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1943

Jim Fox is born in Atlanta, Georgia.

1946

Zaid Abdul-Aziz is born (as Donald Smith) in Brooklyn, New York.

1956

The Philadelphia Warriors defeat the Fort Wayne Pistons 99-88 in game five of the NBA Finals to clinch the second title in franchise history. Joe Graboski leads the way with 29 points and 16 rebounds, while Paul Arizin adds 26 points and 13 rebounds.

1961

Thurl Bailey is born in Washington, D.C.

1968

Due to president Lyndon Johnson declaring April 7 a “National Day of Mourning” in honor of Martin Luther King’s assassination, the NBA postpones game two of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and 76ers.

1969

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) of UCLA is the first overall pick of the Bucks in the NBA Draft in New York. The Bucks also grab a steal in the fourth round, drafting Bob Dandridge from Norfolk State.

1988

Led by former NBA MVP Bob McAdoo, Olimpia Milano wins its third EuroLeague title by defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv 90-84 in the championship game. McAdoo is named EuroLeague Final Four MVP.

1990

Jim Valvano is fired as the head coach at N.C. State, after numerous recruiting and player conduct scandals.

1998

Shawn Bradley breaks his own Mavericks single game franchise record with 13 blocks in a 99-91 loss to the Trail Blazers.

2003

Syracuse wins its first NCAA Tournament title in program history, defeating Kansas 81-78 in a thrilling National Final in New Orleans. Freshman phenom Carmelo Anthony finishes with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, and is named Most Outstanding Player.

2008

In the NCAA Tournament National Final in San Antonio, Mario Chalmers hits a clutch three-pointer at the end of regulation to force overtime, where Kansas defeats Memphis 75-68. Chalmers is named Most Outstanding Player.

2009

Connecticut defeats Louisville 76-54 in the NCAA women’s tournament National Final in St. Louis. Tina Charles is named Most Outstanding Player.

2010

Don Nelson becomes the winningest coach in NBA history, surpassing Lenny Wilkens with his 1,333rd win, as the Warriors defeat the Timberwolves. Nelson would be passed by Gregg Popovich 12 years later but is still second on the all-time wins list, while Wilkens is still third.

2014

In one of the most unlikely National Final match-ups in NCAA Tournament history, #7 seed Connecticut defeats #8 seed Kentucky 60-54 in Arlington, Texas. In addition to their low seeds, both teams also make history as the first National Final since 1966 between teams that missed the previous year’s tournament. Shabazz Napier is named Most Outstanding Player.

2015

Connecticut and Notre Dame face off in the NCAA women’s tournament National Final for the second straight year, with the Huskies victorious again, 63-53. Breanna Stewart is named Most Outstanding Player for a third consecutive time.

2019

In one of the most exciting National Finals in NCAA women’s tournament history, Baylor holds off a late comeback to defeat Notre Dame 82-81 in Tampa. After Baylor’s leading scorer Lauren Cox goes down with a knee injury, Notre Dame erases a 14-point second half deficit. But Arike Ogunbowale misses a potential game tying free throw with 1.9 seconds left, allowing the Bears to prevail. Chloe Jackson is named Most Outstanding Player.

2023

For the first time in NBA history (dating back to the Maverick’s inaugural season in ’80-’81), all three Texas-based teams miss the playoffs. It’s made official with a Dallas loss to Chicago, eliminating them from playoff contention. The Mavs ultimately finished #11 in the Western Conference, followed by the Rockets at #14 and the Spurs at #15.

2024

South Carolina finishes an undefeated season by defeating Iowa 87-75 in the National Final of the women’s NCAA Tournament. Iowa’s Caitlin Clark finishes with 30 points and eight rebounds in her final collegiate game.

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