Houston Rockets Trade Hakeem Olajuwon To Toronto Raptors

On August 2, 2001, following in the footsteps of New York Knicks, who had recently traded Patrick Ewing to Seattle, the Houston Rockets trade an aging Hakeem Olajuwon, their best player in franchise history, to the Toronto Raptors for a pair of draft picks. Olajuwon was one of the 50 greatest players in history and had spent the previous 17 years in Houston. But upon making it clear that the Raptors were offering him more money, the Rockets moved him in a sign-and-trade.

Many wondered if the alliance of Olajuwon and Vince Carter would make the Raptors, who came within a jump shot of beating the Eastern Conference champion 76ers, a legitimate contender. But those who felt this way overestimated Olajuwon, who had been trailing off in his later years in Houston. With the Raptors, on a new team, in a different country, Hakeem's performance faltered. In 61 games, Olajuwon shot only 46.4% from the floor while averaging just 7.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game -- all career lows.

The Raptors lost to the Detroit Pistons in the first round that year. Before the start of the next season, the 39 year-old Olajuwon called it quits after suffering a back injury, ending one of the best careers in NBA history. Olajuwon was so irrelevant in Toronto that many people may be surprised to learn he even played there.

Olajuwon ended his career as one the most prolific scoring centers to have played the game and was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2008. Olajuwon finished his career as a two-time NBA Champion in 1994 and 1995, and was the NBA MVP in 1994, and the NBA Finals MVP in 1994 and 1995. Olajuwon was also selected to the NBA’s 50^th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996.

NBA Approves Move Of Vancouver Grizzlies To Memphis

On July 3, 2001, NBA owners approve the Vancouver Grizzlies to move to Memphis, Tennessee -- just six years after the Grizzlies joined the NBA as an expansion team.

Attendance for Grizzlies games had been tepid from the start, and with a roster as bad as it gets, the Grizz saw what little fans they had spurn the team completely.

The NBA's experiment in Vancouver, which many considered the best city in all of North America, was an immense failure that many people still look back on. With the move, the Toronto Raptors became the sole NBA team in Canada.

There were several reasons, besides the financial aspect, why the team was forced to migrate to Memphis. For some, the blame rested on the decision to give Bryant "Big Country" Reeves a $65 million contract.

Not only was Reeves not a star, he was perpetually injured and wound up collecting the final years of his contract from the comfort of his sofa.

However, many people blamed the fate of the Grizzlies on Steve Francis, who the Grizzlies had drafted in 1999 with the No. 2 pick. Francis refused to play in Canada and was forced to be dealt to the Houston Rockets two months later. Francis went on to become a star in Houston and deprived the Grizzlies from having a player the could market and build around.


In Memphis, the Grizzlies spent several seasons playing at the Memphis Pyramid before a new stadium was constructed.

Even though they were now in the smallest market in the league, the team experienced a modest improvement in attendance -- mainly because they were now in a city where basketball was a big deal.

Vancouver showed the NBA that you can't just put a team anywhere; the city has to clamor for one in order for it to work.

The 1995 NBA Draft

On June 28, 1995, the NBA Draft took place at the Skydome in Toronto, Ontario. This marked the first occasion that the draft was held outside the United States.

The 1995 NBA Draft was also the first for the newly added expansion teams, both Canadian squads in the Vancouver Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors, who held the sixth and seventh picks, respectively.  

With the sixth pick the Grizzlies selected center Bryant “Big Country” Reeves out of Oklahoma State, while the Raptors chose point guard Damon Stoudamire from the Arizona Wildcats.  Reeves turned out to be a bust playing in only six seasons in the NBA and averaging a mediocre 12.5 points per game throughout his career.

Damon Stoudamire went on to enjoy a fine NBA career.  In his first year he was awarded the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the league’s Rookie of the Year.  Stoudamire would play 13 seasons, many as a starter and appeared in the playoffs seven times.

Los Angeles Lakers Sign Magic Johnson To 25 Year Deal

There are short contracts. There are long contracts. And then there's the contract Magic Johnson received on June 26, 1981.

After just two seasons, Magic Johnson was already considered one of the most talented players the NBA ever had. It was that level of skill that granted Magic the the most extensive deal in NBA history, as Jerry Buss handed Magic a 25-year, $25 million contract to stick around with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The deal began in 1984, would have ended in 2009, and gave the Lakers' guard one million per season. 

