championship.
1. Robert Parish
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Robert Parish is the NBA’s all-time leader in games played (1,611), and 10th on the all-time minutes played list (45,704).
"The Chief" played 21 seasons in the NBA with four different teams. He is best known as one of the Celtics’ original Big Three including Larry Bird and Kevin McHale.
Parish won three NBA titles with Boston, later winning another with the Chicago Bulls during his final season in 1997.
Even in his later years, Parish was a solid player, and ran the floor better than most big men in basketball.
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