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The oldest NBA player to win each accolade

Jan 7, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; (Editor's Note: A filter was used in the creation of this image.) Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Players usually win awards at the peak of their powers.

Yet, a select few like LeBron James can still perform at an elite level even in the twilight of their careers. With LeBron still playing at a high level and seemingly setting new records every other week, it raises an interesting question: Who are the most senior players to earn the NBA's highest individual honors?

To answer this, we compiled the oldest players to win recognition for each individual award in the NBA over the years. Spoiler alert: Along with James, you're going to see a whole lot of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on this list, another all-time great with absurd longevity.

NBA champion: Robert Parish

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Age: 43 years, 287 days

Season: 1996-97

Robert Parish's illustrious 21-year NBA career began in the 1976-77 season and ended in 1996-97, with the big man ending his time in the NBA as a member of the Chicago Bulls. Parish played spot minutes for the '97 Bulls, averaging 3.7 points and 2.1 rebounds over 43 regular-season appearances. Parish saw action in two games in the playoffs that season, spanning 18 total minutes in the '97 postseason as a 43-year-old. Parish became the oldest player to win an NBA championship that season with Chicago.

Finals MVP: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

INGLEWOOD, CA - 1985: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar #33 of the Los Angeles Lakers boxes out Bill Walton #5 of the Boston Celtics circa 1985 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1985 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

Age: 38 years, 54 days

Season: 1984-85

If the Lakers can win a championship over the next season or two, it's very possible this record will also fall to LeBron James. Regardless, for now, underrated GOAT candidate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the oldest player to take home Finals MVP, doing so as a 38-year-old in the 1984-85 season. Abdul-Jabbar averaged 25.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.5 blocks on 60.4 percent shooting over six games in the '85 Finals, as the Lakers beat the rival Celtics four games to two to take home the championship that year.

Most Valuable Player: Karl Malone

LOS ANGELES - APRIL 1: Karl Malone #32 of the Utah Jazz during the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center on April 1, 2003 in Los Angeles, California. The Jazz won 94-89. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)

Age: 35 years, 286 days

Season: 1998-99

Bit of an asterisk on this one as Karl Malone became the oldest player to win MVP in '99... which was the second-most recent lockout season. That means Malone won the award in a 50-game regular season. Even so, it was an impressive accomplishment for Malone, especially to do it as a 35-year-old. The Mailman averaged 23.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.3 steals on 49.3 percent shooting over 49 games in '99 as the Utah Jazz went 37-13.

Eastern Conference Finals MVP: Jimmy Butler

May 29, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) celebrates with the MVP trophy after the Heat defeated the Boston Celtics in game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals for the 2023 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Age: 33 years, 257 days

Season: 2022-23

This award is only three years old as of 2025, so who knows how many times this distinction will change hands over the next decade. Regardless, as of now, Golden State Warriors swingman Jimmy Butler is the oldest player to have won Eastern Conference Finals MVP, a feat he pulled off in 2022-23. That postseason, as a 33-year-old, Butler led the eight-seeded Miami Heat to a seven-game upset victory over the No. 2 seed Celtics. Butler averaged 24.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.6 steals over seven games in that series.

Western Conference Finals MVP: Stephen Curry

May 26, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; TNT commentator Ernie Johnson Jr. interviews Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) after he was named the Magic Johnson western conference MVP after winning game five of the 2022 western conference finals against the Dallas Mavericks at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Age: 34 years, 73 days

Season: 2021-22

In 2021-22, two-time league MVP Stephen Curry became the oldest player to win Western Conference Finals MVP, pulling it off as a 34-year-old. In that year's Western Conference Finals, the Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks in five games, with Curry averaging 23.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists while shooting 43.9 percent from three.

All-NBA 1st Team: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Aerial view of Los Angeles Lakers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33) in action, layup vs Milwaukee Bucks, Cover, Inglewood, CA 2/1/1977 (Photo by John G. Zimmerman/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images/Getty Images)

Age: 38 years, 363 days

Season: 1985-86

Part of why Abdul-Jabbar sits third in our all-time GOAT ranking is his longevity. As a 38-year-old in '86, Abdul-Jabbar became the oldest player to earn 1st Team All-NBA honors, a distinction he owns to this day. Abdul-Jabbar earned his first and his final 1st Team All-NBA 15 years apart, showing just how ridiculous his longevity was. In 1985-86, the UCLA legend averaged 23.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.6 blocks as his Lakers went 62-20. For what it's worth, as of now, LeBron James' last 1st Team All-NBA came when he was 35 years old.

All-Star: Kareem Abdul Jabbar

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - JANUARY 31: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar #33 of the Western Conference All-Stars is surrounded by Eastern Conference All-Star during the 1982 NBA All-Star game on Jan, 31, 1982 at Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey 1982. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1982 NBAE (Photo by Peter Reed Miller/NBAE via Getty Images)

Age: 41 years, 302 days

Season: 1988-89

Abdul-Jabbar is also the oldest player to make an All-Star team, which he did roughly two months short of being 42 years old. James will need to play another two seasons to break this record because if he is named an All-Star next season (very, very likely if he doesn't unexpectedly retire), he'll be 41 days and fewer than 60 days old. Abdul-Jabbar was named an All-Star that year by the Western Conference head coaches, making the final team as a reserve.

Defensive Player of the Year: Dikembe Mutombo

09 APR 2002: Dikembe Mutombo #55 of the Philadelphia 76ers holds the ball away from the reaching Ervin Johnson #40 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the first half of the NBA game at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. DIGITAL IMAGE. NOTE TO USER:Mandatory User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright 2002 NBAE. Mandatory credit: Gary Dineen/NBAE/Getty Images

Age: 34 years, 297 days

Season: 2000-01

Playing elite defense is a young man's game in the NBA, as the level of athleticism required to be a top-notch point stopper is of the highest caliber. As such, only eight of the NBA's 42 all-time Defensive Players of the Year have been older than 30 years old. The oldest among them to win the award was legendary shot-blocker Dikembe Mutombo, who achieved the feat in 2000-01 at 34 years old. That season, Mutombo averaged 13.5 rebounds and 2.7 blocks and was the defensive anchor for the Philadelphia 76ers team that made the surprising NBA Finals run in '01.

All-Defensive 1st Team: Bruce Bowen

SAN ANTONIO - JUNE 6: Bruce Bowen #12 of the San Antonio Spurs shoots a jump shot over Kenyon Martin #6 of the New Jersey Nets in Game two of the 2003 NBA Finals at SBC Center on June 6, 2003 in San Antonio, Texas. The Nets won 87-85. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Age:36 years, 307 days

Season: 2007-08

The oldest player to earn the other major annual defensive accolade, 1st Team All-Defense, was San Antonio Spurs forward Bruce Bowen, who was 36 the last time he made it for the last time. Bowen did have a reputation for being a dirty defender, one who'd put his feet in opposing shooters' landing zones, but there's no doubt his questionable methods were very effective. Bowen was the top defensive wing on a Spurs team that ranked third in defensive rating that year.

Rookie of the Year: David Robinson

PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 25: David Robinson #50 of the San Antonio Spurs slam dunks in Game three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Phoenix Suns during the 2003 NBA Playoffs at America West Arena on April 25, 2003 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Spurs won 99-86. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)

Age: 24 years, 252 days

Season: 1989-90

Former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons caught flak from fans online for winning Rookie of the Year after being forced to sit out what would have been his actual rookie campaign due to injury. The joke was that Simmons was too old to win the award. But Simmons was still just 21 when he won Rookie of the Year. Another former No. 1 pick, David Robinson, is the actual oldest player to win Rookie of the Year, doing so at well over 24 years old. Robinson not only played all four years of college, but after being drafted in 1987, he also had to fulfill two years of active duty with the Navy, hence why he was so much older for a rookie.

All-Rookie 1st Team: Arvydas Sabonis

Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images

Age: 31 years, 123 days

Season: 1995-96

One of the biggest what-if players in NBA history, Arvydas Sabonis was a dominant player overseas for years before finally arriving in the top basketball league in the world, doing so after he had already been slowed down by injuries. Making his official NBA debut at 30 years old, Sabonis would go on to become the oldest player to be named 1st Team All-Rookie at well over 31 years old. Sabonis averaged 14.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in his rookie season in the NBA, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting and second in Sixth Man of the Year.