Johnson became just the third player to earn a million-dollar annual salary, joining fellow L.A. teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Houston Rockets forward Moses Malone.

Though he had been given largest contract in the history of professional sports, Johnson was a long way from being happy. Only five months later, the franchise player asked to be traded and subsequently forced Buss to fire head coach Paul Westhead.



With the hiring of Pat Riley in Westhead's place, Johnson remained with the Los Angeles Lakers and helped them win multiple titles over the course of the decade. But by the time his contract became active, it was no longer the lucrative mega-deal that it was when he signed it. Players of all sports were now making $2-3 million a year, and his 25-year deal was preventing him from raking in the cash. He later renegotiated his deal and resumed make top dollar like everyone else.

Dallas Mavericks Trade For Dirk Nowitzki And Steve Nash

On June 24, 1998, the Dallas Mavericks pull off one of the greatest draft day trades of all time, acquiring not one but two franchise players in one fell swoop. 

In what was essentially a three-team trade involving the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns, the Dallas Mavericks received Dirk Nowitzki (the ninth pick in the draft) from the Milwaukee Bucks for Robert "Tractor" Traylor (the sixth pick in the draft) and Pat Garrity; the Mavs then traded Garrity, two throw-in players, and a future first round draft pick to the Suns for Steve Nash.

The move, orchestrated by Dallas head coach Don Nelson, was a brilliant one. Steve Nash went from being an above-average backup to becoming the best point guard in the NBA. Nowitzki became the most versatile seven-footer the league had ever seen and was the first European-born player to win the MVP. 

With the help of those two, the Mavericks went from one of the most inept franchises in the league to a perennial powerhouse in the Western Conference.

 

Steve Nash would later return to Phoenix as a free agent, where he won two MVP awards and turned the franchise around. 

The Bucks, on the other hand, did not get a consolation prize. Tractor Traylor played only seven seasons in the NBA and had a career average of 4.8 points per game -- miles away from Dirk Nowitzki, who averaged 26.6 per game in 2006.

Bucks fans would rue the trade for years to come. Had they not traded away Nowitzki and instead teamed him with their big three of Ray Allen, Sam Cassell, and Glenn Robinson -- a team that would go to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2001 -- the Bucks would have been a championship-caliber team. Instead they watched in agony as the Mavericks advanced to the NBA Finals in 2006, while their team struggled just to stay relevant.

Nowitzki has since won an NBA title with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, beating the Miami Heat in six games to win himself, Mark Cuban the Mavericks general manager and the fans of Dallas basketball franchise their first NBA Championship. Nowitzki also won the NBA MVP in 2007, along with being named an NBA All-Star 11 times.

Nash has since went on to win two NBA MVP’s in 2005 and 2006, as a member of the Phoenix Suns, where he was traded in 2004, as well as being named to eight NBA All-Star games.

Portland Trailblazers Initiate "Hack-a-Shaq"

On May 20, 2000, the Portland Trailblazers played against the Los Angeles Lakers in a playoff game, but the big news was what happened to Shaquille O’Neal on that day.

Shaquille O'Neal (right) and Kobe Bryant (left) hug it out during Game 1 of the series with the Portland Trailblazers in 2002.

For years, NBA teams had taken advantage of poor free throw shooters by intentionally fouling them and forcing them to hit freebies. The most prevalent form of this strategy was the "Hack-a-Shaq," named after Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq's 350-pound body was so strong and so imposable that teams would occasionally wrap him up in an attempt to take advantage of his weak foul-shooting.

Usually though, this type of intentional fouling was limited to only a few hacks a game. Never before had the Hack-a-Shaq technique been employed as a regular defense. Yet that's exactly what happened in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, when the Portland Trail Blazers visited the Los Angeles Lakers. Portland was so overpowered by O'Neal that they implemented the Hack-a-Shaq for the final six minutes of the fourth quarter. When it was all said and done, O'Neal had taken 25 free throws in under six minutes and made 12 of them. Overall, he finished with 41 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks.

