The NBA’s Most Loyal Stars of the Modern Era

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

These players spent every year of a career that spanned at least 15 seasons with one franchise.

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks: 21 Seasons

No player has ever spent more years with a single team than Nowitzki, and his tenure with Dallas is even more remarkable for its lack of drama. As we’ll see, most of the other iconic one-teamers had at least a few instances in which they either asked to be moved or popped up in legitimate trade talks.

The best we can do in Nowitzki’s case is a hazy report that he was part of a potential package going to the Toronto Raptors in the early 2000s for Vince Carter. By 2004, Mavs owner Mark Cuban had already slapped the “untouchable” label onto the sweet-shooting 7-footer, slamming the door on alternate futures featuring Nowitzki in another uniform.

The league’s sixth all-time leading scorer mirrored Dallas’ commitment to a staggering degree, repeatedly taking less money to help the Mavericks’ payroll flexibility and ultimately turning down an estimated $194 million in salary over the course of his career.

We might see someone break Nowitzki’s 21-season record, but there’s no chance another player of his stature will combine that longevity with so much financial sacrifice.

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers: 20 Seasons

Bryant is a perfect foil for Nowitzki, as he both requested a trade and refused to take a hometown discount to stick with the Lakers.

Remember, we’re not making value judgments on players who put their interests first. But the distinction is notable, as is the fact that Bryant’s Lakers were really never competitive after he signed a two-year, $48.5 million extension in 2013. That deal allowed him to retain his status as the league’s highest-paid player, but it also helped assure the Lakers of sub-.500 records for the remainder of his career.

Kobe gave the Lakers five titles, so you could make the argument that his late-career salary demands were justified.

Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs: 19 Seasons

The Orlando Magic wish Tim Duncan’s name wasn’t on this list. Way back in 2000, after he’d already won his first title, Duncan had a six-year, $67.5 million contract offer from the Magic that would have paired him with Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady to form a powerhouse in the East. He ultimately turned the deal down, opting to return to the Spurs for three years and $32.6 million.

When that contract expired in 2003, after he’d won a pair of MVPs and another ring, Duncan didn’t even consider other options before inking a seven-year, $122 million pact to stick with the Spurs.

Over the rest of his career with San Antonio, Duncan signed deals below market value, helping the Spurs collect a fifth championship in 2014.

Duncan falls short of Bryant’s tenure by a year, but he and Nowitzki are both more iconic figures in their respective teams’ history. Part of that owes to Bryant playing for a franchise with a half-dozen other legendary players in its annals. But it’s also true that Duncan and Nowitzki sacrificed more cash and status during their careers.

Udonis Haslem, Miami Heat: 19 Seasons

It’s really the Heat who’ve been loyal to Haslem, rather than the other way around. The 19-year vet hasn’t played more than 16 games in a season since 2016-17. Miami keeps bringing him back on minimum deals because of his value as a mentor and unparalleled corporate knowledge of #HeatCulture.

In some ways, Haslem’s staying power is more impressive than the three players we’ve already covered. He’s managed to be indispensable to a high-functioning organization without playing a regular rotation role for the better part of a decade. Behind the scenes and in ways that can’t be quantified by box scores, he’s clearly doing a lot right.

Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs: 16 Seasons

We’ve hit on the concept of sacrifice several times, but Ginobili’s subjugation of ego is unique on this list. He gave up some cash, sure, but his loyalty manifested itself mostly in his willingness to accept a role beneath his talents.

Despite establishing himself as a per-minute star early in his career, the Argentine lefty agreed to a reserve role, ultimately starting just 349 of his 1,057 games in a Spurs jersey.

Duncan set the tone for the team-first Spurs, but credit Ginobili for doing what so few players ever do: giving up the minutes, shots and notoriety that come with a starting gig he clearly deserved.

*John Stockton spent all 19 seasons with the Utah Jazz, and Reggie Miller logged 18 exclusively with the Indiana Pacers. Both get a quick mention here, even if their careers ended a little before our “active within the last decade” window.