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1944

Cazzie Russell is born in Chicago, Illinois. He was named Mr. Basketball USA in 1961, while starring at Carver High School.

1975

Allen Iverson is born in Hampton, Virginia. He led both the basketball and football teams at Bethel High School to state championships as a junior but was unable to participate in sports his senior year due to his unfair arrest for alleged assault.

1978

With a 105-99 win over the SuperSonics in game seven of the NBA Finals, the Bullets clinch the first and only title in franchise history. Six Bullets players score in double figures, led by Charles Johnson with 19 points, while Wes Unseld is named Finals MVP. Seattle’s Dennis Johnson, dealing with a rib injury, shoots 0-for-14 from the field.

1983

K.C. Jones is hired as head coach of the Celtics, replacing the resigning Bill Fitch. An eight-time champion with Boston as a player, Jones had previously coached the Bullets for three seasons, then worked under Fitch as an assistant for five years. Jones would eventually lead the Celtics to four NBA Finals appearances and two championships before resigning in 1988.

1984

The NBA announces a new cable television contract starting with the ’84-’85 season, replacing ESPN and the USA network with exclusive cable rights for TBS.

1992

Jordan Clarkson is born in Tampa, Florida. His mother was born and raised in the Philippines and he gained Filipino citizenship in order to represent the country in international tournaments.

1993

While traveling with the Croatian national team for a EuroBasket qualifying tournament, Drazen Petrovic passes away at age 28 from injuries suffered in a car accident in Germany.

1998

Behind 20 points and 12 rebounds from Lisa Leslie, the United States defeats Russia 71-65 in the gold medal game of the FIBA World Championship for Women in Berlin.

The Jazz shoot just 30% from the field and commit 27 turnovers in a 96-54 loss to the Bulls in game three of the NBA Finals. The 42-point differential is the largest in any NBA Finals game and the 54 points is the lowest total for any team in any playoff game since the 1954 inception of the shot clock.

2000

In game one of the NBA Finals, Shaquille O’Neal sets the tone with a dominating performance, finishing with 43 points and 19 rebounds in a 104-87 Lakers win over the Pacers. O’Neal would eventually be named Finals MVP as the Lakers prevailed in six games.

2012

With the Heat’s backs against the wall, trailing 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics, LeBron James puts on a performance for the ages, dropping 45 points and 15 rebounds in a game six Miami blowout win in Boston. Miami goes on to win game seven and subsequently the NBA Finals for the first title of James’ career.

2023

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray become the first teammates to both record a triple-double in an NBA Finals game, doing so in a 109-94 Nuggets win over the Heat in game three. Jokic finishes with 32 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Murray has 34 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Also notable in this game is a brief appearance off the bench from Miami’s Udonis Haslem, who, at just two days shy of his 43rd birthday, becomes the oldest player to participate in an NBA Finals game.

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