---

1941

Nate Thurmond is born in Akron, Ohio. He was teammates with fellow Naismith Hall of Fame inductee Gus Johnson at Central High School.

1952

The Olympic basketball tournament gets underway in Helsinki, with 16 nations competing in a group stage. The United States, led by Kansas’ Clyde Lovellette, defeats Hungary 66-48 while the Soviet Union makes its Olympic basketball debut with a 76-46 victory over Bulgaria.

1969

Jon Barry is born in Oakland, California. He is the second oldest son of Hall of Famer Rick Barry, who was playing at the time for the Oakland Oaks of the ABA.

1971

Tracy Murray is born in Los Angeles, California. He was the nation’s leading scorer as a senior at Glendora High School and then matriculated at UCLA.

Cuba stuns the United States 73-69 in a preliminary round game at the Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia, breaking a 24-game winning streak for the Americans in Pan Am competition. Led by Bob McAdoo, Jim Chones, Don Buse, and Paul Westphal, the U.S. rallied to defeat Brazil and Suriname in its next two games but was eliminated based on a controversial tiebreaker.

1974

Todd Fuller is born in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He was named North Carolina Mr. Basketball in 1992 while starring for Charlotte Christian High School.

1977

NCAA All-American Kenny Thomas is born in Atlanta, Georgia.

1983

Nenad Krstic is born in Kraljevo, Serbia (then Yugoslavia). He was captain of the Serbian national team for eight years, during which time they earned a silver medal at the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

1988

For the first time ever, an NBA team plays in the Soviet Union, as the Atlanta Hawks take on a Soviet All-Star team in Tbilisi, in what is now Georgia.

1997

Cynthia Cooper becomes the first player in WNBA history to score 40+ points in a game, finishing with 44 in an 86-76 Houston Comets victory over the Sacramento Monarchs. Her single game scoring record stood for four years until getting broken by Katie Smith.

1998

The United States defeats Australia 93-85 in the gold medal game of the Goodwill Games in New York City. The U.S. roster featured then college stars Elton Brand, Khalid El-Amin, Shane Battier, and Wally Szczerbiak.

2000

Shakira Austin is born in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

2002

Alperen Sengun is born in Giresun, Turkiye. His pro career started in his native country at age 16, playing for Bandirma Kirmizi.

2009

Swin Cash is named MVP as she leads the Western Conference to a 130-119 victory over the East at the WNBA All-Star Game in Connecticut. Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson become the first players to make eight All-Star appearances, while Sylvia Fowles makes her All-Star debut.

2015

Bobby Brown leads the way with 19 points as the United States defeats the Dominican Republic 87-82 in the Pan American Games bronze medal game in Toronto. Brazil then defeats the host Canadians 87-72 in the gold medal game.

Maya Moore sets a WNBA All-Star Game scoring record with 30 points and is named MVP in a 117-112 Western Conference victory over the East in Connecticut. Tamika Catchings sets the record with her 10th and final All-Star appearance.

2021

On the opening day of the men’s Olympics tournament in Tokyo, France shocks the United States 83-76 in a group stage match. Evan Fournier leads the French team with 28 points, while Rudy Gobert adds 14 points and nine rebounds. Jrue Holiday is the leading scorer for the U.S., with 18 points off the bench. It breaks a streak of 25 consecutive wins for the United States in Olympics play, dating back to 2004. Other first day action includes the Czech Republic making its Olympics debut with an 84-78 victory over Iran.

---