All things must pass. Even ball hogs. Here are five NBA players that left an indelible mark on the league and may never don a jersey after 2018.

Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk has another year left on his contract but not in those knees. His contributions to basketball are too numerous to name, here are a few: NBA champion, Finals MVP, league MVP, 13-time All-Star, 4-time All-NBA First Team, 50-40-90 club member, Three Point Shootout champion, FIBA World Cup MVP, Olympic bronze medalist, LeBron James kryptonite, and unofficial European basketball ambassador. Dirk is easily the slowest player in basketball at this point, but you can count on the future Hall of Famer for several beautiful buckets a night. Pay your respects to the German giant before he spends the rest of his life icing on a yacht.

Vince Carter

Only one of four active players to start their career in the 90s, when Vince was drafted “The Boy Is Mine” by Brandy was at the top of the Billboard’s, Mulan was in theaters, and Microsoft released Windows 98 the next day. Miraculously, he still has ups. Not quite like that legendary dunk contest in 2000, where Carter had the Air Force scrambling to their posts, but ups nonetheless. This was last season (at 40 years old):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9DVuj9uaa0
He may not have been to the Finals, but Vince has been an All-Star, All-Team NBA, a top ten all-time 3 point shooter, and everyone’s favorite dunker. Get out and see him before those springs get rusty.

Manu Ginobli

At age 40, the Argentinian passing-wizard has had a mind-bogglingly successful tenure in basketball. He is a four-time NBA champion, an Olympic gold medalist (with Argentina), and a EuroLeague champ – one of only two players to accomplish all three. In these last few years, Ginobli has looked as good as ever. Of course, Father Time is undefeated, so, as much as it seems like Manu can play forever, his days are numbered. Grab a seat and trust me – live basketball *like this* is priceless.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzHZ7RiCmxc

Tony Parker

The youngest player on this list and one of the more thrilling to watch live, Tony Parker has been known for his speedy slashes to the basket and teardrop buckets since his rookie season. Parker may even have been the fastest player in the league at one point, but all that torque has taken a toll on his knees. At 35 years old, the four-time champ hasn’t played a game this year but is expected back in the next couple weeks. Bank on Tony to give the Spurs some much-needed veteran experience in what’s likely to be his farewell year.

Jason Terry

To any NBA fan, few celebrations are as memorable as Jason “The Jet” Terry’s airplane arms. Number three on the all-time career three pointers list, Terry’s courage and leadership have defined his legacy. He once famously tattooed the Larry O’Brien trophy on his arm before his team won the Finals, and they won the Finals that year. JT is still elite in the clutch, so catch his sweet stroke before it dwindles into the history books.

(Image courtesy of LR CREATIVE via Flickr | Cropped from 1000×768 to 750×270.)