The largest retirement class in NBA history: none come close to Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett

Each season, several NBA legends retire and leave the competition for good. Some do so quietly, away from the spotlight and without grand farewells. Others, however, manage to turn their last game into a historic moment. No recent generation can compare to the one that left the NBA in 2016.

That year saw the retirement of three of the most important players in the history of the league: Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett. Kobe's farewell was particularly spectacular. The legendary shooting guard of the Los Angeles Lakers played against the Utah Jazz in what was supposed to be his last game and responded with a movie-like performance: 60 points to close his career.

But Bryant was not the only star who said goodbye that year. Duncan and Garnett also ended their respective careers, forming alongside other prominent names a class of retirees that accumulated no less than 71 All-Star appearances.

This is a figure that makes 2016 the most celebrated retiree class in NBA history, far surpassing any other season.

2016: 71 All-Star appearances

The list of players who left the NBA in 2016 is headed by nine players who were selected for the All-Star during their careers: Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire, Elton Brand, Caron Butler, Chris Kaman, and Maurice Williams.

They were joined by other veterans who never played in an All-Star game but had very significant careers in the league. Among them were Andre Miller, Kevin Martin, Tayshaun Prince, Kirk Hinrich, Drew Gooden, Andrea Bargnani, OJ Mayo, and Charlie Villanueva.

The combination of all these careers made 2016 an exceptional season for farewells. Furthermore, the presence of three champions and players with a historic legacy like Bryant, Duncan, and Garnett makes it difficult to imagine a class capable of repeating such an impact.

2019, the other great generation

The class that comes closest to 2016 is 2019, which accumulated 42 All-Star appearances. That year saw the retirements of Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Tony Parker, Pau Gasol, Luol Deng, and Devin Harris.

Particularly striking was the coincidence of Nowitzki and Wade, two of the great figures in the NBA during the first decade of the 21st century. The German was the face of the Dallas Mavericks for practically his entire career and won the championship in 2011, while Wade led the Miami Heat alongside LeBron James and Chris Bosh during the era of the so-called Big Three.

It was also the last year for Tony Parker and Pau Gasol, two European players who left a huge mark on the competition.

2022 was also full of legends

The next great class appears in 2022, with 44 combined All-Star appearances, even surpassing 2019 although still far from the record of 2016.

The players that make up that generation are Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Joe Johnson, Paul Millsap, DeMarcus Cousins, and Rajon Rondo.

The list of players who were not All-Stars is also notable, with names like Lou Williams, Trevor Ariza, Eric Bledsoe, DJ Augustin, Darren Collison, Greg Monroe, Derrick Favors, and Enes Kanter.

Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard are probably the most representative names of that generation. Both were great stars for many years and accumulated multiple All-Star selections.

The more recent generations

After those great classes, the number of retired stars has decreased significantly. In 2023, there were 17 combined All-Star appearances, with John Wall, Blake Griffin, Kemba Walker, Andre Iguodala, and Goran Dragic as representatives.

In 2024, the number dropped to six, thanks to Derrick Rose, Isaiah Thomas, and Gordon Hayward. Rose, in particular, was one of the great talents of his generation and became the youngest MVP in NBA history in 2011.

The class of 2025 did not include any player who had been an All-Star. Among the veterans who ended their careers were Malcolm Brogdon, PJ Tucker, Josh Richardson, Jae Crowder, Patrick Mills, Markieff Morris, and Reggie Jackson.

In 2026, the list is still open, so only confirmed retirements are counted. So far, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and Kyle Lowry—all All-Stars—are listed, along with Garrett Temple among the players who never received that distinction.

A record hard to repeat

The data clearly shows the magnitude of that generation. 71 All-Star appearances in a single retiree class is a figure that no other season has come even close to matching.

The combination of Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett would have already made 2016 an extraordinary year. All three were champions, Hall of Fame members, and true icons of different eras of the NBA. Moreover, they coincided with players like Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire, Elton Brand, and Caron Butler.

And, of course, Kobe's farewell further cemented that season as one of the most memorable in history. 60 points in his last game, in front of his fans and after 20 seasons with the Lakers, was the perfect ending to an irreplaceable career.

Since then, the NBA has continued to bid farewell to great stars. Some classes have gathered huge names and others have featured prestigious veterans. But none have managed to come close to the combination of talent, recognition, and legacy that the 2016 retiree class left behind.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La clase de retirados más grande de la historia de la NBA: ninguna se acerca a Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan y Kevin Garnett