Rashard Lewis
A sweet-shooting forward who leaped from high school to All-Star games, then became the missing piece for LeBron James's first Miami Heat championship.
Born 1979 (age 47)·American basketball player·Birthday: August 8·Generation X
Biography
Rashard Lewis's game was a glimpse into basketball's future. Standing 6-foot-10 with a silky three-point stroke, he was a 'stretch four' before the term was commonplace. He bypassed college, drafted straight out of a Houston high school by the Seattle SuperSonics, where he and Ray Allen formed one of the league's most potent scoring duos. His max contract with the Orlando Magic in 2007 raised eyebrows, but he justified it by helping propel the team to the 2009 NBA Finals, spacing the floor for Dwight Howard. Lewis's career arc took a turn from star to specialist, a transition he mastered. Joining the Miami Heat in 2012, he embraced a reduced role, and his veteran savvy and shooting were crucial ingredients in the Heat's back-to-back titles, cementing his legacy as a player who evolved to win.
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.
Rashard 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 Rashard Was Born
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Rashard'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
- Won an NBA championship as a key role player with the Miami Heat in 2013.
- Selected as an NBA All-Star in 2005 (Seattle) and 2009 (Orlando).
- Holds the Orlando Magic franchise record for three-pointers made in a single season (220 in 2008-09).
Did You Know?
He was the 32nd overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, a 'second-round steal' who had a 16-year career.
Lewis was suspended for 10 games in 2009 after testing positive for a banned substance he said was in an over-the-counter supplement.
He wore jersey number 9 for much of his career because his birthday is August 8th (8/8), and 8+8 is 16, and 1+6 equals 7, but 7 was taken, so he chose 9, as 7+2 (his other favorite number) equals 9.
“I was shooting threes from the corner before it was the plan.”
