Basketball, Listed

A dedication to basketball history, catalogued and presented in convenient list form.

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Labor and capital

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Death penalty: 21 notable players who were suspended or banned indefinitely from the NBA

May 21, 2026
NBA history has always included a dark side of gambling and drug abuse and these 21 players paid the price for their involvement.

Which side are you on?: A history of the NBA in 16 labor disputes

February 21, 2026
As much so as the games, players, and teams themselves, the history of basketball is a history of American labor politics

Don’t you forget about me: 80 basketball moments from the ’80s that changed the sport forever

January 11, 2024
As part of our Totally ’80s series, we explore the 80 most monumental, controversial, influential, unforgettable, and indescribable basketball moments from the 1980s.

Testing the waters and creating a ripple: 15 free agency signings that changed the NBA

July 1, 2023
With the 2023 free agency period about to began, we take a look back at the most notable free agent signings that had a major effect on the player, the teams, and/or the league itself.

Extracurricular activities: 75 off-court moments that shaped the NBA

November 21, 2021
Going back to the invention of the game in 1891, we take a look at the 75 innovations, signings, mergers, rule changes, lawsuits, agreements, disagreements, trades, hirings, draft picks, and other off-court events that shaped the course of NBA history.

Order on the court: 10 people or entities who have filed notable lawsuits against the NBA

March 21, 2021
Whether it was due to anti-trust or just a lack of trust, here are ten cases where the NBA league office had to defend itself in the court of law

An offer he couldn’t refuse: 16 controversial moments involving David Stern

January 21, 2021
We take a look back at the most controversial moments of David Stern’s long, successful, momentous career as an NBA league executive.

Draft dodgers: Eight NBA players who refused to suit up for the team that drafted them

November 21, 2020
Whether it was the locale, the franchise’s recent history, the roster makeup, the contract offer, or all of the above plus myriad other supposed reasons (just ask Steve Francis), these eight players disavowed the NBA teams that drafted them, with varied results.

Add an asterisk: Five NBA championship teams with questionable legitimacy

August 11, 2020
As fans and the media debate the legitimacy of the eventual ’19-’20 NBA champion, we take a look back at five other title winners that have faced similar questions regarding their validity.

Black lives matter: Eight-plus NBA players who have supported activist causes

July 21, 2020
As protests expand across the U.S. and the world, and the Black Lives Matter and Defund the Police movements gain steam, we take a look at several NBA players that are especially notable for their commitment to social justice and activism.

Lettermen of the law: Eight players who have had rules or regulations named after them

November 21, 2019
In some cases players are so unstoppable that the rule implemented to slow them down is named after them, and in other cases players sign contracts so unfair that their namesake regulation changes free agency forever.

Full archive
Features
Topics and Themes
500 Greatest Players
Index
On This Date in Basketball History
Timelines of Basketball History
NBA Hall of Fame