Bob Pettit is among the notable NBA players born on December 12.
With over 5,000 players in NBA history, at least one player was born on every day of the calendar year – including three leap day ballers. Our day-by-day breakdown of the players born on each day of the year continues.
Below are the most notable NBA players born on December 12.
Bob Pettit (1932): Only a few players have the resume Pettit built during his NBA career. Pettit was the second overall pick in the 1954 NBA Draft by the St. Louis Hawks and spent his entire career with the franchise. The big man earned Rookie of the Year and was named an All-Star in his debut campaign. That was the first of 11 All-Star appearances throughout his 11-year career, receiving MVP votes in all but his rookie and final seasons. Pettit earned MVP honors in 1955 and 1958. He also won a championship with the Hawks in 1958 and captured four All-Star Game MVPs. Pettit averaged 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds for his career, earning a Hall of Fame induction in 1971.
Randy Smith (1948): After falling to the 104th pick in the 1970 NBA Draft, Smith carved out a 12-year NBA career. Nicknamed “Iron Man,” Smith earned the moniker by playing all 82 regular season games in 10 straight seasons. He made two All-Star appearances in his final four years with the Buffalo Braves, averaging 22.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.0 steals between 1975 and 1978. He spent time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks before retiring in 1982. He also won the All-Star Game MVP in 1978.
Want to see every NBA player born on December 12? Here is the rest of the list in chronological order:
- Murray Wier (December 12, 1926)
- Ron Kozlicki (December 12, 1944)
- Greg Lee (December 12, 1951)
- Rick Calloway (December 12, 1966)
- Alvin Heggs (December 12, 1967)
- Ivano Newbill (December 12, 1970)
- Makhtar N’Diaye (December 12, 1973)
- John Salmons (December 12, 1979)
- Kyshawn George (December 12, 2003)
