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Jeremy WillisESPN.com
Dec. 30 could be the best day for athletes birthdays.
In 1975, Tiger WoodsBorn in Cypress, California. Nine years later, he died in Akron (Ohio). LeBron JamesThis is how they came into this world. Thats a lot of athletic dominance, mega-stardom in one day.
There are also a few other dates that feature birthdays of many all-time sports stars. Adding great birthdays from pop-culture, however, does Tiger and King James make Dec. 30, the G.O.A.T. G.O.A.T birthdays Lets light the candles, take a look at some important days, and compare.
The date: December 30
Sports G.O.A.T.(s) Born today: LeBron and Tiger Woods have the record for PGA Tour wins (82) as well as the second-most major victories (15). James holds four NBA titles with three teams. He will be retiring in 2023. It will beThe NBAs all time leading scorer. Forbes also lists Tiger and LeBron among the few athletes with net worths greater than $1 million.
What else did the day bring us?
Sandy Koufaxs brilliance: He was a busy man over a 12-year period. Four World Series titles were won by Koufax with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers. In two of those series, he was named World Series MVP. He also won the Cy Young unanimously three times.
The Boss and Punk Poet LaureatePatti Smith, an American singer, songwriter and punk music icon, was born on this date in 1946. Smiths cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Because the Night , her most well-known song, has been released on 11 albums and 27 books. It reached No. It reached No. 13 in the 1978 Billboard Hot 100.
Any other questions?: The Jungle Book , Rudyard Kipling, born 1865; Roman Pearce, born 1978, from the Fast and Furious franchise (Tyrese Gilbert); one Roman Emperor (Titus), born 39 A.D.
The date: February 17
Sports G.O.A.T. Todays born: Michael Jordan
1963 saw the arrival of His Airness. The rest is history. Jordan is a pop culture icon whose influence continues almost 20 years after his playing days. He won the NCAA title, two Olympic golds medals, six NBA titles and five league MVPs.
What else did the day bring us?
This is the best running back experience ever: Jim Brown was born on this day in 1936 and held all the NFL rushing records. He did it in only nine seasons (1957-1965) with the Cleveland Browns. Brown held records for rushing yards per game, season, and career. He was also at that time the leagues leader in total touchdowns and rush yards.
He retired to be an actor and was immediately great in The Dirty Dozen.
Rock icons: Green Days Billie Joe Armstrong met Taylor Hawkins from Foo Fighters in 1972, some 1,700 miles apart. Heres Hawkins singing the song. Times like These
Any other questions?: An Oscar winner (Brenda Fricker was born in 1945); the 46 defense (Buddy Ryan was born in 1931).
The date: June 11,
Sports G.O.A.T. Todays birth: Diana Taurasi
ESPN voted Taurasi The greatest playerIn the first 25 years, the WNBA. She is a model of consistency and longevity, as well as being extremely clutch — so much so that Kobe Bryant chose her to be his replacement. She was given the nickname White Mamba. She is also an amazing winner. Taurasi holds an NCAA title, Olympic gold medal and FIBA World Cup title.
What else did the day bring us?
More from the UConn Dynasty: With the NCAA, Taurasi won three titles UConn HuskiesThe last in 2004. The Huskies had a difficult time, and they didnt win a title until 2009. Maya Moore, who was also born June 11, helped to overcome that. Moore won two college championships and four WNBA crowns. He then quit basketball to do philanthropic work. On June 11, we had players who, together, won five NCAA titles, seven WNBA titles, and seven Olympic golds.
NFL Edition: More winners: One of the Super Bowl trophy winners has his name on it. The other has won the trophy four times. Vince Lombardi, who was born in 1913, is considered one of the NFLs greatest coaches. He became the Green Bay PackersIn a dynasty, they never lost a single season.
Joe Montana was born in 1956 and became a Hall of Famer. San Francisco 49ersThere were four Super Bowls in 1980s. We can add 11 NFL championships to our list if we keep track.
Any other questions?: Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder was born in 1933); Tyrion Lannister was born 1969; Peter Dinklage was born 1969; and Toyota (Kiichiro Toyoda was born 1894).
The date: September 26
Sports G.O.A.T. Todays birth: Serena Williams
She is the best tennis player she has ever seen, winning 23 Grand Slam titles. Williams was ranked No. For 319 weeks, Williams was ranked No.1 by the Womens Tennis Association. She is the only player to have won three consecutive Grand Slams, which has been called the Serena Slam . She did it twice. She is also a fashion icon. Minority ownerYou can find the Miami Dolphins.
What else did the day bring us?
The Buss dynasty is still going strong: As the controlling shareholder of the Los Angeles LakersJeanie Buss was born in 1961 and is one the most prominent figures in sports. She continues the family business that her father, Dr. Jerry Buss began to make the Lakers a successful franchise that is well-respected around the world. Buss became the first female owner to control an NBA team in 2020.
Speed of light: Albert Einsteins special theory on relativity was born in 1905, when he published a scientific paper. Stephen Hawking described this theory in A Brief History of Time . He stated that the laws of science (including light speed) should be the same for all observers no matter how they move in the absence of gravitational phenomena. Einsteins theory led to his work on mass and energy and the worlds most famous equation: E=mc².
Any other questions?: NASCAR (founder Bill France; born 1909); Hockey power Twins (Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin; born 1980). Physical (singer Olivia Newton-John, born 1948).
The date: January 26
Sports G.O.A.T. born today: Wayne Gretzky
He is literally The Great One. Gretzky holds the scoring record for goals in one period. This includes goals scored in a single season, a single season, and in a career. To go with his four Stanley Cup titles, Gretzky also holds six assist records.
What else did the day bring us?
The dunk godVince Carter (born 1977), is probably the greatest dunker ever. Its easy to see why. You can just watch.
Reggie Dunlop, Fast Eddie FelsonPaul Newman, born 1925, was an American actor who made memorable performances in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Cool Hand Luke, and Hud . His filmography also includes three great sports movies. He was the hockey coach and player who encouraged some dirty play in Slap shot. Newman is the pool shark Eddie Felson in The Hustler , and The Color of Money, where he won his Academy Award for acting.
Any other questions?: Five-star general (Douglas MacArthur was born 1880); one half (Michael Hegstrand, aka Road Warrior Hawk) of The Road Warriors; a former SmackDown Womens Champion, (Sasha Banks, was born 1992); the creator of This guitar solo (Eddie Van Halen, born 1955).