This Date in the NBA: August
Key dates in NBA history:
Jan | Feb | Mar | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec
August 1, 1936
Twenty-two nations competed in the first basketball competition in the Olympics at the Games of the 11th Olympiad in Berlin.
August 1, 1973
Julius Erving was traded by the Virginia Squires with Willie Sojourner to the New York Nets for George Carter, draft rights to Kermit Washington and cash.
August 1, 2014
Paul George suffers a gruesome compound fracture of his lower right leg in a Team USA scrimmage.
August 2, 2005
The largest trade in NBA history is completed, as five teams combine to swap 13 players. This deal brings Antoine Walker and Jason Williams to the Miami Heat and leads to Miami’s first ever championship that same season.
August 3, 1949
The Basketball Association of America (BAA) merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the NBA. The BAA included the Boston Celtics, Minneapolis Lakers (later LA Lakers), New York Knicks, Philadelphia Warriors (later Golden State Warriors), and the Rochester Royals (later Sacramento Kings). The NBL included the Syracuse Nationals (later Philadelphia 76ers) and the Tri-Cities Blackhawks (later Atlanta Hawks).
August 3, 2000
The Orlando Magic acquire then five-time All-Star forward Grant Hill from the Detroit Pistons via a sign-and-trade deal for Chucky Atkins and Ben Wallace. Hill would be dogged by ankle injuries during his time in Orlando while Wallace would become a four-time All-Star, four-time Defensive Player of the Year and help Detroit to two NBA Finals (and one championship) during his time there.
August 4, 2012
Four-time All-Star Arnie Risen, a member of the Hall of Fame, dies at the age of 87.
August 5, 2002
Legendary Los Angeles Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn, who called 3,338 consecutive Lakers games, dies at the age of 83.
August 6, 1962
The Philadelphia franchise’s name was changed from the Nationals to the 76ers.
August 6, 2016
Paul George returns to Team USA for the Rio Olympics after rehabbing a serious leg injury suffered two years earlier in an Olympic practice.
August 7, 1988
The Atlanta Hawks begin a 13-day tour of the Soviet Union.
August 7, 1992
The Orlando Magic sign No. 1 draft pick Shaquille O’Neal.
August 7, 1996
Val Ackerman was named President of the Women’s National Basketball Association.
August 7, 2000
The Los Angeles Lakers announced the retirement of Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Jerry West, named Mitch Kupchak to succeed West in that position and promoted Kurt Rambis to Assistant General Manager.
August 8, 1992
The USA Olympic Men’s Basketball Team, featuring NBA stars for the first time, won the Gold Medal at the Barcelona Olympics and were known as the “Dream Team.”
August 9, 1928
Bob Cousy is born in New York City.
August 9, 2006
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts declares basketball its official sport.
August 10, 1920
Red Holzman is born in Brooklyn, New York.
August 10, 2012
Dwight Howard is traded from the Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a four-team swap that included the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets.
August 10, 2024
The USA Olympic Men’s Basketball team defeats France, 98-87, in the gold medal game to clinch the fifth consecutive gold medal for the U.S. Stephen Curry shines in the final 2:43 of the game, nailing four 3-pointers — including one with 1:19 left over two defenders that sealed the win. LeBron James was named MVP of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
August 14, 1959
Earvin “Magic” Johnson is born in Lansing, Michigan.
August 14, 1994
The USA basketball team, Dream Team II, defeats Russia 137-91 to win the gold medal in the World Championship of Basketball in Toronto, Canada. Shaquille O’Neal, who averaged 18 points per game, is named the tournament’s MVP.
August 15, 2020
Damian Lillard scored 31 points, CJ McCollum scored 29 and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 126-122 in the Play-In Game to clinch the NBA’s final playoff spot. The Play-In Game was added to the restarted season because of the coronavirus pandemic. Portland finished eighth in the West, Memphis was ninth, and the Grizzlies needed to sweep a two-game matchup to advance.
August 17, 2020
In a 135-125 overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the first round, Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell scores 57 points. That total broke the Jazz’s single-game playoff scoring mark (Karl Malone, 50 points in 2000 vs. Seattle) and were the third-most points scored in an NBA playoff game, trailing only Michael Jordan (63) and Elgin Baylor (61).
August 18, 1992
Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird announced his retirement from the NBA after 13 seasons. Bird joined the Celtics management as a special assistant to Celtics Senior Executive Vice President Dave Gavitt.
August 21, 1936
Wilt Chamberlain was born in Philadelphia.
August 23, 2006
Carmelo Anthony sets the U.S. national team individual scoring record in an international game with 35 points against Italy in the FIBA World Championship tournament. This record was previously held by Kenny Anderson, who scored 34 points in a 1990 game.
August 23, 2014
Kevin Love is traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
August 23, 2020
Dallas’ Luka Doncic sinks a step-back 3-pointer at the buzzer to cap the Mavericks’ comeback win in Game 4 of their first round series against the LA Clippers. In the 135-133 series-tying win for Dallas, Doncic finished with 43 points, 17 rebounds and 13 assists for his second straight triple-double in the series.
August 23, 2020
Utah’s Donovan Mitchell and Denver’s Jamal Murray made NBA history in the first game in NBA postseason history in which opposing players scored 50 points each. Mitchell finished with 51 points on 15-for-27 shooting (and 17-for-18 on free throws) in a 129-127 Jazz win in Game 4. Murray finished with 50 points (18-31 FG, 9-15 3-point FG) and 11 rebounds. While the Jazz took a 3-1 series lead with the win, the Nuggets ended up rallying to win the series in Game 7.
August 24, 2008
The USA basketball team — the “Redeem Team” — drops Spain in a closer than the score indicates final, 118-107, to bring the gold back to US basketball after a disappointing bronze medal showing in 2004. Team USA was led by Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
August 25, 2003
Allen Iverson scores 28 points in 23 minutes, setting a new USA Olympic Qualifying single game record for scoring. His performance helps Team USA annihilate Canada, 111-71, in the FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
August 25, 1965
Boston Celtics center Bill Russell signed a contract as the NBA’s highest paid player, making one dollar more than arch-rival Wilt Chamberlain.
August 26, 2004
Stephon Marbury scores a Team USA Olympic-record 31 points in a game against Spain at the Athens Olympics.
August 27, 1999
In what was then the largest trade in NBA history, 11 players changed teams. The Vancouver Grizzlies traded the rights to G Steve Francis and F Tony Massenburg to the Houston Rockets for G Michael Dickerson, F-C Othella Harrington, F Antoine Carr, G Brent Price, Houston’s first-round draft pick in 2000, 2001 or 2002, and the Orlando Magic’s 2000 second-round draft pick. Orlando traded F Don MacLean to Houston, and received G Lee Mayberry, F Makhtar Ndiaye, G Rodrick Rhodes and F Michael Smith from Vancouver.
August 27, 2004
The USA basketball team loses to Argentina, 89-81, dropping USA basketball from gold medal contention for the first time since NBA players were allowed to participate in the Summer Olympic games.
August 27, 2013
Two-time All-Star and Hall-of-Famer Zelmo Beaty dies at the age of 2013.
August 28, 2004
The USA basketball team defeats Lithuania, 104-96, to capture the bronze medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics.
August 30, 1997
The Houston Comets defeated the New York Liberty, 65-51, becoming the first WNBA Champions. Regular-season MVP Cynthia Cooper, the leading scorer with 25 points, was named the Championship MVP.
August 30, 2017
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving is traded to the Boston Celtics for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and two future draft picks.
