Sports Birthdays for December 4 — Bernard King and More
Here are some of the people in the sports world celebrating birthdays on December 4:
Alex Delvecchio
Age: 80
Profession: Retired NHL Player
Best Known For: A 13-time All-Star center, Alex Delvecchio played with the Detroit Red Wings from 1950 to 1974. Nicknamed 'Fats,' Delvecchio played on the 'Production Line' with Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay. He was a member of the Red Wings' teams that won the Stanley Cup in 1952, 1954 and 1955. After retiring as a player, Delvecchio served as Detroit's head coach twice and then as the team's general manager. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1977.
Dave Taylor
Age: 57
Profession: Retired NHL Player
Best Known For: A five-time NHL All-Star right wing, Dave Taylor played for the Los Angeles Kings from 1977 to 1994. He was a member of the vaunted 'Triple Crown' line with Marcel Dionne and Charlie Simmer. Taylor holds the team record for games played with 1,111. He was the team's general manager from 1997 to 2006.
Bernard King
Age: 56
Profession: Retired NBA Player
Best Known For: A four-time NBA All-Star forward, Bernard King played with the New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Washington Bullets from 1977 to 1993. He was the NBA scoring champion in 1985 while playing for the Knicks. During the 1985 season, King suffered a debilitating knee injury that affected his production for the rest of his career. He was a three-time SEC player of the year while in college at Tennessee.
Lee Smith
Age: 55
Profession: Retired MLB Player
Best Known For: A seven-time All-Star relief pitcher, Lee Smith played for eight teams from 1980 to 1997. Smith was named the National League's Rolaids Relief Man of the Year in 1991 and 1992 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was named the American League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year in 1994 with the Baltimore Orioles. Smith finished his career with 478 saves and held the major league record for the category from 1993 to 2006, when Trevor Hoffman passed him.
Martell Webster
Age: 26
Profession: NBA Player
Best Known For: Martell Webster is a shooting guard / small forward for the Washington Wizards. Since making his NBA debut in 2006, Webster has also played with the Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves.