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1950

Four franchises – the Anderson Packers, Sheboygan Redskins, Denver Nuggets, and Waterloo Hawks – withdraw from the NBA after just one season, under pressure from the league office. They eventually form their own new league, the National Professional Basketball League (NPBL).

1953

Canadian-born Bob Houbregs (Washington) is drafted second overall by the Milwaukee Hawks, becoming the first ever non-American to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.

1954

The Milwaukee Hawks land Bob Pettit (LSU) with the #2 pick in the NBA Draft. Frank Selvy (Furman) is the first overall pick of the Baltimore Bullets, who folded during the ensuing ’54-’55 season.

1955

Ernie Grunfeld is born in Satu-Mare, Romania. His parents were Holocaust survivors and relocated to New York when Ernie was eight years old.

1963

In his final game in a Celtics uniform, Bob Cousy finishes with 18 points and seven assists as Boston defeats the Lakers 112-109 in game six of the NBA Finals, clinching Cousy’s sixth championship.

1964

In a game emblematic of much of his career, Wilt Chamberlain finishes with 27 points and 38 rebounds but his Warriors lose 98-95 at home to Bill Russell’s Celtics in game four of the NBA Finals. The win gives the Celtics a 3-1 series lead and they would close out the Finals two nights later in game five.

1967

Dino Radja is born in Split, Croatia (then Yugoslavia). He earned Olympic medals with both the Yugoslavian national team (in 1988) and the Croatian national team (in 1992).

1973

Eric Snow is born in Canton, Ohio. His older brother Percy was an All-American linebacker at Michigan State and spent four seasons in the NFL.

One of the weaker NBA Draft classes in history is highlighted by Doug Collins (Illinois State) getting selected first overall by the 76ers. This is also notable as the final NBA Draft to feature unlimited rounds, with teams able to make an indefinite amount of picks (the draft is capped at 10 rounds starting in 1974). Notable late round picks includes future baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, who is selected in the fifth round by the Hawks but opts to instead sign with the San Diego Padres.

1974

The Celtics defeat the Knicks 105-94 in game five of the Eastern Conference Finals to close out the series and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time ever without Bill Russell on the roster. Russell’s longtime teammate John Havlicek leads the way with 33 points. Willis Reed does not appear in the game due to torn cartilage in his knee and retired in the ensuing off-season.

1980

Host Puerto Rico clinch the first ever FIBA AmeriCup by defeating Canada 84-67 in San Juan. Canada ends up in second place while Argentina finishes third. The United States opted not to participate, as they already had decided to boycott the upcoming Olympics in Moscow. Due to Puerto Rico, Canada, and Argentina eventually boycotting as well, the Olympic bids ultimately defaulted to Brazil and Cuba.

1983

During a first round playoff game between the Celtics and Hawks, Boston’s Danny Ainge antagonizes Atlanta’s Tree Rollins, causing a bench-clearing scrum that included Rollins biting Ainge’s finger so badly that the laceration required four stitches.

1990

Jan Vesely is born in Ostrava, Czechia. His pro career started on youth clubs in his home country before signing with Partizan in Serbia.

1992

The Clippers make a playoff appearance as the #7 seed in the Western Conference, breaking a 15-year drought which would stand as the NBA record for three decades. They lose game one of the series against the Jazz 115-97.

1993

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has his jersey #33 retired by the Bucks, during a halftime ceremony saluting the ’70-’71 championship team. Abdul-Jabbar was the franchise’s first league MVP and first Finals MVP.

1994

David Robinson becomes just the fourth player (and just the second center, after Wilt Chamberlain) to top 70 points in an NBA game, finishing with 71 in a 112-97 Spurs win over the Clippers. It also breaks George Gervin’s single game franchise record, which had stood for 16 years.

Wes Unseld resigns as Bullets head coach, after seven mostly unsuccessful seasons.

1996

The NBA board of governors officially approve the formation of the WNBA, set to begin play in 1997.

1997

The Timberwolves make their NBA playoffs debut as the #6 seed in the West, losing game one of a first round series 112-95 to the Rockets. Stephon Marbury leads Minnesota with 28 points. Houston would go on to sweep the series in three games.

2002

Pau Gasol of the Grizzlies is named NBA Rookie of the Year for the ’01-’02 season. He is the first foreign-born player to earn the award and the first Grizzlies player to earn any major NBA award.

2023

Jimmy Butler scores a Heat playoff franchise record 56 points in a 119-114 win over the Bucks in game four of their first round playoff series. Two days later, the Heat close out the series, pulling off a stunning upset as a #8 seed.

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