The strategy temporarily worked, as the Blazers were able to cut it to a nine-point game with just under five minutes left. But Shaq caught fire at the line and made seven in a row down the stretch. The Lakers won, 109-94, in one of the slowest fourth quarters in league history.

"Obviously, if we get down in a game, that's what we're going to do," said Portland coach Mike Dunleavy. "Had we scored a few more times, we would have put ourselves in position to win. He's a great player. I like Shaq a lot. He just can't make his free throws."

Many were furious at Dunleavy's decision, which had reduced the pace of the game to a crawl. But many coaches were intrigued. Putting a player like Shaq, who hit less than half of his freebies, on the charity stripe instead of letting him score wasn't all that crazy an idea -- at least in a desperate situation like the Blazers were in.

Just a couple weeks later, in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Pacers coach Larry Bird took it to the next level. With his team getting stomped by Los Angeles, Bird had his team foul O'Neal on almost every possession in the fourth quarter. Shaq attempted a record 39 free throws in that game and made 19 of them. The Pacers were able to mount a slight comeback, though it wasn't enough to get them back in the game. Los Angeles won, 111-104. Shaq finished with 40 points and 24 rebounds.

Golden State Warriors Upset The Dallas Mavericks

On May 3, 2007, the Golden State Warriors completed one of the biggest upsets in sports history with a game-six win, taking the Western Conference Quarterfinals from the NBA Leading Dallas Mavericks.

It all started in April though, the Golden State Warriors were done. After a one-point loss in Washington, where the deciding point came from a technical foul by head coach Don Nelson in the final seconds, the Warriors had lost six in a row. They were nine games under .500 and Nelson was already looking ahead to the next season.



The Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Dallas Mavericks in 2007.

But in their next game, the team - fresh off of a trade in which they acquired Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington. They Warriors into Detroit, one of the best teams in the NBA at the time, and destroyed them, leading by 26 at point.

Golden State won 16 of their final 21 games and nine of their last ten to advance to the postseason for the first time in 13 years.

The Warriors met the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, a team Don Nelson had coached only a few years earlier. The Warriors were the only team to beat the Mavericks three times and had won six of the last seven meetings with them.

But with the Warriors as an eight-seed, and the Mavericks as the best team in basketball, no one gave them much of a chance.

Nevertheless, the upset took place. Backed by a raucous home crowd, the Warriors defeated the Mavericks in just six games. Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, and Matt Barnes had the series of their lives, while the Mavericks appeared rattled by the Warriors’ unorthodox style.

 Baron Davis and the "We Believe" crowd at Oracle after a Game 6 upset of the Dallas Mavericks.

Nelson went small-ball on the Mavs, playing small forward Al Harrington at center, shooting guard Stephen Jackson at power forward, and Monta Ellis at shooting guard.

In the end, their frenetic style was simply too much for the Mavs. On May 3, the Warriors completed the upset by crushing the Mavericks, 111-86 in Game 6. It was the first time in American sports that a team that won 25 games less than its opponent went on to win the playoff series.

In the second round they faced Jerry Sloan's Utah Jazz, who muscled their way to a five-game series win. It was a one-shot wonder for the Warriors, who lost most of their roster only a few years later. As for the Mavs, they remained competitive, but another early exit in 2008 cost head coach Avery Johnson his job.

The Golden State Warriors once again made the playoffs this year, the second time in as many years, and once again faced an uphill battle against the Los Angeles Clippers.

However this year the Warriors playoff series was almost derailed by the shameful remarks that former Clippers owner Donald Sterling made.

Game 7 of the series between the Warriors and Clippers is tonight at the Staples Center in L.A.

David Robinson Scores 71; Wins NBA Scoring Title

On April 24, 1993, On the final day of the regular season for the NBA, David Robinson, "The Admiral," of the San Antonio Spurs and Shaquille O'Neal, then on the Orlando Magic, were virtually tied as scoring leaders on the season, as their respected teams ended the year on a Sunday.

With Robinson's Spurs on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers, his game would conclude just as O'Neal's would begin; fearing that O'Neal would simply aim to outscore him, Robinson's teammates did everything they could to get him the ball.



When it was all said done, Robinson scored a remarkable 71 points -- joining Wilt Chamberlain, David Thompson, and Elgin Baylor as the only players to reach the 70s -- as his Spurs won 112-97. Robinson shot 26-41 from the field, made 18-25 free throws, and even knocked down a three-point shot.

