Known for his 11 NBA Championships, Bill Russell headlines our Feb. 12 birthday celebrations.
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 Feb 12.
Bill Russell (1934)
Russell is in the inner circle of the best NBA players of all time. The big man was the second overall pick in the 1956 NBA Draft and spent his full 13-year career with the Boston Celtics. Russell led the league in rebounding in each of his first three seasons, taking down his first of five MVPs in his sophomore campaign. He also finished Top 4 in MVP voting six other times, making 12 All-Star appearances throughout his 13-year career. Most importantly, Russell was the key catalyst to Boston’s 11 titles during his playing time, arguably the greatest accomplishment in NBA history. He was inducted into the Hall-of-Fame in 1975, averaging 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists throughout his remarkable career. His 11 NBA Championship rings stand alone as the most in league history.
Larry Nance (1959)
Nance was the 20th overall pick in the 1981 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, spending his first seven seasons in the Valley. The big man adjusted to the league rookie season but averaged at least 16.3 points per game over the next 12 years. He made his first of three All-Star appearances in 1984, finishing All-Defense three times as well. Nance closed his career by playing seven seasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers, retiring in 1994. He averaged 17.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.2 blocks throughout his 14-year career. Not to mention, Nance won the 1984 Slam Dunk Contest and ranks 19th all-time with over 2,000 career blocks.
Al Cervi (1917)
We simply can’t overlook a player who carved out a Hall-of-Fame career like Cervi did. “Digger” was one of the best point guards during his era, earning that nickname due to his hard-nosed defense. He started his career by playing for the Rochester Royals of the NBL in 1945, winning one title with them in his rookie season. Cervi joined the Syracuse Nationals of the NBA in 1948 and played his final five seasons there before retiring in 1953. He made the playoffs in all but one year throughout his career, being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.
Want to see every NBA player born on February 12? Here is the rest of the list in chronological order:
- Hank DeZonie (February 12, 1922)
- Jerry Pender (February 12, 1950)
- Tom Ingelsby (February 12, 1951)
- Tom Kropp (February 12, 1953)
- Dell Demps (February 12, 1970)
- Scott Pollard (February 12, 1975)
- Jabari Smith (February 12, 1977)
- A.J. Guyton (February 12, 1978)
- Josh Harrellson (February 12, 1989)
- Jeenathan Williams (February 12, 1999)
- Adama Sonogo (February 12, 2002)
- Dereck Lively II (February 12, 2004)
