NBA Birthdays: Celebrating Players Born on October 25th

Dan Issel is one of 18 NBA players who share a birthday on Oct. 25.

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.

Dan Issel (1948):

Issel was not a highly regarded prospect, but he carved out a Hall of Fame career. The big man was selected 122nd overall in the 1970 NBA Draft and played his first six seasons for the Kentucky Colonels in the ABA. He made the All-Star team in all six seasons before joining the Denver Nuggets in 1976. He made an NBA All-Star team in his first year in Denver and played the final 10 seasons of his career with the Nuggets. The big man averaged 22.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 steals throughout his career and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993. 

Dave Cowens (1948):

Big Red was a standout at Florida State and was taken third overall in the 1970 NBA Draft. The Boston Celtics spent that high pick on Cowens and he gave them 10 successful seasons. The lefty was sensational out of the gates, winning Rookie of the Year in his debut season. Cowens, the 1973 NBA MVP, made the All-Star team in eight of his 10 seasons with the C’s and was a key piece to two of their championships before retiring in 1980. Cowens returned two years later to play for the Milwaukee Bucks, but that was his final season in the league. All of that earned Cowens a place in the Hall of Fame in 1991. 

Zelmo Beaty (1939):

Zelmo, also known as “Big Z,” was a beast in the paint. He was the third overall pick in the 1962 NBA Draft by the St. Louis Hawks. Big Z made two All-Star teams in his seven seasons with the Hawks. He also had a four-year stint with the Utah Stars in the ABA before retiring with the Los Angeles Lakers. He averaged 17.1 points and 10.9 rebounds throughout his 12-year career. Zelmo was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016. 

Want to see every NBA player born on October 25? Here is the rest of the list in chronological order:

Carl Shaeffer (October 25, 1924)Jack Cotton (October 25, 1924)Al Roges (October 25, 1930)Gene Phillips (October 25, 1948)Jose Ortiz (October 25, 1963)Devin Green (October 25, 1982)Mike Sweetney (October 25, 1982)Garret Siler (October 25, 1986)Chandler Parsons (October 25, 1988)William Howard (October 25, 1993)Patrick McCaw (October 25, 1995)Jock Landale (October 25, 1995)PJ Dozier (October 25, 1996)McKinley Wright IV (October 25, 1998)Romeo Langford (October 25, 1999)