His teammates deferred to him on every possession and even fouled down the stretch just to get him more shot attempts. Shaquille O'Neal needed 68 points to win back the scoring title, but he finished with a quiet 32.

In the final total, Robinson finished with 29.8 points per game, while Shaq ended with a 29.3 average.

 Members of the Orlando Magic cried foul, particularly head coach Brian Hill, who called it a "farce that's bad for basketball." "We certainly wanted Shaquille to win the scoring title," Hill said.

"But we didn't make a mockery of the game like they did in Los Angeles -- I hear the Clippers just let David score whenever he wanted ... We played a game tonight -- it wasn't a mockery."



Spurs coach John Lucas defended the point total, as did Robinson himself. "It is a lot of work going after those points," he said. "The Clippers didn't want me to get it. They were bumping and grinding and double-teaming me. That's the hardest I've ever had to work for some points."

Danny Ainge and Wayne Rollins Rumble

On April 24, 1983, a classic NBA altercation takes place.

In a first round meeting between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks, Boston sharp-shooter Danny Ainge takes one too many elbows from Hawks center Wayne "Tree" Rollins.

Ainge, who had allegedly called Rollins a "sissy," finally ran up and tackled the 7-footer, causing a bench-clearing brawl to ensue. While Ainge and Rollins were scuffling on the floor, Rollins took a bite at Ainge's middle finger.

"He almost bit my finger off,'' Ainge said in a  Sports Illustrated interview. "He bit it all the way through. I had to get two stitches.''

Ainge was ejected from the game, as was Atlanta guard Mike Glenn. Rollins, however, was not ejected. Boston went on to win the game and sweep the Hawks out of the postseason. Rollins was later given a $5,000 fine and a five-game suspension to be assessed at the beginning of the '83-84 season.

The Boston Herald covered the story with the headline: "Tree Bites Man." In later years, the facts of the incident began to strain, and people began to believe that it was Ainge who had bitten Rollins, and not the other way around. Ainge was able to dispell these rumors, though only after displaying the scar that had been made on his middle finger.

Magic Johnson Breaks NBA Record

On April 15, 1991, Los Angeles Lakers guard, Magic Johnson broke the record for all-time assists in a career.

Johnson earned his 9,888th career assist, breaking the record which was previously held by Oscar Robertson.

Johnson would end his career with 10,141 assists, but his record would not last long. 
Less than four years later, John Stockton of the Utah Jazz passed Johnson and went on to add over 5,000 more assists to his record.  Stockton finished his career with an astounding 15,806 career assists.

Utah Jazz Legend John Stockton Sets NBA Record

On April 7, 1989 John Stockton is the first NBA player to have back-to-back 1,000 assist seasons.

Stockton spent his entire career with the Utah Jazz from 1984 to 2003. He is considered one of the best point guards of all-time.

John Stockton in 1989 with the Utah Jazz.

Stockton holds the NBA record for most career assists with 15,806 and steals with 3,265. The next closest player to Stockton in assists is Jason Kidd with 12,072, and steals is Kidd again with 2,674.

John Stockton averaged a career double-double, with 13.1 points and 10.5 assists per game. He had five of the top six assists seasons in NBA history (the other belonging to Isiah Thomas). He holds the NBA record for the most seasons, games, and a consecutive game played with one team, and is third in total games played, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Robert Parish. He missed only 22 games during his career, 18 of them in one season. He played in 38 games where he tallied 20 or more assists.

Stockton appeared in 10 All-Star games, and was named co-MVP of the game in 1993 with Jazz teammate Karl Malone, which was held in Salt Lake City, Utah. He played with the 1992 and 1996 US Olympic basketball teams, the first Olympic squads to feature NBA players, keeping the game ball from both gold medal games.

He was selected to the All-NBA First Team twice, the All-NBA Second Team six times, the All-NBA Third Team three times, and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team five times. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history in 1996.

Stockton's career highlight came in Game 6 of the 1997 Western Conference Finals. Stockton scored the last nine points for the Jazz, including a buzzer-beating 3-point shot over the Houston Rockets' Charles Barkley, to send the Jazz to the first of its two consecutive NBA Finals appearances. In both of these appearances, Stockton's Jazz teams were defeated by the Chicago Bulls.

In Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, Stockton made a three-pointer with 41.9 seconds left to give the Jazz an 86–83 lead, but Bulls guard Michael Jordan made two field goals to put his team ahead 87–86, the second one after stealing from Jazz forward Karl Malone. Stockton missed a three-point attempt with 5.2 seconds left and said in a post-game interview that he felt confident that the shot would go in.

For many years, he and Malone were the Jazz's 1-2 punch. The two played a record 1,412 regular-season games together as teammates (by comparison, only three other NBA players besides Stockton and Malone have reached 1,412 NBA games played). Many of Stockton's assists resulted from passes to Malone. Stockton earned the "old school" tag for his physical play - surveys of athletes and fans alike often judged him among the toughest players in the NBA, usually just behind teammate Karl Malone. His uniform of "short shorts" was noteworthy as he was the most recent notable NBA player to wear them, preferring the style after the rest of the league had adopted today's baggier look. Off the court, he dressed in rather ordinary attire, which contrasted with many of his NBA contemporaries who favored flashy designer clothes. Stockton was and is known for his reserved demeanor in interviews.

On May 2, 2003, Stockton announced his retirement with a released statement instead of the customary news conference. The Jazz later held a retirement ceremony for him, in which Salt Lake City renamed the street in front of the Energy Solutions Arena (then known as the Delta Center), where the Jazz play, John Stockton Drive.

His number-12 jersey was retired by the Jazz during a game on November 22, 2004. A statue of Stockton can be seen in front of the Energy Solutions Arena; an accompanying statue of Karl Malone was placed nearby on March 23, 2006.

The Malone and Stockton statues stand on a bronze plaque commemorating their achievements together. Stockton was announced as a member of the 2009 class of inductees to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on April 6, 2009; he was formally inducted on September 11. Stockton chose 2000 inductee and fellow point guard Isiah Thomas to present him at the induction ceremony.

Along with his teammate Karl Malone, Stockton is considered one of the best players who never won an NBA championship.

Indiana Hoosiers Win NCAA Championship

On March 30, 1981, Indiana beats North Carolina 63-50 for the NCAA tournament championship.

Indiana, coached by Bob Knight, won the national title in the final game over North Carolina, coached by Dean Smith. Isiah Thomas of Indiana was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

A young Bobby Knight riding on the shoulders of his 1981 NCAA Champion Indiana Hoosiers team.

This was the last year the NCAA tournament in which the national third-place game would be played. The final third place game pitted up Virginia and LSU. Virginia would win in their first Final Four appearance.

The Indiana Hoosiers have amassed five NCAA Tournament Championships in 1940, 1953, 1976, 1981 and 1987. The Hoosiers have also finished NCAA Tournament runner-up once, in 2002. Indiana has reached the Final Four a total of eight times including once from every decade starting in the 70s through the 2000s. The Hoosiers have made the Elite Eight a total of 11 times, including back-to-back appearances in 1975-1976 and 1992-1993. Indiana has been to the Sweet 16 a total of 21 times, including four consecutive appearances from 1991-1994, and now back-to-back appearances from 2012 and 2013. The Hoosiers have been invited to 37 NCAA Tournaments, including 18-straight appearances from 1986-2003.

The Indiana Hoosiers have appeared in 95 NCAA Tournament games, good enough for seventh all-time behind only Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, Duke and Louisville. Their record of 64-31 is the ninth best winning percentage, .673, of all time. But it is seventh among all teams with more than 13 NCAA Tournament games played. Their 64-wins in the NCAA Tournament is also tied for seventh all-time behind Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, Duke and Louisville

Indiana missed out on the NCAA Tournament this year and will look to next season to add onto their historic legacy.

The North Carolina Tar Heels have amassed five NCAA Tournament Championships in 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005 and 2009. The Tar Heels were the runner-up four times in 1946, 1968, 1977 and 1981. North Carolina has been in the Final Four a total of 18 times, including three consecutive appearances from 1967-1969. The Tar Heels have reached the Elite Eight 26 times, including three-consecutive times twice, in 1967-1969 and 2007-2009. North Carolina has played in the Sweet 16 a total of 31 times, including 13-straight years from 1981-1993. The Tar Heels have been invited to the NCAA Tournament a total of 45 times, including 27-consecutive years from 1975-2001.

