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1938

Jerry West is born in Cheylan, West Virginia. He led East Bank High School to the 1956 West Virginia state title, was named West Virginia Player of the Year, and set the state’s single season scoring record.

1939

Host nation Lithuania are crowned as champions of the EuroBasket, after finishing a perfect 7-0 in a round robin format. Games were played in the brand new Kaunas Sports Hall, opened just on time for the tournament. Latvia earns the silver medal and Poland the bronze. The Lithuanian national team would not compete in a EuroBasket again until 1995, due to their interim annexation by the Soviet Union.

1964

Armen Gilliam is born in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. He didn’t play organized basketball until his junior year at Bethel Park High School, and upon graduating, didn’t receive a single Division I scholarship offer.

1967

Three-time NBA All-Star Glen Rice is born in Jacksonville, Arkansas.

1974

The Trail Blazers select UCLA superstar Bill Walton with the #1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. His collegiate teammate, Jamaal Wilkes, is drafted #11 overall by the Warriors and goes on to win Rookie of the Year.

1976

Dick Motta is hired as head coach of the Washington Bullets, replacing the fired K.C. Jones. Motta, who had spent the previous eight seasons coaching the Bulls, was brought in to rectify recent playoff failures for the Bullets and made good on that potential, leading the team to a 1978 championship.

1986

Larry Bird becomes just the third player, along with Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, to earn NBA league MVP in three consecutive seasons. Dominique Wilkins finishes second in voting.

1989

Alvin Robertson is traded from the Spurs to the Bucks, along with Greg Anderson, in exchange for Terry Cummings.

Magic Johnson leads the Lakers with 21 points and 20 assists in a 122-117 victory over the Suns in game four of the Western Conference Finals, finishing a sweep and sending Los Angeles to its third consecutive NBA Finals appearance. Tom Chambers drops 41 points for the Suns in a losing effort.

1990

WNBA All-Star Riquna Williams is born in Pahokee, Florida.

1992

The Trail Blazers clinch the Western Conference Finals with a 105-97 victory over the Jazz in game six. All five Portland starters score in double digits, led by Terry Porter’s 18 points and 10 assists.

1997

Michael Jordan drops 28 points as the Bulls defeat the Heat 100-87 in game five of the Eastern Conference Finals, clinching the series.

2010

Behind 31 points and 13 rebounds from Paul Pierce, the Celtics finish off the Eastern Conference Finals with a 96-84 victory over the Magic in game six.

2018

The Warriors defeat an short-handed Rockets team 101-92 in a winner-take-all game seven of the Western Conference Finals. Kevin Durant leads Golden State with 34 points while James Harden finishes with 32 for Houston, who was without Chris Paul due to a hamstring pull suffered during game six.

2021

Game three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals becomes a superstar shoot-out, with Jayson Tatum dropping 50 points to lead the Celtics to a 125-119 victory over the Nets. James Harden leads Brooklyn with 41 points, while Kevin Durant adds 39.

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