The 1st aerial showman in NBA history, Lakers legend Elgin Baylor was a 10-time All-NBA performer and a top-notch scorer.
Below is a day-by-day look at landmark moments, games, performances and more from this week in NBA lore.
Sept. 15
Sept. 15, 1982
Moses Malone was brought to the Sixers in 1982 to play alongside Julius Erving, and he proved to be the right piece: Malone went on to claim the Regular Season MVP, Finals MVP, and the 1983 NBA Championship.
The Houston Rockets trade star center Moses Malone to the Philadelphia 76ers for Caldwell Jones and a future first-round pick. Malone, then the reigning MVP, would help the 76ers to a long-sought title in the 1982-83 season and was named MVP once again.
Sept. 15, 2020
Jamal Murray scores 40 points, Nikola Jokic adds 16 points, 13 assists and 22 rebounds as Denver takes down LA to advance to the Western Conference finals.
The Denver Nuggets defeat the LA Clippers 104-89 in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals. In doing so, Denver became the first team in NBA history to rally from a 3-1 series deficit twice in the same postseason. The team beat Utah in Game 7 in the first round.
Sept. 16
Sept. 16, 1934
Elgin Baylor was born in Washington, D.C.
Sept. 16, 2020
LeBron James is named to the All-NBA First Team, the 16th time he was named to an All-NBA team in his career. In doing so, James moved past NBA legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant for the most All-NBA selections in a career.
Sept. 17
Sept. 17, 1999
The NBA Board of Governors approved several playing rules modifications for the 1999-2000 season. The modifications had been recommended by a special committee of current and former players, general managers, coaches and other basketball experts last June and were tested in several NBA summer leagues.
They are: A defender may not make contact with his hands and/or forearms on an offensive player except below the free throw line extended; A five-second rule that mandates that a player must either shoot, pass or pick up his dribble within five seconds if he begins dribbling the ball with his back toward the basket below the free throw line extended; The 24-second shot clock will be re-set to 14 seconds if the violations listed below occur with less than 14 seconds remaining on the 24-second clock, and will remain unchanged if the violation occurs with 14 or more seconds remaining on the 24-second clock: 1. A personal foul that does not result in free throw attempts. 2. Kicking the ball or blocking the ball with any part of the leg. 3. Punching the ball with a fist. 4. An illegal defense violation that does not result in free throw attempts; No illegal defense guidelines will apply to a player who is defending an offensive player who is positioned on the strong side of the court.
Sept. 17, 2011
Ron Artest, the player at the center of the infamous “Malice at the Palace”, legally changes his name to Metta World Peace.
Sept. 20
Sept. 20, 1917
Arnold “Red” Auerbach was born in Brooklyn, New York.
Sept. 21
Sept. 21, 1991
Members of the 1992 U.S. National Team reflect on the hard work and good times they experienced at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
USA Basketball announced the “Dream Team” for the 1992 Olympics. Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, and John Stockton were named. Christian Laettner and Clyde Drexler were named to the team on May 12, 1992.
