Vince Carter is among the players born on Jan. 26.
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 26.
Vince Carter (1977)
“Vinsanity” is widely known as one of the greatest dunkers of all time, but that underscores what was a miraculous career for the high-flyer. Carter shined at UNC and was the fifth overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft by Golden State, but was traded on Draft night 1998 for his UNC teammate, Antawn Jamison, who was selected a pick earlier by Toronto.
Carter won Rookie of the Year in a remarkable debut season, making his first of six straight All-Star appearances in his sophomore season. He was traded to the Nets in 2005, appearing in two more All-Star games with New Jersey. Over the next 10 seasons, Carter played for the Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns.
That culminated in a 22-year career for Carter, retiring in 2020. Perhaps the high-flyer’s most iconic moment was his title in the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest, showcasing his unique athleticism. He ranks No. 21 on the all-time scoring list and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024. The Raptors and Nets both plan to retire his No. 15 jersey by the end of the 2025-26 season.
Darius Garland (2000)
Cleveland’s 2024-25 season was fueled in large part by Garland, the fifth overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. He enjoyed a stellar collegiate career at Vanderbilt, but didn’t take over as the starter until his second season. It only took one more year for Garland to make his first All-Star team, averaging 21.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.3 steals in 2022. Those points and assists were career-highs for Garland, though he rivaled those numbers in 2025.
Want to see every NBA player born on January 26? Here is the rest of the list in chronological order:
- Bob O’Brien (January 26, 1927)
- Hubie White (January 26, 1940)
- Vann Williford (January 26, 1948)
- Bob Ford (January 26, 1950)
- Tom Henderson (January 26, 1952)
- C.J. Kupec (January 26, 1953)
- Sly Williams (January 26, 1958)
- Randy Allen (January 26, 1965)
- Reggie Jordan (January 26, 1968)
- Ronald Dupree (January 26, 1981)
- Gerald Green (January 26, 1986)
- MarShon Brooks (January 26, 1989)
- Nicolo Melli (January 26, 1991)
- Kevin Pangos (January 26, 1993)
- Montrezl Harrell (January 26, 1994)
- Isaac Okoro (January 26, 2001)
