Kenny Smith is among the players born on March 8.
With over 5,000 players in NBA history, at least one player was born on every day of the calendar year – including four 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 Mar 8.
Buck Williams (1960)
“Ajax” was a standout player at Maryland University, earning him the third overall pick in the 1981 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets. That proved to be a fruitful destination, with Williams taking down Rookie of the Year in a remarkable debut season. He also made his first of two-straight All-Star appearances that year, making his third and final one in 1986.
Buck played his first nine seasons with the Nets and then joined the Portland Trail Blazers in 1989. He led the league in field goal percentage in two of the next three seasons, 1990-91 and 1991-92, finishing Top-6 in Defensive Player of the Year voting in both of seasons. Williams finished his career by playing two seasons for the New York Knicks before officially retiring in 1998. Throughout his 17-year tenure, Williams averaged 12.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.
Kenny Smith (1965)
“The Jet” has developed into one of the most popular NBA analysts today, but he was a heck of a player throughout his playing career. The sharpshooter was selected sixth overall in the 1987 NBA Draft, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting with the Sacramento Kings.
Things really took off for Smith when he joined the Houston Rockets in 1990, finishing 17th in MVP voting in a career year. Most importantly, Smith was a key piece to the Houston Rockets team that won back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995. Smith closed his career by playing for the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets before retiring in 1997. His well-rounded skill set is highlighted by appearances in both the Slam Dunk Contest and 3-Point Contest during his impressive 10-year career.
Want to see every NBA player born on March 8? Here is the rest of the list in chronological order:
- Bob Wilson (1926)
- Bobby Edmonds (1941)
- Buck Williams (1960)
- Kenny Smith (1965)
- Sasha Vujacic (1984)
- Robbie Hummel (1989)
- Michael Frazier (1994)
- Isaiah Whitehead (1995)
- Marki Guduric (1995)
- Trentyn Flowers (2005)
