Victor Wembanyama is among the NBA players born on Jan. 4.
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 4.
Victor Wembanyama (2004)
Wembanyama came to the league billed by many as the greatest prospect since LeBron James in 2003. The Frenchman was the top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, taking down Rookie of the Year in a remarkable debut season. Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals while leading the league with 3.6 blocks per game. That had Wemby finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, which is an award he’ll be in contention for many a time over his career. The 7-foot-3 big man earned his first All-Star nod during the 2024-25 season. Time will tell just how the heights of Wembanyama’s career will go, but there’s no question he’s one of the most promising and unique players in recent memory.
Collin Sexton (1999)
Young Bull went viral when he played 3-on-5 during a game in his college career for Alabama, but that tenacity is why he’s carved out a solid NBA career. Sexton was taken eighth overall in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, finishing fifth in Rookie of the Year voting that year. He played the next four seasons with the Cavs but was traded to the Utah Jazz in 2022 as a major piece of the Donovan Mitchell trade. That’s who he plays for now, averaging 18.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 0.8 steals throughout his seven-year career.
Al Jefferson (1985)
Big Al was a steady contributor throughout his 14-year career. The big man was taken 15th overall in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics but really broke out three years later in his final season in Beantown. Jefferson averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds that year but was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of the blockbuster Kevin Garnett trade. He spent three seasons with Minnesota, Charlotte and Utah before closing his career with two years in Indiana. Jefferson was one of the best big men in the NBA during his era, averaging 15.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 blocks throughout his 14-year career.
Want to see every NBA player born on January 4? Here is the rest of the list in chronological order:
- Mel Bennett (January 4, 1955)
- Wayne Kreklow (January 4, 1957)
- Terry Crosby (January 4, 1957)
- Jim Rowinski (January 4, 1961)
- Sidney Green (January 4, 1961)
- Cliff Livingston (January 4, 1961)
- Fred Cofield (January 4, 1962)
- Joe Kleine (January 4, 1962)
- Scott Meents (January 4, 1964)
- Corie Blount (January 4, 1969)
- Will Bynum (January 4, 1983)
- James Michael McAdoo (January 4, 1993)
- Ante Zizic (January 4, 1997)
- Arnoldas Kulboka (January 4, 1998)
- Rob Dillingham (January 4, 2005)