The North Carolina Tar Heels have appeared in 153 NCAA Tournament games, well enough for second all-time behind only Kentucky. Their record of 110-43 is good enough for fourth all-time in winning percentage, .718, behind only Florida Gulf Coast, Duke and UCLA. However, they are third all-time with teams playing with more than three games. Their 110-wins in the NCAA Tournament is good enough for second most all-time behind only Kentucky’s 114.

North Carolina had to give up their dream of adding onto their five NCAA Tournament championships when they lost to Iowa State in the third round.

Bston Celtics' Havlicek Sets NBA Record

On March 20, 1976, John Havlicek of the Boston Celtics became the first NBA player to score more than 1,000 points per season for 14 consecutive seasons.

Boston Celtics guard John Havlicek (right) drives to the lane against the New York Knicks in a game in 1976.

Havlicek, the 8-time NBA Champion and 13-time NBA Al-Star was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984, six years after his retirement in 1978. The Celtics in Boston Garden retired Havlicek’s jersey, no.17 immediately after his retirement.

In 1997 Havlicek was selected and one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. In SLAM Magazine’s Top 50 NBA Players list in 2009, Havlicek was ranked no.17, like his jersey. He was also named the 13^th best player of all-time in Bill Simmons, Book of Basketball: The NBA According to the Sports Guy.

Havlicek scored 26,395 points in his career, an average of 20.8 per game. He also recorded 8,007 rebounds, an average of 6.3 per game, and 6,114 assists, an average of 4.8 per game.

Michael Jordan Returns

On March 19, 1995, Michael Jordan returns to the Chicago Bulls to beat the Indiana Pacers. The return from Jordan to the NBA came after a 17-month retirement, in which he played baseball for the Chicago White Sox minor league team the Birmingham Barons.

Michael Jordan with the Chicago White Sox in Spring Training of 1994.

On March 18, Jordan announced his return to the NBA through a two-word press release: "I'm back." The next day, Jordan donned jersey number 45 (his number with the Barons), as his familiar 23 had been retired in his honor following his first retirement. He took to the court with the Bulls to face the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, scoring 19 points.

The game had the highest Nielsen rating of a regular season NBA game since 1975.

Michael Jordan wearing the jersey No. 45 upon his return to the Chicago Bulls ii the March 19, 1995 game against the Indiana Pacers.

Although he hadn't played an NBA game in a year and a half, Jordan played well upon his return, making a game-winning jump shot against Atlanta in his fourth game back. He then scored 55 points in the next game against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 28, 1995 (his first appearance at Madison Square Garden since retiring). Boosted by Jordan's comeback, the Bulls went 13–4 to make the playoffs and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Orlando Magic.

Though at the end of Game 1, Orlando's Nick Anderson stripped Jordan from behind, leading to the game-winning basket for the Magic; he would later comment that Jordan "didn't look like the old Michael Jordan", after which Jordan returned to wearing his old number. Jordan averaged 31 points per game in the series, but Orlando prevailed in six games.

The return of the Jordan to the NBA was good for television and the league, but even greater for the Bulls. His “Airness” would lead the Bulls to their second three-peat championships from 1996-1998.

Jordan is talked about as one of the best players of all-time, and with good reason he won six NBA Championships, earning the NBA Finals MVP each time. He was named the NBA’s MVP five times, an All-Star 14 times, and the MVP of the All-Star game three times. He was a 10 time NBA scoring champion, and three times the NBA steals champ, he was also a two time NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion and was the Defensive Player of the Year in 1988.

He was nominated to the All-NBA First Team 10 times, Second Team once, All-Defensive First Team nine times, the All-Rookie First Team as well being named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1985.

The Miami Heat has retired twice by the Bulls and Jordan/s no. 23 jersey once. He was named to the NBA’s 50 Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996.

In his career Jordan scored 32,292 points for an average of 30.1 points per game. Only he and Wilt Chamberlain have averaged 30 or more points per game over their entire career. He also pulled in 6,672 rebounds and 5.633 assists. Jordan still ranks third all-time in steals with 2,514 trailing John Stockton and Jason Kiss.

