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1958

Larry Drew is born in Kansas City, Kansas.

1974

Jerry West plays just 14 minutes in game three of the Western Conference Semifinals due to a groin pull, in what would turn out to be the last game of his career. Elmore Smith and Gail Goodrich lead the Lakers to a 98-96 victory but the Bucks win the next two games to finish the series. West would retire in the ensuing offseason.

1975

Bob McAdoo is named league MVP for the ’74-’75 NBA season, in a controversial voting result over Rick Barry in second place.

1984

John Thompson becomes the first Black head coach to earn a Division I title in any college sport as Georgetown defeats Houston 84-75 in the National Final of the NCAA Tournament. Patrick Ewing is named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.

1985

The NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee officially adopts a 45-second shot clock, starting with the ’85-’86 season.

1986

Andris Biedrins is born in Riga, Latvia.

1989

Pat Summit’s Tennessee wins its second NCAA women’s tournament title, defeating Auburn 76-60 in the National Final in Tacoma, Washington. Bridgette Gordon is named Most Outstanding Player.

1990

UNLV defeats Duke 103-73 in the National Final of the NCAA Tournament in Denver, winning the first title in program history and setting the all-time records for most points in a championship game, and for biggest margin of victory. Anderson Hunt leads all scorers in the game with 29 points and is named Most Outstanding Player.

1994

Pascal Siakam is born in Douala, Cameroon.

1995

Geno Aueriemma’s Connecticut wins its first women’s NCAA tournament title, defeating Tennessee 70-64 in the National Final. With a 35-0 record, the Huskies also become just the second team to finish a women’s season undefeated. Rebecca Lobo is named Most Outstanding Player.

1996

The expansion Vancouver Grizzlies lose their 23rd straight game, 101-85 against the Trail Blazers, setting the still-standing NBA in-season losing streak record. They broke the streak one night later with a win over the Timberwolves.

2000

Connecticut defeats Tennessee 71-52 in the NCAA women’s tournament National Final in Philadelphia. Shea Ralph is named Most Outstanding Player.

2001

Duke defeats Arizona 82-72 in the NCAA Tournament National Final in Minneapolis. The star-studded game features future NBA players Richard Jefferson, Gilbert Arenas, and Luke Walton on the Arizona side against Carlos Boozer, Shane Battier, Mike Dunleavy, and Jay Williams for Duke. Battier is named Most Outstanding Player.

2002

The Lakers honor the Minneapolis title teams with a ceremony that features banners raised for each of the five championships, plus a banner honoring the six Hall of Fame inductees from those rosters: George Mikan, Vern Mikkelsen, Slater Martin, Jim Pollard, Clyde Lovellette, and coach John Kundla. Mikan would later have his #99 jersey retired proper in 2022.

2012

Kentucky defeats Kansas 67-59 in the NCAA Tournament National Final in New Orleans. Freshman sensation Anthony Davis is named Most Outstanding Player. It’s the first championship for coach John Calipari after three previous Final Four appearances.

2013

Shaquille O’Neal has his jersey #34 retired by the Lakers during a halftime ceremony. It’s a rare exception for the franchise, which traditionally only retires jerseys for players after they are inducted into the Hall of Fame (O’Neal was eventually inducted in 2014 in his first year of eligibility).

2017

Most Outstanding Player winner A’ja Wilson leads the way with 27 points and 10 rebounds as South Carolina wins its first ever NCAA women’s tournament title, defeating Mississippi State 67-55 in the National Final in Dallas.

2018

Villanova wins its second men’s NCAA Tournament title in three years, defeating Michigan 79-62 in the National Final in San Antonio. Donte DiVincenzo scores 30 points off the bench and is named Most Outstanding Player.

2019

In a Thunder victory over the Lakers, Russell Westbrook finishes with 20 points, 21 assists, and 21 rebounds, becoming only the second player in NBA history (after Wilt Chamberlain) to compile a 20-20-20 triple-double.

2023

LSU wins its first ever college basketball championship, men’s or women’s, with a 102-85 victory over Iowa in the National Final of the women’s NCAA Tournament. Angel Reese finishes with 15 points and 10 rebounds and is named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, while Iowa’s Caitlin Clark has 30 points and eight assists in the losing effort.

Fred VanVleet sets the Raptors single game franchise record with 20 assists in a 128-108 victory over the Hornets.

2024

In a rematch from the previous year’s National Final, Caitlin Clark drops 41 points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds to lead Iowa to a 94-87 victory over LSU in the Regional Finals of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

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