Sports Birthdays for November 5 — Bill Walton and More

Bill Walton

Age: 60

Profession: Retired NBA Player / Broadcaster

Best Known For: A two-time All-Star center, Bill Walton played for the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics from 1974 to 1987. Walton led the Blazers to the 1977 NBA championship and was named the MVP of the finals. He was also a member of the Celtics’ team that won the 1986 NBA title. Walton missed several years-worth of games due to foot ailments. While playing at UCLA in the early ’70s, Walton won three straight College Player of the Year awards. His team won two national titles and achieved a NCAA-men’s record 88-game winning streak. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. Since his retirement, Walton has served as an analyst on basketball broadcasts. His son, Luke, is a current NBA player.

Javy López

Age: 42

Profession: Retired MLB

Best Known For: A three-time All-Star catcher, Javy Lopez played for the Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox from 1992 to 2006. He was a member of the Braves’ team that won the 1995 World Series. Lopez won the Silver Slugger Award as the best offensive player in the league at his position in 2003, when he hit 43 home runs to set the major league record for a catcher in a single-season.

Johnny Damon

Age: 39

Profession: MLB Player

Best Known For: Johnny Damon is a two-time All-Star outfielder who has played for the Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians from 1995 to 2012. He was on the Red Sox team that won the World Series in 2004 and the Yankees’ team that won the World Series in 2009. While with the Red Sox in 2004, Damon hit two home runs in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, as Boston erased a three-game deficit and eliminated the Yankees.

Jerry Stackhouse

Age: 38

Profession: NBA Player

Best Known For: Jerry Stackhouse is a guard for the Brooklyn Nets. A two-time NBA All-Star, Stackhouse has played with seven other teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers, who selected him with the third overall pick of the 1995 NBA draft. Stackhouse played college basketball at North Carolina and was named an All-American in 1995.

Nick Folk

Age: 28

Profession: NFL Player

Best Known For: Nick Folk is a kicker for the New York Jets. Folk was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2007 NFL Draft and played for the team through most of the 2009 season. Folk was a Pro Bowl selection in 2007.