Michael Redd
A left-handed sharpshooter from Ohio who rose from a second-round draft pick to become one of the NBA's most feared and consistent scorers.
Born 1979 (age 47)·American basketball player·Birthday: August 24·Generation X
Biography
Michael Redd's story is one of quiet determination and a lightning-quick release. Drafted 43rd overall by the Milwaukee Bucks, the Ohio State product was initially an afterthought. But he honed a devastatingly efficient offensive game, built around a pure left-handed shooting stroke that became one of the league's most reliable weapons. He exploded in the mid-2000s, averaging over 25 points per game and earning an All-Star nod, all while embodying the workmanlike ethos of Milwaukee. Redd's peak was cruelly shortened by a series of knee injuries, but his resilience was on full display when he fought back to earn a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic 'Redeem Team,' claiming gold in Beijing. He left the game as a testament to how far supreme skill and relentless practice can take you.
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.
Michael was born in 1979, 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 Michael Was Born
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Michael's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1979Born
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1984Started school
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1992Became a teenager
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Could drive
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1997Could vote
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Turned 21
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
2009Turned 30
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 40
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 47 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- NBA All-Star in 2004 and named to the All-NBA Third Team the same season.
- Olympic gold medalist with the United States 'Redeem Team' at the 2008 Beijing Games.
- Averaged a career-high 26.7 points per game for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2006-07 season.
- Holds the Bucks franchise record for points in a quarter (30) and three-pointers in a game (10).
Did You Know?
He is a devout Christian and the son of a pastor.
He scored a career-high 57 points in a game against the Utah Jazz in 2006.
After retirement, he became a part-owner of the Columbus Fury, a professional volleyball team.
“I just kept working. I knew my time was coming.”
