2010
Tournament MVP Kevin Durant dominates again, finishing with 28 points as the United States defeats the host Turkey team 81-64 in the FIBA World Championship gold medal game in Istanbul. Lamar Odom finishes with 15 points and 11 rebounds and becomes the first player to win an NBA title and a FIBA World Championship gold medal in the same year. Turkey earns its first medal in national team history at the FIBA Worlds or Olympics, while Lithuania also earned its first ever FIBA Worlds medal with a 99-88 victory over Serbia in the bronze medal game.
1928
Ernie Vandeweghe is born in Montreal, Canada. In 1951 with the Knicks, he became the first Canadian born player to play in an NBA Finals.
1956
Clemon Johnson is born in Monticello, Florida. He has both played and coach at the high school and collegiate levels in his home state.
1957
In one of the first blockbuster trades in NBA history, six-time All-Star Larry Foust is dealt from the Fort Wayne Pistons to the Minneapolis Lakers, in exchange for Walter Dukes.
1965
Vernon Maxwell is born in Gainesville, Florida. He was named “Mr. Basketball” Florida in 1984.
1971
Lennox “Terry” Dehere is born in New York, New York. He played under Bob Hurley at St. Anthony High School, where he was teammates and close friends with Hurley’s son, Duke All-American Bobby.
1980
Yao Ming is born in Beijing, China. Both his father Yao Zhiyuan and mother Fang Fengdi stood over 6’3″ and played professional basketball.
1984
#3 overall pick Michael Jordan signs his rookie contract with the Bulls.
1994
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service announces “Operation Slam Dunk,” an investigation of tax fraud reportedly being committed by a majority of NBA referees. 12 referees are eventually indicted, including the legendary Steve Javie, who was found not guilty in his trial.
1995
A lawsuit against the NBA from player rep Patrick Ewing is thrown out, after the players vote against a resolution to de-certify. A new collective bargaining agreement is soon after finalized, ending a 75-day lockout before any regular season games are affected. The agreement is mostly a win for owners but does include a rise in the salary cap.
2007
The inaugural class of the FIBA Hall of Fame are inducted in a ceremony that takes place at the museum in Madrid. 21 players are amongst the inductees, with the list including Americans Bill Russell and Ann Meyers, alongside international legends like Sergey Belov, Nikos Galis, Drazen Petrovic, and Uljana Semjonova. Dean Smith, who coached the U.S. men’s team to the 1976 gold medal, is also enshrined.
2011
Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan is fined $100,000 by the NBA league office for comments made as part of a newspaper interview regarding the ongoing lockout.
2014
The Phoenix Mercury wrap up one of the greatest seasons in WNBA history with an 87-82 victory over the Chicago Sky in game three of the WNBA Finals, finishing a sweep. Diana Taurasi finishes with 24 points and is named Finals MVP for the second time in her career.
2015
Venezuela wins its first FIBA AmeriCup title, defeating Argentina 76-71 in the final in Mexico City. Canada defeats Mexico 87-86 for the bronze medal. Luis Scola is named tournament MVP. For the fourth consecutive tournament, the United States opted not to participate, as its spot in the upcoming Olympics was already secure by virtue of being the defending World Cup champions.
2018
The Seattle Storm defeat the Washington Mystics 98-82 in game three of the WNBA Finals, completing a sweep. Breanna Stewart drops 30 points and eight rebounds and is named Finals MVP.