2011

The Minnesota Lynx finish off a sweep of the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA Finals with a 73-67 victory in game three. Seimone Augustus leads the Lynx with 16 points and is named Finals MVP. It was the first WNBA Finals appearance and title for the Lynx, who would go on to become the dominant franchise of the ’10s, winning three more titles.

1926

Alex Groza is born in Martins Ferry, Ohio. He was the younger brother of football Hall of Fame kicker Lou “The Toe” Groza.

1931

Lowell “Cotton” Fitzsimmons is born in Hannibal, Missouri. His nickname came about in childhood in reference to his curly, blonde-white hair.

1934

Four-time NBA All-Star Willie Naulls is born in Dallas, Texas.

1967

The Olympic Project for Human Rights, an organization formed by sociologist Harry Edwards, calls for a boycott by Black American athletes of the 1968 Olympics to protest racism. Notable amongst the high profile athletes who eventually join the boycott is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

1987

NBA champion Damion James is born in Hobbs, New Mexico.

1993

Nik Stauskas is born in Mississauga, Canada. His introduction to organized basketball came with Ausra Sports Club, a youth squad in Toronto specifically for children of Lithuanian descent.

2001

Latrell Sprewell is fined $250,000 by the Knicks for not disclosing a broken hand suffered right before training camp began. At the time, it was the largest fine ever for an NBA player.