Presenting Volume I of Basketball, Listed: Opening Tip, our dedication to basketball beginnings, both old and new, teams and players, franchises and leagues, places and things, trends and culture. Chapters were published throughout the ’18-’19 NBA league season.
All previous volumes can be found on our Basketball, Listed Reader, while chapters across all volumes are collected in our full archive.
The court is flat: 11 significant NBA games played outside the United States
As rumors continue swirling that Mexico City may receive a franchise in the near future, we take a look at back at 11 global NBA games that were notable in one way or another.
Proving grounds: Six mainstays of the NBA that got their start in the ABA
It lasted for only nine seasons, its franchises were mostly unprofitable and volatile, its level of play was a step below, and its legacy in pro basketball is not always readily apparent. But the ABA had some undeniable influence on the NBA, especially in these six cases, which had their inception in the secondary league.
Second in the draft, first in our hearts: 21 greatest second overall picks in the NBA Draft
The best players don’t always go #1, and sometimes the overlooked guys picked #2 have the last laugh. Here is a list of the 22 second overall picks who had the best NBA careers.
Came along too soon: Nine players who would have earned Finals MVP if it existed before 1969
The Finals MVP award wasn’t handed out until 1969. If it existed earlier, these players would have had to clear out space in their trophy cases for at least one.
Ancient relics: 15 early NBA franchises that folded
While the Knicks, Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, 76ers, Kings, Pistons, and Hawks have been active in the NBA since the late ’40s, these other early franchises weren’t so lucky and closed up shop after a brief lifetime, often as short as just one season.
Allow me to reintroduce myself: Nine NBA players (besides Michael Jordan) who came back from retirement
Aside from the obvious (Mr. Jordan), here are nine other players who made an NBA comeback after officially declaring retirement, usually with results that were mediocre, at best.
Hallowed halls: 14 memorable arenas no longer in use by NBA teams
From the East (Boston Garden) to the West (Great Western Forum) and several spots in between, we take a look at some of the most legendary, unique, and otherwise beloved arenas that were once the home of NBA teams but are now occupied by other tenants or gone completely.
All downhill from there: 16 worst players who were named to the NBA All-Rookie team
Previously we detailed the greatest players who didn’t make the All-Rookie team. Now, for proof positive that a spot on the All-Rookie Team is far from a definitive indicator of future success, here are the 16 worst players to be given that designation.
Role reversal: 17+ memorable NBA playoff game-winning shots by non-star players
There’s few things more exciting than a superstar like Michael Jordan or Damian Lillard clinching a playoff game with a buzzer beater, but there’s also something immensely satisfying and unexpected about role players getting their moment to shine on the league’s biggest stage.
Surprise and advance: 15 significant upsets in NBA first round playoff series
The “Cinderellas” of the NBA, these teams shocked the world in the first round of the playoffs, then moved on to mixed success in the succeeding round.
Can’t get in without a ticket: 31 greatest eligible NBA players not yet in the Naismith Hall of Fame
With the 2019 Naismith Hall of Fame class set to be announced in early April, we take a look at the 31 greatest NBA and ABA players that are currently eligible but have yet to be enshrined.
April madness: 19 surprise Final Four appearances (since seeding was introduced in 1979)
The low seeds, Cinderellas, and just plain improbable runs through the NCAA Tournament that produced these shocking Final Four arrivals.
The slipper didn’t fit: 31 memorable near upsets in the first round of the NCAA Tournament
We always remember the great upsets and Cinderellas of the NCAA Tournament, but what about the teams that fell just short of shocking the world? Here’s a list of the 31 most notable examples of valiant but futile attempts at first round upsets.
Garden party: 22 most memorable Big East Tournament games
It’s the 40th anniversary of the Big East being inaugurated and as the long venerated conference has entered a new era, we count down the 22 most thrilling, impactful, or just notable games of its yearly postseason tournament.
Bubble burst: 13 most egregious NCAA Tournament snubs of the Bracketology era
It’s been nearly two decades now since Joe Lunardi’s “Bracketology” tracking started getting published on ESPN, and over the years numerous teams have especially laid claim to being snubbed by the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
Back to the drawing board: Six defunct NBA All-Star Weekend events
Though the All-Star Game itself has been a constant since its debut at Boston Garden in 1951, and the Slam Dunk Contest and Three-Point Contest have become institutions, there are plenty of other All-Star Weekend events that have come and gone, leaving their own set of (often hilarious) memories.
Who invited that guy?: 13 worst players with a post-merger NBA All-Star appearance
Though All-Star Games are typically an accurate indicator of who were the best (or, in some cases, most popular) players in a given year, sometimes players just sneak in, maybe in an off-year for talent or maybe for other reasons.
Just the right spark: Eight trade deadline deals by impending NBA champions
As the trade deadline approaches for 2019, we take a look back at eight examples where a mid-season trade provided one or more key assets that helped put a contender over the top into championship glory.
Hollywood walk of fame: 31 greatest players in Lakers franchise history
In our continuing series counting down the greatest players for each team, we start with the legendary Lakers, from their Minneapolis days to Showtime to Kobe and Shaq and beyond
In memoriam: 16 prominent basketball people who passed away in 2018
An ABA co-founder, a 76ers Hall of Famer, the architect of “Showtime,” a Celtics Finals MVP, and the first black NBA team captain were amongst those we lost in 2018.
Making a list, checking it twice: 11 notable NBA games on Christmas Day
It’s the season of giving, and on these 11 Christmas Day celebrations, the NBA reached into its big red bag and produced especially memorable games
They had a dream: Nine NBA players who broke cultural ground
Whether it be by choice or just by circumstance, these players forever changed the cultural landscape of the NBA, opening up the sport to a wider swath of participants and ideologies.
Limping to immortality: 10 NBA championship teams that struggled in the regular season
Not every moment of a championship season is necessarily a great one, and these blue-ribbon teams entered the playoffs looking less than stellar.
Trickle down effect: Six NBA team cultures that took on the personality of their owner
Some were just there for a good time, some wanted to win at any cost, some wanted to give back to their community, and some wanted to just bleed the franchise for whatever it was worth.
Blew it, devils: 19 worst NBA players who played their college ball at Duke
The reputation has receded over the last decade or so, but it still stands as common knowledge that a star career at Duke does not lead to NBA success, and these are the top 18 examples
Lucky charms: Ranking the 37 players who won a championship as Bill Russell’s Celtics teammate
When you win 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons as Bill Russell did, you don’t just earn a lot of hardware for yourself, you also help fill up the trophy cases of plenty of teammates.
The shoulders of giants: Nine legendary barnstorming basketball teams
Coined in the late 1800s to describe baseball teams touring the country, stopping mainly in small towns populated heavily with farms, barnstorming became a basketball tradition almost immediately after the sport’s invention. Below are nine notable examples of barnstorming teams that had a profound impact on the game of basketball, either in their novelty, their influence, or simply their greatness.
The people have spoken: 15 NBA team names that were (at least partially) decided by fan voting
In the grand American tradition of presidents, senators, Dancing with the Stars winners, and M&M colors, many NBA teams have given power to the people to determine their name via voting and/or contests.
One chance a first impression: Nine NBA opening day games that set the tone for the season
NBA opening night has become a yearly event where the best teams are typically showcased as the sports world turns its eyes to the league. Sometimes those opening day games are not just spectacles, but a harbinger of future outcomes, whether a surprise one or an expected one.
Basketball, Listed 