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1927

Seven-time NBA All-Star Harry Gallatin is born in Roxana, Illinois.

1937

Bob Boozer is born in Omaha, Nebraska. One of his basketball teammates at Omaha Technical High School was future Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson.

1951

The Fort Wayne Pistons trade Bill Sharman to the Celtics in exchange for Chuck Share, allowing Boston to develop the first elite NBA back court with Sharman and Bob Cousy.

1961

The first ever NBA Expansion Draft is held, with the Chicago Packers selecting eight players ahead of their inaugural season.

1963

Bill Wennington is born in Montreal, Canada. He was inducted into the Canada Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005.

1964

The Celtics defeat the Warriors 105-99 in game five of the NBA Finals, ending the first Finals match-up between Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain and clinching a sixth consecutive title for Boston.

1984

In a quirk of scheduling, five winner-take-all game fives of NBA first round series take place on the same day. The most notable results are the Nets capping off one of the biggest first round upsets in NBA history with a 101-98 over the defending champion 76ers, the Jazz clinching the first series win in franchise history with a 127-111 victory over the Nuggets, and the Mavericks clinching the first series win in franchise history with a 105-104 victory over the SuperSonics.

1985

Mark Eaton sets the NBA single game playoff record with 10 blocks in a 96-94 Jazz loss to the Rockets in game four of a Western Conference first round series. The mark would later be equalled by Hakeem Olajuwon in 1990 and by Andrew Bynum in 2012.

1992

Delon Wright is born in Los Angeles, California. He led Leuzinger High School to a California state title in 2011.

1997

Victor “Moe” Wagner is born in Berlin, Germany. He teamed up with younger brother Franz to lead the German national team to gold at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

2001

Tristen Newton is born in Pensacola, Florida. He is cousins with NFL Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones.

2005

Alex Sarr is born in Bordeaux, France. His father Massar had played professional basketball in Senegal.

2009

LeBron James scores 36 points to lead the Cavaliers to a 99-78 victory over Pistons, finishing off an Eastern Conference Quarterfinals sweep. It marks the first time since 2002 that Detroit fails to reach at least the Conference Finals. As of 2024, the Pistons have yet to win another playoff series since.

2012

The Bobcats are defeated 104-84 by the Knicks in their final regular season game, finishing the ’11-’12 season with a 7-59 record, setting the new NBA record for lowest winning percentage in a season at .110. The ’11-’12 season was shortened from 82 games to 66 due to the owner lockout.

2015

During a 101-93 Cavaliers victory over the Celtics in game four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Kevin Love dislocates his shoulder, leaving him sidelined for the remainder of the postseason. Despite Love’s absence, the Cavs manage to advance to the NBA Finals, where they’re defeated by the Warriors.

2019

Kevin Durant drops 50 points as the Warriors defeat the Clippers 129-110 in game six of the Western Conference Quarterfinals, closing out the series. The #8 seed Clippers had put up an unexpected fight against the two-time defending champions, with wins in games two and five.

2023

Jimmy Butler scores 42 points as the Heat defeat the Bucks 128-126 in game five of their first round playoff series, becoming just the sixth #8 seed in NBA history to defeat a #1 seed in the first round.

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