2005
Commissioner David Stern officially institutes a dress code for players ahead of the ’05-’06 season, specifically banning items such as as do-rags, large jewelry, t-shirts, and jeans. The rule is an indirect response to the “Malice at the Palace” incident and is controversial in its arguably racist policies.
1942
Three-time ABA All-Star Steve “Snapper” Jones is born in Alexandria, Louisiana.
1962
Jay Humphries is born in Los Angeles, California.
1964
The Celtics retire jersey #1 in honor of Walter Brown, the team’s original owner. Brown had founded the franchise in 1946 and served as its owner until September of 1964, when he passed away unexpectedly at age 59.
1966
Danny Ferry is born in Hyattsville, Maryland while his father, Bob, was playing for the Baltimore Bullets.
1968
Elvin Hayes finishes with 25 points and 12 rebounds in his NBA debut, a 128-110 San Diego Rockets victory over the SuperSonics. Hayes finished the ’68-’69 season as the only rookie to lead the NBA in scoring, averaging 28.4 points per game.
1969
Reeling from the retirements of Bill Russell and Sam Jones, the Celtics open the ’69-’70 season with a 110-108 loss to the Royals, one of four straight to start the season. They eventually finish the season 34-48, becoming the first NBA champion in history to miss the playoffs in the subsequent season.
1993
Vincent Poirier is born in Clamart, France. He has played on the French national team numerous times, including during their silver medal performance at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
1997
Robert Williams III is born in Shreveport, Louisiana.
2007
The WNBA awards an expansion franchise to Atlanta, later named the Dream, set to begin play in the 2008 season.
2013
Jason Kidd has his jersey #5 retired by the Nets. Over six-and-a-half seasons with New Jersey, Kidd was an All-Star five times, 1st-Team All-NBA twice, and led the team to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances.
2021
The Chicago Sky clinch their first WNBA title by defeating the Phoenix Mercury 80-74 in game four of the WNBA Finals. Khaleah Copper is named Finals MVP. Brittney Griner finishes with 28 points in a losing effort for the Mercury. She would not suit up again on U.S. soil for over 18 months, missing the entire 2022 season due to her arrest in Russia.
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Basketball, Listed 