Raja Bell
A defensive specialist who became one of the NBA's most feared perimeter stoppers, known for his physical play and clutch three-point shooting.
Born 1976 (age 50)·American basketball player·Birthday: September 19·Generation X
Biography
Raja Bell's path to the NBA was anything but guaranteed. Undrafted out of Florida International University in 1999, he scrapped his way onto rosters, his career defined by a relentless work ethic that turned him from a fringe player into a starting cornerstone for contenders. While he played for eight different teams, his identity was forged in Phoenix under Mike D'Antoni's 'Seven Seconds or Less' Suns. There, Bell became the defensive conscience of a high-octane offense, tasked with shadowing the league's most explosive guards. His physical, no-nonsense style, most famously exhibited in a clothesline tackle of Kobe Bryant during the 2006 playoffs, made him a villain to opponents and a hero to his fans. Beyond defense, he was a deadly corner-three shooter, providing essential spacing. His two All-Defensive Team selections are a testament to a player who carved out a 12-year career by mastering the gritty, unglamorous arts of the game.
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.
Raja was born in 1976, 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 Raja Was Born
The biggest hits of 1976
#1 Movie
Rocky
Best Picture
Rocky
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Raja's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1976Born
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Started school
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Became a teenager
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Could drive
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
1994Could vote
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Turned 21
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
2006Turned 30
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 40
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 50
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in both 2007 and 2008 while with the Phoenix Suns.
- Played a key starting role for the 2005-06 Phoenix Suns that reached the Western Conference Finals.
- Averaged a career-high 15.2 points per game during the 2006-07 season with the Suns.
- Led the NBA in three-point shooting percentage during the 2006-07 season at 44.2%.
Did You Know?
He is of Jamaican descent through his father and Panamanian descent through his mother.
He played college basketball at Boston University before transferring to Florida International University.
He once worked as a substitute teacher and a telemarketer while trying to make it into the NBA.
His jersey number 19 was retired by Florida International University in 2017.
“I wasn't the most talented guy, so I had to figure out a way to make myself valuable.”
