Discover Your Athletic Prime
Curious when an athlete hits their peak performance? Use this simple calculator to find out! Just enter the athlete’s birth year, and we’ll show you the year they likely began their professional career, when their prime starts and ends, and the latest they might consider retirement. It’s a quick way to map out a potential sports journey in seconds.
Youngest and Oldest Athletes in Professional Sports History
NBA (National Basketball Association)
- Youngest Player: Andrew Bynum debuted for the Los Angeles Lakers at 18 years and 6 days old in 2005.
- Oldest Player: Nat Hickey played for the Providence Steamrollers at 45 years and 363 days old in 1948.
NFL (National Football League)
- Youngest Player: Amobi Okoye was drafted by the Houston Texans at 19 years old in 2007.
- Oldest Player: George Blanda played until he was 48 years old, retiring in 1976.
MLB (Major League Baseball)
- Youngest Player: Joe Nuxhall pitched for the Cincinnati Reds at 15 years old in 1944.
- Oldest Player: Satchel Paige pitched at 59 years old in 1965.
NHL (National Hockey League)
- Youngest Player: Bep Guidolin debuted for the Boston Bruins at 16 years and 11 months old in 1942.
- Oldest Player: Gordie Howe played until he was 52 years old, retiring in 1980.
Soccer (Worldwide)
- Youngest Professional Player: Eric Godpower Marshall debuted at just 10 years and 330 days old for Gar’ou in Liberia’s fourth division on April 7, 2021.
- Oldest Professional Player: Ezzeldin Bahader played at 74 years and 348 days old for Egypt’s 6th of October club in 2020, setting a Guinness World Record.
