Bryant Stith
A smooth-shooting guard whose loyalty to one NBA franchise made him a beloved figure in Denver Nuggets history.
Born 1970 (age 56)·American basketball player·Birthday: December 10·Generation X
Biography
Bryant Stith played nine NBA seasons defined by quiet consistency and a deep connection to Denver. He emerged from the University of Virginia as a scoring leader, drafted by the Nuggets in 1992. He became a reliable starter, hitting mid-range jumpers and steady free throws. Never a flashy superstar, he won fans with work ethic and community involvement, embodying the team's blue-collar 1990s spirit. Brief stops in Boston and Cleveland ended his playing days. He returned to Denver as a community ambassador, then channeled his knowledge into collegiate coaching.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Bryant was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bryant Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Bryant's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Scored over 7,000 points during his nine-season NBA career, primarily with the Denver Nuggets.
- Led the University of Virginia Cavaliers in scoring for three consecutive seasons from 1990 to 1992.
- Ranks among the Denver Nuggets' all-time leaders in three-point field goals made.
- Played a key role in the Nuggets' 1994 playoff run, which included a historic first-round upset of the Seattle SuperSonics.
Did You Know?
He was nicknamed 'B-Sharp' during his playing days.
His son, B.J. Stith, also played college basketball at the University of Virginia and Old Dominion University.
He majored in rhetoric and communication studies at the University of Virginia.
After his NBA career, he served as the Director of Basketball Development for the Denver Nuggets.
“My job was to make the open shot and get the stop.”