Sixth Man of the Year: Jamal Crawford

Feb 20, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Brandon Rush (4) guards Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford (11) in the second half of the game at Staples Center. The Warriors won 115-112. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Age: 36 years, 24 days

Season: 2015-16

Tied with Lou Williams for most times winning Sixth Man of the Year, Jamal Crawford owns the distinction for also being the oldest player to win Sixth Man of the Year, doing so at just over 36 years old in 2015-16. That season saw Crawford average 14.2 points and 2.3 assists for a Los Angeles Clippers team that went 53-29.

Most Improved Player: Darrell Armstrong

May 9, 1999; Orlando, FL; USA; FILE PHOTO; Orlando Magic guard Darrell Armstrong (10) in action against Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson (3) during the first round of the 1999 NBA Playoffs at the Orlando Arena. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

Age: 30 years, 317 days

Season: 1998-99

Now this is a fun one because Most Improved Player is arguably the least objective award, with the vote often being all over the place. And it's hard to blame voters for that. After all, what constitutes a player improving? Can a player who was already good win Most Improved Player for going from good to great? Or does a player have to go from playing spot minutes to being a starter to be considered Most Improved?

In the last five years, two players who were former No. 2 overall picks – Ja Morant and Brandon Ingram – have won Most Improved Player. So they came in with huge expectations, met them pretty early on in their careers, and still won Most Improved Player.

Bizarre.

Anyhow, Darrell Armstrong is the oldest player to win Most Improved Player. He accomplished the feat in '99 as a 30-year-old. Armstrong didn't even make his NBA debut until he was 26. From '98 to '99, he went from 9.2 points and 4.9 assists per game to averaging 13.8 points and 6.7 assists per game, which was enough for him to win Most Improved Player in 1998-99, as well as Sixth Man of the Year. He even got MVP votes that season. (We're not kidding.)

Hustle Award: Thaddeus Young

Dec 2, 2019; Sacramento, CA, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Thaddeus Young (21) argues a call during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Age: 32 years, 329 days

Season: 2020-21

Starting in 2016-17, the Hustle Award doesn't have much history to it. Regardless, versatile power forward Thaddeus Young is the oldest player to win the Hustle Award, which he did in 2020-21 as a 32-year-old. Kudos to Young for being able to keep up that level of hustle nearly in his mid-30s. Young averaged 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.1 steals that season and also finished 14th in Sixth Man of the Year voting.

Clutch Player of the Year: Stephen Curry

Mar 10, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts after hitting a three-point shot against the Portland Trail Blazers during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images

Age: 36 years, 31 days

Season: 2023-24

An award with even less history, Curry is the oldest player to win Clutch Player of the Year, which he did last season as a 36-year-old. He's also one of just two players ever to win the award. Oh, and despite Curry's clutchness, the Warriors missed the playoffs that season.

NBA Cup MVP: LeBron James

Dec 9, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) hoists the NBA Cup and celebrates with teammates after winning the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship game against the Indiana Pacers at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

Age: 38 years, 344 days

Season: 2023-24

There have been two NBA Cups so far and it's hard to say either has been a rousing success. We even had to come up with ways to fix it. Regardless, we say that to note it's unclear how much longer the NBA Cup will even be a thing, so James might own this distinction – that of being the oldest player to ever win NBA Cup MVP – forever.

Player of the Month: LeBron James

Feb 22, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the first half against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Age: 40 years, 60 days

Season: 2024-25

This season, James also became the oldest player to win Player of the Month. He did so in February. James took the distinction of being the oldest player to win Player of the Month from Karl Malone, who set the previous record at 37 years old:

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has been named NBA Western Conference Player of the Month for games played from Saturday, Feb. 1, through Friday, Feb. 28. He extends his league-record to 41 monthly awards, including three with the Purple and Gold. James, who turned 40-years-old in December, becomes the oldest player to ever win a Player of the Month award, passing the previous record set by Karl Malone (age 37) with the Utah Jazz in November of 2000.

Player of the Week: LeBron James

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 01: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the New York Knicks during their game at Madison Square Garden on February 01, 2025 in New York City. User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Age: 40 years, 35 days

Season: 2024-25

James also became the oldest player to win Player of the Week this season, which he did likewise back in February. He took the honor from Michael Jordan, his main rival in the GOAT debate.

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James averaged 27.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 10.0 assists on 53.8 percent shooting in a 3-1 week for the Lakers to win the award.

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: The oldest NBA player to win each accolade

Read more at Yahoo Sports
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