John Salley was 1 of several players born on May 16.
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 May 16.
John Salley (1964)
The player known as “Spider” was an infectious personality who was the No. 11 pick in the 1986 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. While he was primarily a bench player, Salley won two titles with them in 1989 and 1990. He spent six seasons with Detroit before joining the Miami Heat in 1992.
Salley spent the next three years there, but closed his career with short stints for the Raptors, Bulls and Lakers. The big man won two more rings with the Bulls and Lakers, bringing his total up to four career titles. He officially retired in 2000, averaging 7.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.3 blocks throughout his 11-year career. Salley also went on to become a popular TV personality and an actor after his playing career.
Want to see every NBA player born on May 16? Here is the rest of the list in chronological order:
- Arnie Johnson (May 16, 1920)
- Ed Gayda (May 16, 1927)
- Essie Hollis (May 16, 1955)
- Carl Kilpatrick (May 16, 1956)
- Charles Bradley (May 16, 1959)
- Quincy Douby (May 16, 1984)
- Ognjen Kuzmic (May 16, 1990)
- Willie Reed (May 16, 1990)
- Terence Davis (May 16, 1997)
- Karim Mane (May 16, 2000)
