Amen (left) and Ausar Thompson are among the players born on Jan. 30.
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 30.
Jalen Rose (1973)
Rose has remained relevant to NBA fans well after his playing career, establishing himself as one of the best analysts in the business. He was a terrific player before that, making a name for himself as part of the Fab Five at Michigan University. That fantastic collegiate career earned Rose the 13th overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, spending his first two seasons with the Denver Nuggets.
Rose really found his groove when he joined the Indiana Pacers in 1996, taking down Most Improved Player in 1999. That was the first of six sensational seasons between Indiana and Toronto, averaging 19.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 0.9 steals per game in that span. He closed his career with one season in Phoenix and New York before retiring in 2007.
Mychal Thompson (1955)
There have only been six players in NBA history from the Bahamas, but Thompson is the most accomplished of the bunch. DeAndre Ayton and Buddy Hield might have a say in that in years to come, but Thompson carved out a standout 12-year career. After a spectacular college career at Minnesota University, he was the top pick in the 1978 NBA Draft, spending his first seven seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Thompson averaged at least 14.7 points every year he played in Portland, averaging 16.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.4 blocks throughout his Trail Blazers career. The big man was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in 1987 for one season but closed his career with five seasons playing for the Los Angeles Clippers. He retired in 1992 as a two-time champion with the Lakers in 1987 and 1988.
Amen and Ausar Thompson (2003)
The Thompson twins were Top 5 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, with Amen going fourth and Ausar going fifth. Their athleticism leaped off the screen, with both players showcasing their ability at Overtime Elite before getting drafted. Ausar dealt with some blood clot issues early in his career but overcame them to resume his promising career. As for Amen, he’s really become a threat since joining the Rockets’ starting lineup. Both Thompsons are trending towards being mainstays for their respective franchises with Amen starring for the Rockets and Ausar doing the same in Detroit.
Want to see every NBA player born on January 30? Here is the rest of the list in chronological order:
- Nat Hickey (January 30, 1902)
- Harold Johnson (January 30, 1920)
- Ernie Calverley (January 30, 1924)
- Jack Kerris (January 30, 1925)
- Paul Seymour (January 30, 1928)
- Swede Halbrook (January 30, 1933)
- Paul Neumann (January 30, 1938)
- Barry Yates (January 30, 1946)
- Henry Ward (January 30, 1952)
- Rick Robey (January 30, 1956)
- Curtis Kitchen (January 30, 1964)
- Otis Smith (January 30, 1964)
- Sharone Wright (January 30, 1973)
- Jonathan Bender (January 30, 1981)
- DeSagana Diop (January 30, 1982)
- Slavko Vranes (January 30, 1983)
- Shaq Buchanan (January 30, 1997)
