Aging stars headline shrinking NBA draft classes
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When the Los Angeles Lakers face the LA Clippers on Tuesday, the matchup will place two 40-year-old icons—LeBron James and Chris Paul—on the same floor. The longtime friends, who once shared the NBA’s off-court “Banana Boat” fame, now share another distinction: each is the lone active player from his draft class.
James, selected No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, and Paul, taken fourth by the then-New Orleans Hornets in 2005, lead their respective classes in games, minutes, points and assists. Their status underscores how quickly entire draft years have thinned out across the league.
Draft classes with the fewest active players
2006
Active player: Kyle Lowry (No. 24)
Lowry, now with the Philadelphia 76ers, has suited up for five franchises and owns the class highs in games played. Former classmates such as P.J. Tucker, JJ Redick, Rajon Rondo, LaMarcus Aldridge and Rudy Gay have all stepped away, leaving Lowry as the last man standing.
2007
Active players: Kevin Durant (No. 2), Al Horford (No. 3), Mike Conley (No. 4), Jeff Green (No. 5)
All four remaining players were top-five selections. Durant and Horford combine for 19 All-Star nods, while Green earned a championship ring with Denver in 2023. Durant, still averaging 26.6 points last season, continues to anchor the class.
2008
Active players: Russell Westbrook (No. 4), Kevin Love (No. 5), Eric Gordon (No. 7), Brook Lopez (No. 10), Nicolas Batum (No. 25), DeAndre Jordan (No. 35)
Six players from this group remain, most of them now in the Western Conference. Westbrook leads the class in minutes, games, points and assists, while Jordan tops the rebound and career field-goal percentage charts.
2009
Active players: James Harden (No. 3), Stephen Curry (No. 7), DeMar DeRozan (No. 9), Jrue Holiday (No. 17)
Scoring milestones define this quartet. Harden and Curry each logged 40-point outings on Nov. 14, becoming the two highest single-game scorers aged 35 or older on the same day in league history. Harden later set the Clippers’ franchise record with 55 points, giving him single-game records for two franchises simultaneously.
2010
Active player: Paul George (No. 10)
With Gordon Hayward retiring in 2024 and former No. 1 pick John Wall following suit in 2025, George stands alone from the 2010 class. The nine-time All-Star has surpassed 30,000 career minutes and is closing in on 20,000 points for Philadelphia.
As James and Paul near the twilight of their storied careers, their continued presence highlights how quickly NBA draft classes narrow to a single figurehead—or disappear entirely.
Source: ESPN
