This Date in the NBA: November
Key dates in NBA history:
Jan | Feb | Mar | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec
Nov. 1, 1946
In the inaugural NBA game, the New York Knicks triumphed over the Toronto Huskies with a score of 68-66 in Toronto. Fans who were taller than George Nostrand, Toronto’s 6-8 center, were granted free admission.
Nov. 1, 1949
Dick McGuire debuted for the New York Knicks against the Chicago Stags, with the Knicks triumphing in overtime with a score of 89-87.
Nov. 1, 1949
Ed Macauley debuted for the St. Louis Bombers in a game against the Tri-City Blackhawks, which the Bombers won 72-51.
Nov. 1, 1950
Bill Sharman had his debut for the Washington Capitols at their home ground against the Indianapolis Olympians, with the Capitols claiming victory at 100-84.
Nov. 1, 1950
Bob Cousy had his first game with the Boston Celtics at Ft. Wayne, where the Pistons triumphed with a score of 107-84.
Nov. 1, 1986
Brad Daugherty debuted in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers, securing a 113-106 win over the Washington Bullets.
Nov. 1, 1991
In the Denver Nuggets’ 108-105 loss to the Golden State Warriors, Dikembe Mutombo makes his NBA debut.
Nov. 1, 1996
Exactly fifty years after the first NBA game was held in Toronto between New York and Toronto teams, the New York Knicks triumphed over the Toronto Raptors with a score of 107-99.
Nov. 1, 1996
Allen Iverson and Ray Allen made their NBA debuts playing for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks respectively. The Bucks triumphed over the 76ers with a score of 111-103.
Steve Nash made his NBA debut for the Phoenix Suns, which ended in a 96-82 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ben Wallace made his NBA debut with the Washington Wizards in a game they lost 96-92 to the Orlando Magic.
Nov. 1, 2000
When the Miami Heat started the season with a 105-79 win over the Orlando Magic, Pat Riley became only the second coach in NBA history to achieve 1,000 regular season victories. He joined Lenny Wilkens as the only other coach to reach this milestone.
Nov. 1, 2001
The Fayetteville Patriots selected Chris Andersen, a 6-foot-10 power forward from Blinn Community College in Texas, as their No. 1 pick in the inaugural NBDL Draft, now known as the NBA G League.
Nov. 1, 2001
Pau Gasol has his NBA debut with the Memphis Grizzlies in a game they lose 90-80 to the Detroit Pistons.
Nov. 1, 2005
Chris Paul debuted in the NBA with the New Orleans Hornets, leading them to a 93-67 victory against the Sacramento Kings.
Nov. 1, 2006
Kyle Lowry debuted in the NBA for the Memphis Grizzlies in a game they narrowly lost to the New York Knicks, with a score of 118-117.
Nov. 1, 2016
Vince Carter has become the 24th player in NBA history to reach a career total of 24,000 points.
Nov. 2, 1946
Red Auerbach made his professional coaching debut with the Washington Capitols, securing a 50-33 road victory over the Detroit Falcons.
Nov. 2, 1949
Slater Martin and Vern Mikkelsen debuted for the Minneapolis Lakers in a game against the Philadelphia Warriors. The Lakers emerged victorious with a score of 81-69.
Nov. 2, 1990
The Golden State Warriors triumphed over the Denver Nuggets 162-158 at McNichols Arena, setting an NBA record with 320 points for the highest score by two teams in a non-overtime game.
Nov. 2, 1990
The Phoenix Suns triumphed over the Utah Jazz with a score of 119-96 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Japan. This was the first regular season game played outside North America by any major professional sports league. The two teams had a rematch the following night in Tokyo, wherein the Jazz emerged victorious with a score of 102-101.
Nov. 2, 1996
Pat Riley of the Heat became the eighth coach to win 800 games during Miami’s 97-95 victory over Indiana. Riley achieved this milestone two weeks before his 15th coaching anniversary, making him the fastest coach to reach this feat in NBA history.
Nov. 2, 1999
The 1999-2000 NBA season started with a seven-hour live simulcast of the debut of NBA.com TV, the league’s new 24/7 TV network, at 7 p.m. (ET) on NBA.com. For the first time, the website also provided free Japanese-language audio broadcasts of the 1999 NBA Japan Games, which included two regular season games between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Sacramento Kings at the Tokyo Dome on November 6 and 7. NBA.com TV, produced at NBA Entertainment’s facility in Secaucus, N.J., merges live studio-based programming, real-time updates of NBA games, game highlights, classic NBA games, NBA videos, and exclusive content from NBA’s award-winning archives with real-time stats, scores, and news from NBA.com.
Nov. 2, 1999
In his NBA debut, LA Clippers rookie Lamar Odom scored 30 points, despite a 104-92 loss to Seattle.
Nov. 2, 2005
Andrew Bynum, center for the Los Angeles Lakers, became the youngest player to participate in a regular season NBA game at 18 years and six days. This broke Jermaine O’Neal’s record by 46 days, which had stood for 10 years.
Nov. 2, 2013
NBA Hall of Famer and four-time All-Star, Walt Bellamy, passes away at 74.
Nov. 3, 1948
The Washington Capitols defeated the Philadelphia Warriors 77-70, commencing a streak of 15 straight victories at the start of the season – the best ever start in NBA history. This record remained unbeaten for 45 years until it was eventually equaled by the Houston Rockets in the 1993-94 season.
Nov. 3, 1949
Dolph Schayes debuted in the NBA with the Syracuse Nationals, securing a 78-58 win against the Denver Nuggets.
Nov. 3, 1951
Neil Johnston had his first game with the Philadelphia Warriors at home, playing against the Ft. Wayne Pistons. The Warriors emerged victorious with a score of 70-69.
Nov. 3, 1956
Cliff Hagan had his first game for the St. Louis Hawks at home, playing against Syracuse. The Nationals emerged victorious with a score of 75-73.
Nov. 3, 1962
Wilt Chamberlain, a player from the San Francisco Warriors, achieved the fourth-highest point total in NBA history by scoring 72 points against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Nov. 3, 1982
Randy Smith surpassed Johnny “Red” Kerr’s record as the NBA’s All-time Iron Man by playing in his 845th consecutive game. Smith continued his streak to a total of 906 consecutive games, which ended on March 13, 1983. However, his record was broken by A.C. Green from the Dallas Mavericks, who played his 907th consecutive game on November 20, 1997.
Nov. 3, 1989
Bill Walton’s jersey number 32 was retired by the Portland Trail Blazers nineteen years after their inaugural home game.
Nov. 3, 1989
Alexander Volkov and Sarunas Marciulionis were the pioneering Soviet Union players to take part in a regular season NBA game. Despite Marciulionis putting up 19 points, Golden State was defeated by Phoenix with a score of 136-106. Meanwhile, Volkov didn’t manage to score any points as Atlanta suffered a loss to Indiana, with the final score being 126-103.
Nov. 3, 1989
The Minnesota Timberwolves began their inaugural NBA season with a 106-94 loss to the Seattle SuperSonics, who were the home team.
Nov. 3, 1990
Moses Malone of Atlanta set an NBA record for the most successful free throws in a career by successfully shooting 7 out of 9 from the line in a close 121-120 win against Indiana at the Omni. These seven successful attempts allowed him to surpass Oscar Robertson’s previous record of 7,694 on the all-time list. However, on March 24, 2001, Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz exceeded Moses Malone’s record by successfully making his 8,532nd free throw in a game against the Washington Wizards.
Nov. 3, 1990
Gary Payton debuted in the NBA for the Seattle SuperSonics, contributing to their 118-106 victory over the Houston Rockets.
Nov. 3, 1995
Chicago achieved their first victory out of an NBA record 72 games in one season and their first out of an NBA record 37 home games at the start of a season, with a 105-91 win over Charlotte.
Nov. 3, 1995
The Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies, the NBA’s two Canadian expansion teams, both had successful first regular-season games, winning their respective matches. The Raptors played in front of over 33,000 spectators at the SkyDome, defeating New Jersey with a score of 94-79. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies emerged victorious in their away game, beating Portland 92-80 at the Blazers’ new venue, the Rose Garden.
Nov. 3, 1995
Just before the beginning of the 1995-96 season, a significant trade took place where Alonzo Mourning (center), Pete Myers (guard), and LeRon Ellis (forward-center) were transferred from Charlotte to Miami. In return, Charlotte received Glen Rice (swingman), Khalid Reeves (point guard), Matt Geiger (center), and a 1996 first round draft pick from Miami.
