In a game against the Thunder back in 2017, Grizzlies’ Tony Allen drives to the hoop.
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 Jan. 11.
Darryl Dawkins (1957)
Dawkins is a player many monikers so he must have been good. And he was. The big man was taken fifth overall in the 1975 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. While he found his footing his first two seasons, Dawkins started to dominate in 1977. Over the next nine seasons, Dawkins averaged 13.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.6 blocks per game. The first seven of those seasons were with Philly, while the final four were with the New Jersey Nets. He played for the Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons in his final two seasons in the NBA before spending five years overseas. Dawkins retired in 1994 and his lasting mark on the league was his dunking ability. He actually shattered so many backboards that the NBA had to adopt breakaway rims, which are still used today.
Tony Allen (1982)
Allen is widely regarded as one of the best defensive players of his era. The feisty winger was selected 25th overall in the 2004 NBA Draft and spent his first six seasons with the Boston Celtics. While he didn’t get much recognition there, he was a key piece to their 2008 Championship team. He joined the Memphis Grizzlies in 2010, finishing Top 10 in Defensive Player of the Year voting in five of the next six seasons. That set the foundation for the “Grit and Grind” era in Memphis, with Allen playing his final game for them in 2016. He played his final season with the New Orleans Pelicans, retiring in 2017. Allen averaged 8.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 steals throughout his 14-year career, finishing top five in steals three times.
Want to see every NBA player born on January 11? Here is the rest of the list in chronological order:
- Bud Acton (January 11, 1942)
- Wally Anderzunas (January 11, 1946)
- Chris Ford (January 11, 1949)
- Gary Brokaw (January 11, 1954)
- Andre Wakefield (January 11, 1955)
- Larry Robinson (January 11, 1968)
- Chris Jent (January 11, 1970)
- Efthimios Rentzias (January 11, 1976)
- Terence Morris (January 11, 1979)
- Damien Wilkins (January 11, 1980)
- Chris Boucher (January 11, 1993)
