History

NBA birthdays: Players born on August 8

With a player born on each day, our birthday series continues with the NBA players born on August 8.

Joel Bartilotta, Rotowire.com

September 25, 2025 8:56 PM

Danilo Gallinari is among the players born on August 8.

With over 5,000 players in NBA history, at least one player was born on every day of the calendar year – including four 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 August 8.

Danilo Gallinari (1988)

“Gallo” has carved out a remarkable 14-year career in the NBA. The Italy native was the sixth pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Knicks, having played professionally in his home country. Gallinari spending his first three years in New York. After a slow rookie season, Gallinari averaged 15.1 points and 4.9 rebounds in a breakout campaign in his second year. That had him as a sought-after commodity, with the Denver Nuggets trading for him in the blockbuster Carmelo Anthony trade the following season.

He immediately became one of Denver’s best players, averaging 16.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 0.8 steals in his six years with the Nuggets. That’s why the Los Angeles Clippers acquired him in 2017, with Gallinari averaging a career-high 19.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 0.7 steals in the 2018-19 season. He had a similar stat line with the Oklahoma City Thunder the following year, then he spent time with the Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks after that. Gallo last played in the NBA during the 2023-24 season, winning a title and Finals MVP in the Puerto Rican league last year.

Rashard Lewis (1979)

“Sweet Lew” had a very similar game to Gallinari, carving out a 16-year career in the NBA. This sharpshooter was selected 32nd overall in the 1998 NBA Draft directly out of high school by the Seattle SuperSonics. It took a couple of years for the youngster to find a spot in Seattle’s rotation, but he broke out in the 2000-01 season. Lewis averaged at least 14 points per game for the next decade, making his first All-Star appearance in the 2004-05 season.

It was only two years later that Lewis averaged a career-high 22.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He was selected to another All-Star team in the 2008-09 season, which was his second year playing for the Orlando Magic. Lewis spent four years in Orlando and then two years in Washington before playing his final two seasons with the Miami Heat. That proved to be a good destination because he won a title with them in 2013. Lewis retired the following season, averaging 14.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals throughout his 16-year career.

Want to see every NBA player born on August 8? Here is the rest of the list in chronological order: