Sports Birthdays for September 12 — Yao Ming and More

Here are some of the people in the sports world celebrating birthdays on September 12:

Ricky Rudd

Age: 56

Profession: Retired NASCAR Driver

Best Known For: The record holder with 788 consecutive NASCAR starts, Ricky Rudd won 23 Cup Series races from 1975 to 2007. He placed in the top 10 finishers 374 times.

Wilfredo Benitez

Age: 54

Profession: Retired Boxer

Best Known For: The youngest world champion in boxing history at age 17, Wilfredo Benitez won titles in three separate weight divisions. Benitez had a record of 53-8-1 during a boxing career that spanned from 1973 to 1990. Benitez now suffers from a degenerative brain condition as a result of the blows he took during his career.

Vernon Maxwell

Age: 47

Profession: Retired NBA Player

Best Known For: A skilled shooting guard, Vernon Maxwell played from 1988 to 2001 with eight NBA teams, most notably the Houston Rockets, with whom he won two NBA championship rings. During his NBA career, Maxwell, nicknamed ‘Mad Max,’ often had inflammatory run-ins with fans, coaches and other players.

Pat Listach

Age: 45

Profession: Retired MLB Player

Best Known For: The 1992 American League Rookie of the Year, Pat Lisatch played shortstop from 1992 to 1997 with the Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros. He currently serves as third-base coach for the Chicago Cubs.

Yao Ming

Age: 32

Profession: Former NBA Player

Best Known For: An eight-time NBA All-Star and the first-overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft, Yao Ming was a 7’6″ center who played for the Houston Rockets from 2002 to 2011 before recurrent foot and ankle injuries ended his career. Prior to playing in the US, Yao played for the Shanghai Sharks in his native China. He was a member of the Chinese national team in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics.