Josh Smith is 1 of 6 NBA players born on Dec. 5.
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 Dec. 5:
Josh Smith (1985): Josh Smith was one of the most exciting players in the league, making a name for himself with the Atlanta Hawks. Drafted straight out of high school, the Hawks selected Smith with the 17th pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. Smith averaged 15.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists with the Hawks, receiving Defensive Player of the Year votes in six seasons. He was traded to the Detroit Pistons in 2014 and closed his career by playing for the Houston Rockets, LA Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans before retiring in 2018. Smith also won the 2005 Slam Dunk Contest.
Eddy Curry (1982): Curry was another one of those rare players drafted out of high school, being selected fourth overall in the 2001 NBA Draft. Curry played his first four seasons in Chicago, breaking out in 2005 with 16.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game. That was his final season with the Bulls, spending the next five years with the New York Knicks. His best year came in 2006 with the Knicks, averaging 19.5 points and 7.0 rebounds. Curry closed his career with two seasons in Miami and Dallas, officially retiring in 2013.
Want to see every NBA player born on December 5? Here is the rest of the list in chronological order:
- Hoot Gibson (December 5, 1921)
- Charlie Yelverton (December 5, 1948)
- Butch Lee (December 5, 1956)
- Cory Carr (December 5, 1975)
- Semi Ojeleye (December 5, 1994)
