The Iron Men of the 2021-22 NBA season
By Luke Anton
Playing in every game of the NBA season is difficult to say the least. But these are the select few players who have pulled it off so far this year.
The NBA regular season is a grind in the truest sense of the word. Playing in every single game of the NBA’s long and grueling 82-game season that stretches from October to April is an exceptionally tall task — especially in this day and age with the health and safety protocols — but three-quarters of the way through, six players have played in every possible game so far in the 2021-22 NBA season.
For more context, only 30 out of the NBA’s 572 total players have played in at least 95 percent of their team’s games. In addition to the six players who have not missed a game yet, there are nine players who have missed just one game this season, including Terance Mann, Patty Mills, Alec Burks, Malik Beasley, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jalen Brunson, Jaren Jackson Jr., Buddy Hield and Russell Westbrook.
Those are the almost Iron Men and below are the six real Iron Men of the 2021-22 NBA Season who have played in every game thus far.
Meet the Iron Men of the 2021-22 NBA season
41. . . . Kevon Looney. 6. player
Two-time NBA champion Kevon Looney has played and started in all 64 games for the Warriors this season. (If the two-time NBA champion note startled you, it’s because you blocked out the fact that Looney was on the Kevin Durant Warriors many moons ago.) Looney’s numbers don’t jump off the page, but he’s actually matching his career-high of 6.3 points per game. He originally set that mark in 2018-19 when he played in 80 games, only missing two that season. Looney is also averaging a career-high in rebounds and minutes per game, having to be relied upon more due to Draymond’s calf/back injury. In the 12 games this season that Looney has scored 10 points or more, the Warriors are 9-3. He has attempted a grand total of one 3-pointer this season.