With the playoff bracket set and two straight months of postseason hoops forward of us, two large elephants in the room as of late in NBA circles are the tanking epidemic and participant relaxation.
Every night time, followers purchase tickets and flock to arenas to cheer on their favourite hoopers. But too typically, these followers discover out their favourite participant is taking the night time off. It’s a giant downside in the NBA, and one they’ve tried to deal with by implementing relaxation insurance policies and the much-discussed 65-game requirement to qualify for awards.
We might go on and on about how best to address these issues—and we have—however that’s not the level of this text. The level of this piece is to have a good time those that zigged when others zagged (or, uh, rested) throughout the 2025–26 season. The record of gritty, hard-working, reliable, bring-their-lunch-pails-to-work kind of fellows who have been on the ground each single night time.
Ladies and gents, it’s time to give a toast to this 12 months’s crop of Iron Men, the gamers who suited up for all 82 video games. Entering Sunday’s full slate of video games, 18 gamers had logged 81 video games performed this season, and all 18 suited up on Sunday to earn the treasured title of Iron Man. Let’s get to it:
The official record of 2025-26 NBA ‘Iron Men’
Eighteen gamers suited up for all of their crew’s 82 video games this season, most notably Mikal Bridges, who nonetheless hasn’t missed a single contest since he was chosen with the No. 10 choose in the 2018 NBA draft. He’s on a run of taking part in in 638 straight video games, the eighth-longest streak in NBA historical past. Bridges nonetheless would have to maintain his streak alive for an additional six-plus seasons to surpass the record-holder in A.C. Green, who performed 1,192 straight video games in the late Eighties into the ‘90s.
Bridges was among three players who actually suited up for 83 games this year, appearing in the NBA Cup championship game that doesn’t rely towards regular-season stats or his 638-game streak. Bridges, Keldon Johnson and Julian Champagnie all laced up the sneakers 83 instances this season and deserve a bit of additional reward.
Without additional ado, right here’s the record of the NBA’s 2025-26 Iron Men, ranked so as of what number of instances they’ve performed each sport in an 82-game season (notice: the shortened 2019–20 and ’20–21 seasons don’t rely right here):
- Mikal Bridges, F, Knicks (6)
- Bub Carrington, G, Wizards (2)
- Julian Champagne, F, Spurs (2)
- Desmond Bane, G, Magic (1)
- Bruce Brown, G, Nuggets (1)
- Toumani Camara, F, Trail Blazers (1)
- Donte DiVincenzo, G, Timberwolves (1)
- Kris Dunn, G, Clippers (1)
- Jeremiah Fears, G, Pelicans (1)
- Javonte Green, F, Pistons (1)
- Jay Huff, C, Pacers (1)
- Oso Ighodaro, F, Suns (1)
- Sion James, G, Hornets (1)
- Keldon Johnson, F, Spurs (1)
- Jake LaRavia, F, Lakers (1)
- Brandin Podziemski, G, Warriors (1)
- Jamal Shead, G, Raptors (1)
- Reed Sheppard, G, Rockets (1)
Of these 18 gamers, 10 are former first-round picks, 5 are former second-round picks and three have been as soon as undrafted free brokers. Two are rookies—Fears, the Pelicans’ No. 7 choose, and James, the Hornets’ second-round choice at No. 33.
Four gamers began all 82 video games for his or her groups: Bane (Magic), Bridges (Knicks), Camara (Trail Blazers) and DiVincenzo (Timberwolves). Only one among this 12 months’s crop of Iron Men didn’t begin a single sport—Johnson, who averaged 13.2 factors and 5.4 rebounds per sport and is one among the favorites to win NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year.
The Spurs are the solely crew to make use of a number of Iron Men this 12 months, whereas 13 NBA groups do not need a single Iron Man of their locker room.
Also, it’s not shocking to see this record and not using a single All-Star. There hasn’t been a participant to play all 82 video games and be named an All-Star in the similar season since Bradley Beal and Kemba Walker each did it in 2018–19.
Among the 28 gamers to earn an All-Star nod, Raptors ahead Scottie Barnes performed the most video games (80), adopted by Kevin Durant (78), Brandon Ingram (77), Jamal Murray (75) and Karl-Anthony Towns (75).
So, so shut: The Almost Iron Men group
A few rookies have been the solely two gamers in the NBA to swimsuit up for precisely 81 video games this season—ending one sport shy of an official “Iron Man” nod.
- Kon Knueppel, F, Hornets
- Derik Queen, C, Pelicans
Knueppel missed one sport on Dec. 29 due to a proper ankle sprain he suffered three days prior. Queen missed the Pelicans’ 122–109 loss to the Trail Blazers on Jan. 2 due to a left quad contusion.
RELATED: Kon Knueppel’s Immediate Rise Into One of the NBA’s Best Shooters Was No Accident
Better luck subsequent time, rooks.
How does the variety of 2025–26 Iron Men evaluate to different NBA seasons?
The 18 Iron Men this season really is the most we’ve seen in a single 82-game NBA season since 2018–19.
As anticipated, the variety of Iron Men has dropped off considerably since the flip of the century. In 1976–77, the first 12 months of the NBA/ABA merger, 48 gamers suited up each potential night time. That quantity elevated to 57 in 1980–81 however has been trending down ever since—50 in 1990–91, 45 in 2000–01 and 32 by 2010–11.
There hasn’t been a single 12 months with over 30 Iron Men since the NBA lockout in 2011, and there hasn’t been a 12 months with over 20 Iron Men since the COVID-19 pandemic.
YEAR | Iron Men |
|---|---|
2025-26 season | 18 |
2024-25 season | 11 |
2023-24 season | 17 |
2022-23 season | 10 |
2021-22 season | 5 |
2020-21 season | 0 (shortened due to COVID-19) |
2019-20 season | 0 (shortened due to COVID-19) |
2018-19 season | 21 |
2017-18 season | 26 |
2016-17 season | 17 |
2015-16 season | 18 |
2014-15 season | 28 |
2013-14 season | 29 |
2012-13 season | 28 |
2011-12 season | 0 (shortened due to lockout) |
2010-11 season | 32 |
— | — |
2000-01 season | 45 |
— | — |
1990-91 season | 50 |
— | — |
1980-81 season | 57 |
— | — |
1976-77 season | 48 |
More NBA from Sports Illustrated
Listen to SI’s NBA podcast, Open Floor, under or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the present on SI’s YouTube channel.
Add us as a most popular supply on Google