Nov. 3, 1995
Kevin Garnett made his NBA debut with the Minnesota Timberwolves in their 95-86 defeat against the Sacramento Kings.
Nov. 3, 1996
In the Los Angeles Lakers’ 91-85 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kobe Bryant made his NBA debut.
Nov. 3, 1999
On their opening night against the Washington Wizards, the Boston Celtics host a special evening to honor Red Auerbach, who contributed to each of their 16 NBA championships. During halftime, Celtics legends Bill Russell and Tom Heinsohn help Auerbach raise a banner marking his 50th season. This game, like all other home games, will showcase video highlights, tributes, and short films that share memories and significant moments from Auerbach’s illustrious career.
Nov. 3, 1999
The Los Angeles Lakers premiered in their new venue, Staples Center, by welcoming the Vancouver Grizzlies. The ceremony unveiling the Lakers’ retired jerseys and championship banners in the new structure was co-hosted by Magic Johnson and Chick Hearn.
Nov. 3, 2001
The NBDL revealed the selections for the 2001-02 Supplemental Draft. Lorenzo Coleman, a 7-foot center from Tennessee Tech, was the first overall pick, selected by the Roanoke Dazzle.
Nov. 3, 2001
In his first game against his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers, Steve Smith of the San Antonio Spurs tied an NBA record for the most 3-point field goals in a game without a miss. Smith scored 8 out of 8 from beyond the arc, contributing to his total of 36 points in the game. His stellar performance helped the Spurs secure a 106-90 victory.
Nov. 3, 2004
Dwight Howard made his NBA debut in the Orlando Magic’s 93-92 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
Nov. 3, 2008
Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, and Cheikh Samb have been traded from the Detroit Pistons to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Allen Iverson.
Nov. 3, 2023
The initial set of Group Play games in the first-ever In-Season Tournament kick-starts with a match between Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers, which is part of a seven-game agenda of Group Play games. In this tournament, all the 30 participating teams unveil their new courts at their arenas, each unique with a distinctive color scheme and featuring the NBA Cup at the center court.
Nov. 4, 1950
Paul Arizin debuted for the Philadelphia Warriors in a home game against the Boston Celtics, which they won 77-68.
Nov. 4, 1960
Wilt Chamberlain of Philadelphia set an NBA record for the most missed free throws in a game, with a total of 10 attempts against Detroit. It wasn’t until over 40 years later that this unfortunate record was broken by another formidable center, Shaquille O’Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers. O’Neal missed all 11 of his free throw attempts in a game against Seattle on December 8, 2000.
Nov. 4, 1961
Wilt Chamberlain, playing for the Philadelphia Warriors, started a run of 65 straight games where he scored 30 points or more. This streak is the longest in NBA history. The next season, Chamberlain set the second-longest streak of this kind, scoring 30 or more points in 31 consecutive games.
Nov. 4, 1965
Johnny Kerr played his last game out of 844 consecutive ones over 12 seasons, setting an NBA record at the time, as his team, the Baltimore Bullets, were defeated 108-107 in New York.
Nov. 4, 1987
The Blazers pay tribute to Maurice Lucas by retiring his jersey number (#20).
Nov. 4, 1988
The Charlotte Hornets played their first NBA game at the fully-packed Charlotte Coliseum, in front of 23,388 fans, and were defeated by the Cleveland Cavaliers with a score of 133-93.
Nov. 4, 1989
The Orlando Magic began their first season in the NBA with a 111-106 defeat to the New Jersey Nets at the Orlando Arena.
Nov. 4, 1989
David Robinson first played for the San Antonio Spurs in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers, which San Antonio won with a score of 106-98. His NBA debut was postponed by two years due to his military obligations.
Nov. 4, 1993
Rod Thorn, the NBA Vice President of Operations, revealed that Darell Garretson, a long-time referee, would retire from on-court refereeing duties after the 1993-94 season, marking his 27th year in the NBA. As of the 1994-95 season, Garretson took on the role of NBA’s Director of Officiating.
Nov. 4, 1993
The NBA Board of Governors approved the league’s 28th franchise to a group from Toronto, led by John Bitove, Jr. The Raptors initiated their first game in the 1995-96 season.
Nov. 4, 1994
Having played the last 28 seasons in Chicago Stadium, the Bulls inaugurated their new venue, the United Center, with an 89-83 victory over Charlotte, cheered on by 22,313 fans. Scottie Pippen contributed significantly to the win with a game-high of 22 points.
