As background for an upcoming post about Kobe Bryant, I took a look at which players have played the most NBA minutes.
Here's the thing, though: I didn't just want to know about regular season (the list is readily available) or playoffs (ditto). I wanted the two combined. Seems pretty simple, right? This is the list that matters, if you're talking about mileage. But it's tough to come by. Eventually Basketball-Reference was nice enough to create the list for me, and it is both fascinating and below.
One surprise is how many of these players are either playing now, or retired in recent memory. Trainers would credit improved injury prevention and care. Economists would tell you that's because with salaries of the modern era, the best players have more reasons not to retire. Another little bump: The playoffs are longer than they used to be.
Pop quiz: Who played more real NBA minutes, Horace Grant or Larry Bird? How about Allen Iverson or Magic Johnson? Derek Harper or Lenny Wilkens?
Of course, the most amazing surprise of all comes from Bryant himself. He is already 16th on the all-time list -- there have been about 3,600 NBA players -- sandwiched right in there between Michael Jordan and Bill Russell, and he has not even turned 33 yet.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar66,297
Karl Malone62,759
Wilt Chamberlain55,418
John Stockton54,162
Elvin Hayes54,160
John Havlicek53,331
Reggie Miller52,927
Gary Payton52,599
Jason Kidd52,386
Robert Parish51,881
Shaquille O'Neal50,017
Hakeem Olajuwon49,971
Scottie Pippen49,174
Moses Malone48,867
Michael Jordan48,484
Kobe Bryant48,310
Bill Russell48,223
Kevin Garnett47,998
Oscar Robertson47,559
Clifford Robinson46,447
Buck Williams46,174
Patrick Ewing45,801
Charles Oakley45,388
Ray Allen45,156
Horace Grant44,793
Tim Duncan44,685
Charles Barkley44,179
Hal Greer43,430
Clyde Drexler43,109
Dennis Johnson42,948
Mark Jackson42,896
Jerry West42,892
Otis Thorpe42,074
Michael Finley41,904
Rasheed Wallace41,786
Sam Perkins41,383
Dirk Nowitzki41,363
Larry Bird41,329
Derek Harper40,880
Walt Bellamy40,879
Allen Iverson40,789
Magic Johnson40,783
Kevin Willis40,740
Wes Unseld40,721
A.C. Green40,671
Jack Sikma40,501
Alex English40,490
Lenny Wilkens40,467
Dominique Wilkins40,285
Paul Pierce40,085