Carter becomes 1st player in NBA history to appear in 22 seasons

With his appearance in the Atlanta Hawks' season-opening game against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, Vince Carter officially became the first player in NBA history to play in 22 seasons.

The 42-year-old wing checked in at the 6:52 mark of the first quarter.

Carter, who spent the bulk of his career as a shooting guard, already held the record for most seasons played by a backcourt player. Thursday's appearance gave him sole possession of the all-time record, regardless of position.

He had been tied with big men Robert Parish, Kevin Willis, Kevin Garnett, and Dirk Nowitzki at 21 seasons. Coincidentally, Carter's long career previously intersected with Willis on the Toronto Raptors (1998-01) and Nowitzki on the Dallas Mavericks (2011-14).

The No. 5 pick in the 1998 draft, Carter made his NBA debut with the Raptors on Feb. 5, 1999 after a lockout delayed the start of the 1998-99 campaign.

In August, Carter officially agreed to return for a second season with the Hawks. It is expected that the eight-time All-Star will retire at the end of the 2019-20 campaign, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

In addition to the Raptors, Mavericks, and Hawks, Carter also played with the then-New Jersey Nets (2004-09), Orlando Magic (2009-11), Phoenix Suns (2010-11), Memphis Grizzlies (2014-17), and Sacramento Kings (2017-18).