1954
Ken Sears, then starring at Santa Clara, becomes the first basketball player ever to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Despite being the cover athlete, Sears is not the subject of a feature article. Instead, the sports of weightlifting, sailing, bowling, deer hunting, and bridge were highlighted alongside the usual suspects of tennis, soccer, boxing, and baseball.
1929
Don Sunderlage is born in Rosselle, Illinois.
1959
Trent Tucker is born in Tarboro, North Carolina.
1966
Seattle is officially approved for an NBA expansion franchise starting with the ’67-’68 season, later named the SuperSonics.
1970
Despite still being ineligible due to NBA age rules, Spencer Haywood signs a contract with the Seattle SuperSonics, with Sonics owner Sam Schulman promising to cover all fees from resulting legal action.
1981
Royal Ivey is born in Harlem, New York.
1989
Bill Russell is fired as vice president of the Kings after two years in the role. He would never work in the NBA again in an official capacity.
1990
Marta Xargay is born in Girona, Spain.
1997
De’Aaron Fox is born in New Orleans, Louisiana.
2001
For the first time in over 36 years, Chick Hearn is not on hand to broadcast a Lakers game, missing the team’s win over the Rockets while recovering from heart surgery.
More on the Seattle SuperSonics
- Loyal foot soldiers: 10 role players who spent their entire NBA career with one team
- Foundational pieces: 30 notable NBA expansion draft picks
- Won’t see my picture on the cover: 10 NBA Finals that weren’t featured on a Sports Illustrated cover
- Golden voices: Eight NBA announcers with retired microphones
- We built this city for pick and roll: 10 cities that have been rumored NBA franchise destinations
- Testing the waters and creating a ripple: 15 free agency signings that changed the NBA
- Sonic boom: Ranking the 23 greatest players in Seattle SuperSonics history
- Meet the new boss, same as the old boss: 22 NBA coaches who had multiple stints with the same franchise
- Heart of the deal: 10 notable NBA franchise ownership changes
- Heading on down the highway: 14 current NBA franchises that have re-located
More on Spencer Haywood
- Itttttttt’s Showtime!: Ranking the 30 players who won a title as Magic Johnson’s Lakers teammate
- Sonic boom: Ranking the 23 greatest players in Seattle SuperSonics history
- Gold standards: Ranking the 18 U.S. men’s Olympic basketball teams
- Order on the court: 10 people or entities who have filed notable lawsuits against the NBA
- I can’t dance: 15 greatest NBA players who (played in Division I but) never reached the NCAA Tournament
- No longer home for the holidays: 20 notable NBA transactions that took place in late December
Basketball, Listed 