In August 2009, the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, opened a Michael Jordan exhibit containing items from his college and NBA careers, as well as from the 1992 "Dream Team".

Jordan also won two Gold medals with Team USA at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics and the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics.

After Jordan received word of his being accepted into the Hall of Fame, he selected Class of 1996 member David Thompson to present him. As Jordan would later explain during his induction speech in September 2009, growing up in North Carolina, he was not a fan of the Tar Heels, and greatly admired Thompson, who played at rival North Carolina State.

He was inducted into the Hall in September, with several former Bulls teammates in attendance, including Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Charles Oakley, Ron Harper, Steve Kerr, and Toni Kukoc.  Former coaches of Jordan's, Dean Smith and Doug Collins, were also among those present.

Lenny Wilkens Sets NBA Record

On March 17, 1999, Hall of Fame basketball coach Lenny Wilkens coaches game number 2,051 setting a new NBA record.

Lenny Wilkens after receiving his Coach of the Year award from 1994.

Before Wilkens was a coach he was a player in the NBA, the St. Louis Hawks drafted him in the first round sixth overall.

He played in the NBA from 1960-1975, with the Hawks, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Trailblazers and scored 17,772 points, had 5,030 rebounds and 7,211 assists.

As a player he was a nine time All-Star, and the All-Star Game MVP in 1971. He was named to the NBA’s 50 Anniversary All-Time Team and his no. 19 jersey were retired by the SuperSonics.

Wilkens started coaching in 1969 with the SuperSonics, and coached with them until 1972 as a player coach, and in his one season as a player with Portland, he was a player-coach.

Wilkens retired from playing in 1975 and was the full-time coach of the Trail Blazers for one more season.

After a season off from coaching, he again became coach of the SuperSonics when he replaced Bob Hopkins who was fired 22 games into the 1977–1978 season after a dismal 5-17 start.

The SuperSonics won 11 of their first 12 games under Wilkens, made the playoffs, and ultimately reached the 1978 NBA Finals before losing in seven games to the Washington Bullets.

He coached in Seattle for eight seasons (1977–1985), winning his and Seattle's only NBA Championship in 1979.

He would go on to coach Cleveland (1986–1993), Atlanta (1993–2000), with Atlanta he won the NBA Coach of the Year in 1994, Toronto (2000–2003) and New York (2004–2005).

The Hall of Famer was named head coach of the New York Knicks on Jan. 15, 2004. After the Knicks' slow start to the 2004–2005 season, Wilkens resigned from the team on Jan. 22, 2005.

 

During the 1994-95 season Wilkens won career game 939, surpassing Boston Celtics legendary head coach Red Auerbach's record. He was the first coach to record 1,000 career victories and retired with a 1,332-1,155 won-loss record. He had the most wins all-time in the NBA until Golden State Warriors Coach Don Nelson surpassed the record in the 2009-2010 season.

Wilkens is in the Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach, and is only one of three players to earn that honor; the other two are John Wooden and Bill Sharman. He was inducted as a player in 1989 and a coach in 1996.

Wilkens won a Gold medal coaching the USA basketball team at the 1996 Olympics and was named one of the Top 50 Players and Top 10 Coaches in NBA History in 1996, and is the only player on both lists.

Larry Bird Sets Boston Celtics Scoring Record

On March 12, 1985,  Larry Bird scores a Boston Celtic record 60 points in a single game.

Boston Celtics great Larry Bird (left) with Atlanta Hawks great Dominque Wilkins (right).

During his career Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish and forward Kevin McHale.

Bird was a 12-time NBA All-Star, earning the All-Star Game MVP once, and was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times. He played his entire professional career for Boston, winning three NBA championships, and earning the NBA Finals MVP twice.

His other awards included being named to the All-NBA First team nine times, All-NBA second team once, being named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team three times. He was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1980 and was nominated to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He was a three-time Three-point Shootout champion from 1986-1988.

Due to chronic back problems, he retired as a player in 1992. He was a member of the Dream Team that won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Bird was voted to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996 and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.

He served as head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000. In 2003, he assumed the role of president of basketball operations for the Pacers, and he held that position until 2012. During his tenure as coach with the Pacers, Bird was named the NBA Coach of the Year in 1998 and NBA Executive of the year in 2012.

