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1946

Rick Adelman is born in Lynwood, California. He was inducted into the Southern California Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.

1955

NCAA All-American Wayne “Tree” Rollins born in Winter Haven, Florida.

1958

Darrell Griffith is born in Louisville, Kentucky. He led Male High School to the 1975 Kentucky state title.

1975

In one of the most impactful trades in NBA history, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is dealt from the Bucks to the Lakers in exchange for Junior Bridgeman, Dave Meyers, Elmore Smith, and Brian Winters.

1980

Unable to participate in the upcoming Olympics in Moscow due to the U.S. boycott, the men’s national basketball team kicks off a series of exhibition games at The Forum in Los Angeles with a 97-84 victory over a team of NBA stars, headlined by George Gervin and Marques Johnson.

1982

David Thompson is traded from the Nuggets to the SuperSonics in exchange for Bill Hanzlik and a first round pick.

1985

Arvydas Sabonis is named tournament MVP as the Soviet Union defeats Czechoslovakia 120-89 in the EuroBasket Final in Stuttgart, Germany. It’s a 14th and final title for the Soviets, as well as a 12th and final medal for the Czechs. Italy outlasts Spain in overtime in the bronze medal game.

1986

Moses Malone is traded from the 76ers to the Bullets, along with Terry Catledge and two first round picks, in exchange for Cliff Robinson and Jeff Ruland.

1988

In front of a packed crowd of over 41,000 at the final game ever played at the Pontiac Silverdome, the Pistons defeat the Lakers 104-94 in game five of the NBA Finals to take a 3-2 series lead.

1993

Alex Len is born in Antratsit, Ukraine. Before focusing solely on basketball, he also trained in gymnastics with an Olympic gold medalist trainer.

An incredible Charles Barkley triple-double (32 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) is spoiled by Michael Jordan dropping 55 points to lead the Bulls to a 111-105 victory over the Suns in game four of the NBA Finals, taking a commanding 3-1 series lead.

1996

With an 87-75 victory over the SuperSonics in game six of the NBA Finals, the Chicago Bulls cap off the greatest season in NBA history by winning their fourth title. Michael Jordan becomes the first player to be named Finals MVP four times.

1999

Phil Jackson is named head coach of the Lakers, replacing Kurt Rambis, who moves into a front office role before returning to the bench two years later as Jackson’s assistant.

The Spurs make their NBA Finals debut with an 89-77 victory over the Knicks in game one in front of a packed house at the Alamodome. Tim Duncan leads San Antonio with 33 points and 16 rebounds.

2022

Stephen Curry earns his fourth NBA title and first Finals MVP trophy, as the Warriors defeat the Celtics 103-90 in game six of the NBA Finals to finish off the series.

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