Sports Birthdays for May 28 – Jerry West and More
Here are just some of the notable birthdays in the world of sports for May 28
Jerry West
Age: 74
Profession: Former NBA Player/NBA General Manager
Best Known For: West’s NBA career lasted 14 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, when he gained the nickname Mr. Clutch after his pension for hitting late game shots. He was a 14-time NBA All-Star and help lea the Lakers to the NBA title in 1972. After his playing career ended, West coached the Lakers from 1976-1979 and eventually became the team’s general manager from 1982 until 2002 and the Memphis Grizzlies from 2002 until 2010.
Kirk Gibson
Age: 54
Profession: Arizona Diamondbacks Manager/Former MLB Outfielder
Best Known For: Gibson’s started his Major League Baseball career with the Detroit Tigers in 1979. Gibson’s playing career spanned 16 seasons with four different teams. His most notable moment came as a Los Angeles Dodger in game one of the 1988 World Series when he hit a game-winning pinch-hit home run against the Oakland Athletics. Gibson collected two World Series rings during his career and is currently the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Glen Rice
Age: 45
Profession: Former NBA Forward
Best Known For: Rice’s NBA career started with the Miami Heat after he was drafted fourth overall in the 1989 NBA Draft. Rice’s playing career spanned 15 seasons and he was known for his sharp-shooting ability, knocking down 1,559 three pointers in his career. Rice won the MVP award at the 1997 NBA All-Star Game after setting a record by scoring 24 points in a second half. Rice won his only NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000.
Michael Oher
Age: 26
Profession: NFL Offensive Lineman
Best Known For: Oher was the focal point for a sports book authored by writer Michael Lewis called ‘The Blind Side,’ which chronicled his life growing up in Memphis, Tennessee. That eventually became the basis of the Oscar-winning movie of the same name. During his college career, Oher played offensive tackle at the University of Mississippi and was a consensus All-American in 2008. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2009 NFL Draft with the 23rd pick.
And the late…
Jim Thorpe
Profession: Former Olympic Athlete/Professional Football Running Back
Best Known For: Arguably one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century, Thorpe won gold medals at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics in the pentathlon and the decathlon. He also played professional football, baseball, and basketball. Thorpe was named to the NFL’s 1920′s All-Decade Team and he played for four different Major League Baseball franchises. Thorpe passed away at the age of 64 in 1953.