20 NBA players who peaked in their 30s

Nash's career got off to a slow start in Phoenix and Dallas, spending four years displaying promise but ultimately serving as a role player. He eventually became an All-Star in Dallas, though, and by the time he returned to Phoenix, he won two consecutive MVP awards. Those two MVP seasons came in his 30s, as did six of his eight All-Star selections and all of his five seasons leading the NBA in assists per game.

The Celtics drafted Billups third overall in 1997, but partway through the season, they gave him up to acquire Kenny Anderson. He then had brief stints in Toronto, Denver, and Minnesota before winding up with the Pistons. He was named the Finals MVP at 27 years old, but the bulk of his All-Star and All-NBA recognition came after crossing the three-decade mark.

Lowry was a promising young guard in Houston and Memphis, but he hit his stride in Toronto. By the time he hit his 30s, he was earning consistent All-Star honors. At 32, he helped Toronto secure its first championship, cementing him as one of the franchise's all-time greats.

Cassell was relocated to Milwaukee when he was around 30, and this change of scenery was a major spark. He had already proven to be an effective scorer and distributor, but he became more consistent on both fronts with the Bucks. Cassell then earned his first All-Star and All-NBA nods in Minnesota when he was 34 years old.

Rodman was already great towards the end of his 20s, earning two DPOY trophies and winning two titles with Detroit before hitting 30. In his third decade, though, he reached his rebounding apex, leading the league in boards per game for seven consecutive seasons. It was during this run, of course, that he was a key component of the Bulls winning three straight championships.

Butler had some awesome regular season campaigns in his 20s, but it was in his 30s that the legend of "Playoff Jimmy" was launched. On teams that were routinely underdogs, Butler elevated his game and won games his squads had no business winning. Even in his late 30s, he's still more than capable of shouldering the offensive load, especially in clutch situations.

For seven years in Utah, Millsap put in work as one of the league's most underrated bigs. He got his flowers when he moved to Atlanta, when he was an All-Star in all four seasons he spent with the Hawks. His personal peak there came in his age-30 season, when he made his only career All-Defense team while averaging 17 points, 9 rebounds, and nearly 2 blocks and steals per game.

Tucker has one of the most distinct paths in NBA history. After an uneventful rookie campaign, he was out of the league and played overseas for five seasons. He then returned to the league and spent his 30s as one of the NBA's most reliable 3-and-D players.

Bowen arrived in the NBA late, first lacing them up when he was 25 years old. He was relatively unimpactful for a few years until he found himself in Miami for a couple of seasons and then San Antonio for eight. During all but one of those Spurs seasons, he made an All-Defense team, and for three straight years, he finished second in DPOY voting.

Early in his career, JJ was a sharpshooting role player. As his long-range touch became more potent and valuable amid a changing NBA, his scoring averages began to climb. His best scoring season came when he was 34, averaging over 18 a game during his second of two seasons in Philadelphia.

Crawford won his first Sixth Man Of The Year award when he was 29, then won two more in his 30s. He had one of his highest-scoring seasons during that run, averaging over 18 points per game in 2014. Crawford also scored 50 or more points in a game four times, and incredibly, one of those came shortly after his 39th birthday.

In his 20s, Lopez was a fringe All-Star interior presence. Starting in his late 20s and into his 30s, he changed his game significantly by adding a reliable three-point shot. He did this while remaining a high-level defender, making his only two career All-Defense teams in his 30s.

Chandler rarely reached the heights expected of a second-overall draft pick, but he did enjoy 19 years in the league. He was also a high-level defender, snagging a DPOY trophy at 29 and making his first and only All-Star team at 30. Until his mid-30s, Chandler could be counted on for about 10 rebounds and a block per game.

Williams had a Jamal Crawford-esque career in that he was a volume-scoring sixth man who got better as he got older. His two highest-scoring seasons came when he averaged over 20 a game in back-to-back seasons for the Clippers, in his early 30s. Those seasons also accounted for two of his three Sixth Man Of The Year awards.

Over six seasons in Boston, Allen was a great defender. He took it to another level when he started playing for Memphis in his late 20s. There, he was a routine All-Defense selection and one of the most iconic players in franchise history.

During his 20s, it seemed like Dragić was perpetually on the edge of earning All-Star consideration. He finally got his first nod at 31 years old. He accepted a bench role for the Heat a couple of seasons later, but he thrived in that role, too, as one of the NBA's best sixth men.

Conley was another guy who also somehow always just missed out on being named an All-Star. When he was 33, though, he finally got his first selection thanks to 16 points and 6 assists per game for a strong Utah team in 2021. That season was a bit of a last hurrah, as his age started to catch up with him after that.

As Bell entered his late 20s, he had developed a reputation for being one of the most suffocating defenders in the NBA. This was in addition to having an effective three-point shot that allowed him to post scoring averages in the teens. In his age-30 season, Bell made his first and only career All-Defense first team.

It was in his 30s that Manu started to embrace coming off the bench as his default role. It worked out well, as he picked up a Sixth Man Of The Year trophy in his age-30 season. He made his first All-NBA team that season and his second one a few years later, when he was 33.

Mutombo was in his mid-20s when he entered the league, so he was in his 30s by the time he was really in a groove. From 30 to 35, he was named DPOY three times and made five All-Star teams. He also led the league in rebounding at 33 and 34 years old.