1958
Wilt Chamberlain makes his professional basketball debut, suiting up for the Harlem Globetrotters in an exhibition game in Italy. Chamberlain skipped his senior year at Kansas to play for the legendary barnstorming team, as he was not eligible for the NBA Draft until 1959. He would later return to the Globetrotters from time-to-time in off-seasons during his NBA career.
1951
SuperSonics franchise legend Donald “Slick” Watts is born in Rolling Fork, Mississippi.
1962
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Alvin Robertson is born in Barberton, Ohio.
1980
Uljana Semjonova continues her Olympics dominance, finishing with 32 points and 12 rebounds as the Soviet Union defeats Bulgaria 122-83 to improve to 2-0 in preliminary round play in Moscow.
1982
Artis Gilmore is traded from the Bulls to the Spurs in exchange for Dave Corzine, Mark Olberding, and cash considerations.
1990
Led by Teresa Edwards and Katrina McClain, the United States defeats Yugoslavia 88-78 in the gold medal game of the FIBA World Championship for Women in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The American’s biggest rivals, the Soviets, had been upset by Czechoslovakia earlier in the tournament and were forced to settle for fifth place.
1996
The United States men’s team easily defeats Angola 87-54 to improve to 2-0 in group stage play at the Olympics in Atlanta. Karl Malone leads the U.S. with 12 points and six rebounds.
1999
A team of NBA All-Stars on the U.S. roster dominates the competition at the FIBA AmeriCup, finishing with a 92-66 victory over tournament MVP Steve Nash and Canada in the final in San Juan. The American team was highlighted by Tim Duncan, Gary Payton, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Kidd, coached by Larry Brown, and won all of their games by 17 points or more. Argentina, led by youngsters Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola, defeats Puerto Rico 103-101 in the bronze medal game.
2017
Maya Moore earns her second consecutive WNBA All-Star MVP for leading the Western Conference to a 130-121 victory over the East. It’s the first All-Star Game to take place in Seattle and also marks the return of the Three-Point Contest, which is won by Allie Quigley. Chelsea Gray and Breanna Stewart make their All-Star debuts while Sue Bird ties the record with her 10th appearance.
2020
Ahead of the ’19-’20 season re-start, scrimmages begin in “The Bubble” at Walt Disney World, with the Magic taking on the Clippers.
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- Dream interpretations: Debunking 19 myths about the 1992 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team
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- American dream deferred: 15 greatest American players who have not participated in the NBA Olympics era
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Basketball, Listed 