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1931

Dean Smith is born in Emporia, Kansas. His father Alfred coached Emporia High School to the 1934 Kansas state title.

1955

Adrian Dantley is born in Washington, D.C. He attended nearby DeMatha Catholic High School in Maryland, playing under Naismith Hall of Fame inducted coach Morgan Wootten.

1966

Vincent Askew is born in Memphis, Tennessee. After retiring as a player, he returned to his hometown to transition into his coaching career, starting at Elliston Baptist Academy.

1978

Jamaal Tinsley is born in Brooklyn, New York. He was a street ball regular at New York’s famous Rucker Park, earning the nickname “Mel the Abuser.”

13 minutes into a Trail Blazers victory over the 76ers, Bill Walton checks himself out due to foot pain. It was later revealed to be a fractured bone, which sidelined him for the last 22 games of the season. It would turn out to be Walton’s final regular season game with Portland, as he sat out the entire ’78-’79 season, then was traded to the Clippers.

1980

Tayshaun Prince is born in Compton, California. He was teammates for one year with Tyson Chandler at Dominguez High School.

1981

Duke gets its first win over North Carolina under coach Mike Krzyzewski, in a 66-65 thriller in overtime. Playing in his final home game for the Blue Devils, senior Gene Banks is the hero, scoring 25 points and hitting the game winner with 19 seconds left.

1984

James Silas has his jersey #13 retired by the Spurs. A two-time All-Star for the team in its ABA days, Silas becomes the first Spurs player with a retired jersey.

1987

Josh McRoberts is born in Indianapolis, Indiana. A graduate of Carmel High School, he returned to his alma mater in 2020 as a coach.

1994

NBA champion Alex Caruso is born in College Station, Texas.

1999

Luka Doncic is born in Ljubljana, Slovenia. His father Sasa was a star player in the Slovenian Basketball League, winning two championships and making six All-Star teams.

2003

Patrick Ewing has his jersey #33 retired by the Knicks during a halftime ceremony at Madison Square Garden.

2022

Ja Morant sets the Grizzlies single game franchise record with 52 points in a 118-105 victory over the Spurs. It’s also the first 50-point game in franchise history.

2024

Caitlin Clark becomes the all-time women’s major college scoring leader, surpassing Lynette Woodward (who played at Kansas under the AIAW, a precursor to NCAA women’s basketball) during an Iowa victory over Minnesota.

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