Nov. 4, 1994
Clyde Drexler led the game with 26 points and Buck Williams secured 14 rebounds, contributing to the Portland Trail Blazers’ 121-100 win against the LA Clippers. This game was hosted at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan, with a capacity crowd of 14,239 fans. This marked the third instance in a span of five years where the regular NBA season kicked off in Japan.
Nov. 4, 1994
Grant Hill debuted in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons, unfortunately losing 115-98 to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Nov. 4, 1996
Charles Barkley became the fourth player in NBA history to achieve 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 3,500 assists in his career, following his four assists during Houston’s 75-72 victory over Utah.
Nov. 4, 1997
Rod Strickland of Washington achieved his 5,000th career assist in the Wizards’ 120-96 victory against Denver.
Nov. 4, 1997
The Bucks’ 110-76 win over Orlando ended the latter’s NBA-record streak of 316 consecutive games with at least one three-pointer, a record held by Milwaukee.
Nov. 4, 1999
The Atlanta Hawks inaugurated the new Philips Arena by playing against the Milwaukee Bucks. Montel Jordan, a recording artist, performed the national anthem.
Nov. 4, 2005
Jerry Sloan of the Utah Jazz surpassed Bill Fitch to become fifth on the NBA’s all-time win list (945), after defeating the Golden State Warriors 91-85 at the Oracle Arena.
Nov. 4, 2016
Stephen Curry’s streak of making at least one 3-pointer in consecutive games ended at 157.
Nov. 4, 2016
Chris Paul became the Clippers’ all-time assist leader when he found J.J. Redick for a floater, surpassing Randy Smith. That assist was Paul’s 3,499th and he concluded his LA career with a total of 4,023 assists.
Nov. 5, 1946
Chuck Connors, a member of the Boston Celtics, made NBA history by being the first person to break a backboard during a game warm-up. Later, Connors continued his trailblazing streak by taking on desperadoes in the TV show, “The Rifleman.”
Nov. 5, 1955
Jack Twyman debuted for the Rochester Royals in a home game against New York. However, the Knicks secured a 100-98 overtime victory.
Nov. 5, 1971
Elgin Baylor, a forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, ended his 14-year, 846-game career due to injuries, during which he scored 23,149 points. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame five years post-retirement.
Nov. 5, 1982
The Cleveland Cavaliers set an NBA record for consecutive games lost over two seasons with 24, following a 99-91 loss to the New Jersey Nets.
Nov. 5, 1988
The LA Clippers, during their visit, ruined the debut of NBA basketball in Florida state with a 111-91 victory against the Miami Heat at the Miami Arena.
Nov. 5, 1988
Mitch Richmond debuts in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors, leading to a 117-104 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
Nov. 5, 1993
Playing their first regular season game at the new Alamodome, San Antonio broke the NBA record for opening night attendance by attracting 36,523 fans. The Spurs delighted the crowd with a 91-85 victory over Golden State, with David Robinson leading the game with a high of 32 points.
Nov. 5, 1993
The Houston Rockets kicked off their 15-game winning streak at the start of the season by defeating the New Jersey Nets 110-88. This feat matched the 1948 Washington Capitols’ record for the best start in NBA history.
Nov. 5, 1994
Jason Kidd debuts in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks, contributing to their 112-103 victory over the New Jersey Nets.
Nov. 5, 2008
Tony Parker, the guard for the Spurs, achieved a career-best 55 points in a 129-125 defeat to the Timberwolves. Shooting 22-for-36 overall, Parker was close to recording a triple-double, ending the game with seven rebounds and 10 assists.
Nov. 5, 2016
LeBron James surpasses Hakeem Olajuwon for 10th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list by scoring 25 points in a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Nov. 6, 1971
The Los Angeles Lakers triumphed over Golden State with a score of 105-89, marking the first of their NBA-record 16 consecutive road game victories.
Nov. 6, 1985
Chris Mullin made his NBA debut with the Golden State Warriors, who won 105-101 against the Seattle SuperSonics.
Nov. 6, 1987
Reggie Miller’s NBA debut occurred with the Indiana Pacers, where they suffered a 108-95 defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Nov. 6, 1992
Dominique Wilkins of Atlanta became the 17th player in NBA history to score 20,000 points, following his 30 point performance against the Knicks. However, Atlanta lost the game to New York at the Omni, with a score of 106-94.