In addition to being part of the 50–40–90 Club, he is the only person in NBA history to be named Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.

During his career Bird scored 21,791 points, averaging 24.3 points per game. He dished out 5,695 assists for an average of 6.3 per game and had 8,974 rebounds, averaging 10 per game over his entire career.

Pat Riley Gets Win 400

On March 9, 1988, Hall of Fame basketball coach and owner Pat Riley gets win number 400 while coaching. He was the fastest ever to 400, taking just 540 games to get to that mark, all of those wins came with the Los Angeles Lakers.

 

Pat Riley (center) coaching up the 1990 Los Angeles Lakers team.

Riley is widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time; Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams and an assistant coach to another.

He was named NBA Coach of the Year three times (1989–90, 1992–93 and 1996–97, as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Heat, respectively). He was head coach of the NBA All-Star Game teams nine times: eight of the Western team (1982, 1983, 1985–1990, all as head coach of the Lakers) and once of the Eastern team (1993, as head coach of the Knicks). In 1996 he was named one of the 10 Greatest Coaches in the NBA history.

Pat Riley in 2007 with his Miami Heat NBA Finals ring.

Riley most recently won the 2012 NBA Championship with the Miami Heat as their team president. This made him the first (and so far only) NBA figure to win an NBA championship as a player, coach (both assistant and head), and executive. He received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the NBA Coaches Association on June 20, 2012.

Riley would finish his career with 1210 wins and only 694 losses, earning 171 playoff victories and 111 losses.

Riley has won many championships in his career as a player and as a coach including being on the 1972 Los Angeles Lakers Championship team, winning the 1980 NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers as an assistant coach before moving over to head coach where he won five NBA titles with the Lakers in 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988 and then 2006 with the Miami Heat.

Since 2006 Riley has stepped over to the front office with the Miami Heat, and has tacked on two more NBA Finals championships behind his name with the team winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013.

Lakers Shaquille O'Neal Scores 61 On Birthday

On March 6, 2000, Shaquille O’Neal scores 61 points on his birthday. Turning 28 years old, the Los Angeles Lakers ‘big man’ O’Neal scores a career high 61 against the Los Angeles Clippers ‘on the road’.

Los Angeles Lakers Shaquille O'Neal (left) backing down Detroit Pistons Ben Wallace (right).

A side note of the story was O’Neal had asked the Clippers to give seats for his family on his birthday, the Clippers denied his request and O’Neal was forced to spend money to purchase seats for his family.

In 45 minutes against the Clippers, O’Neal scored 61 points going 24-35 from the field, made 13-22 free throw attempts, pulled down 23 rebounds as the Lakers beat the Clippers 123-103.

O’Neal’s 61 points on his birthday, were the most the NBA had seen any player score on his birthday, and the first 60-20 performance since 1969, when Wilt Chamberlain accomplished the same feat.

O’Neal would end up winning his only MVP award of his career that season.

Los Angeles Declares March 5, "Derek Fisher Day"

 On March 5, 2008, the city of Los Angeles declared it “Derek Fisher Day” in praise of his work in the community, his love of his family and his commitment to his teammates.  Fisher was honored downtown at a City Hall ceremony where he gave a speech and was presented with a scroll.

Derek Fisher with the NBA Finals trophy after the Los Angeles Lakers won the title in 2010.

A perfect example of Derek’s devotion to his family and his dedication to his teammates came in 2007 when he announced his daughter had a rare form of eye cancer.  Fisher would be by his daughter’s side in New York while she underwent surgery and then later that day would fly to Salt Lake City to play in his Utah Jazz’s Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinal against the Golden State Warriors.

Derek would arrive to the game late in the third quarter to a standing ovation.  He would help send the game into overtime and would hit a late three-pointer to seal the victory for the Jazz, giving them a 2-0 series lead.

Fisher has enjoyed a great career in the NBA including winning five NBA Championships from 2000-2002 with the Los Angeles Lakers, and 2009-2010 with the Lakers again. He was also the NBA Shooting Stats champion in 2004.

Currently Fisher is playing with the Oklahoma City Thunder, his second stint with the team after playing with them for a short period in 2012.