1979
“The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh” is released in theaters. The basketball comedy film stars Julius Erving and features cameo appearances from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, Bob Lanier, Norm Nixon, Connie Hawkins, Cedric Maxwell, Jerry Tarkanian, Chick Hearn, and Marv Albert. It was a critical and box office bomb, effectively ending Erving’s acting career just as it got started.
1861
James Naismith is born in Almonte, Canada. A gifted athlete, he played on the rugby, soccer, football, and lacrosse teams at McGill University in Montreal.
1939
John Tresvant is born in Washington, D.C. He did not play on the basketball team at Spingnarn High School but turned to the sport later as part of an AAU team while serving in the U.S. Air Force.
1979
NBA champion Lamar Odom is born in Queens, New York.
1985
Sun Yue is born in Cangzhou, China. His pro career started at age 17 with the Beijing Olympians of the Chinese Basketball Association.
1986
Fred Brown has his jersey #32 retired by the SuperSonics. In a 13-year career spent entirely with Seattle, Brown was an All-Star, a three-point shooting percentage league leader, and a key component of the 1979 title team.
1992
Shaquille O’Neal makes his NBA debut, finishing with 12 points and 18 rebounds in a 110-100 Magic win over the Heat.
1993
Three-time WNBA All-Star Dearica Hamby is born in Marietta, Georgia.