Nov. 6, 1992
Shaquille O’Neal made his NBA debut with the Orlando Magic, securing a 110-100 victory against the Miami Heat.
Nov. 6, 1992
Robert Parish helped the Boston Celtics secure a 113-92 victory over Minnesota by scoring 14 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. He became only the second player in NBA history to play in the league for 17 seasons, after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who played for 20 seasons. Parish surpassed Abdul-Jabbar’s record in the 1996-97 season, making him the current record holder with 21 seasons.
Nov. 6, 1992
In 1992-93 season, two years after being the first major pro sports league to host regular season games outside North America, the NBA went back to Japan for two opening games. Shawn Kemp led Seattle to a 111-94 victory over Houston with his 29 points and 20 rebounds in a game that was played before a full house of 15,640 spectators at the Yokohama Arena. The following evening, the SuperSonics secured a sweep in the Far East by winning 89-85.
Nov. 6, 1992
Milwaukee marked its 25th Anniversary with an 86-81 victory over Detroit.
Nov. 6, 1999
The Indiana Pacers’ new home, the Conseco Fieldhouse, made its debut when the Pacers hosted the Boston Celtics. Indiana basketball legend and Hall of Famer, John Wooden, acted as the honorary scorer, while NBC broadcaster Bob Costas took charge of player introductions. Crystal Gayle performed the national anthem. In honor of halftime, the Pacers celebrated Indiana’s 50 greatest basketball legends. Fans of the Pacers left the game in high spirits after a 115-108 victory.
Nov. 6, 1999
The NBA held regular season games in Japan for the fifth time this decade, with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings playing two games at the Tokyo Dome on Nov. 6 and Nov. 7 as part of the NBA Japan Games. The first game was won by Sacramento with a score of 100-95, but Minnesota bounced back to win the second game 114-101.
Nov. 6, 2007
A streak of 354 sellouts at Arco Arena came to an end when the Kings hosted the Seattle SuperSonics, with “only” 14,908 tickets sold. The streak had started in 1999.
Nov. 7, 1959
Wilt Chamberlain, a rookie from the Philadelphia Warriors, and Bill Russell, a star and former MVP from the Boston Celtics, confront each other for the first time. Including both regular season and playoffs, Chamberlain and Russell would compete against each other a total of 143 times throughout their careers.
Nov. 7, 1986
The Philadelphia 76ers honored forward Bobby Jones by retiring his uniform No. 24.
Nov. 7, 1987
Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant debuted in the NBA during the Chicago Bulls’ 104-94 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Nov. 7, 1991
After revealing that he had tested positive for the HIV virus, Earvin “Magic” Johnson retired from the NBA. Johnson, a key player in the Lakers’ five NBA championship victories during his 12-season tenure, left the league as the all-time leader in career assists with a total of 9,921. However, his record was eventually broken by John Stockton from the Utah Jazz. Johnson briefly returned to the court as an active player for 32 games in the 1995-96 season.
Nov. 7, 1992
Isiah Thomas became only the third guard in NBA history to surpass 8,000 career assists, after recording five assists in Detroit’s 89-87 win on the road against Indiana. The other two guards to have achieved this feat were Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson. John Stockton of Utah also joined this elite group on February 23, 1993, when he made seven assists during a game that resulted in a loss to Houston.
Nov. 7, 1992
The Suns commemorated their 30th Anniversary season by relocating to the America West Arena.
Nov. 7, 1996
Joe Dumars of the Detroit Pistons was the first-ever recipient of the NBA Sportsmanship Award, as named by the NBA. This major award is given out every year to an NBA player who best exemplifies the traditional ideals of sportsmanship on the court.
Nov. 7, 1997
The longest streak of sellouts in the league, which was held by Sacramento, ended at 497.
Nov. 7, 2008
Jerry Sloan made NBA history by becoming the first coach to record 1,000 wins with the same team, the Utah Jazz, after they secured a 104-97 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Nov. 7, 2016
Stephen Curry broke the NBA record by sinking 13 3-pointers in a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. He ended the game with 46 points, shooting 13 out of 17 overall 3-pointers in Golden State’s win.
Nov. 7, 2016
John Wall, a guard for the Wizards, surpasses Hall of Famer Wes Unseld to become Washington’s all-time leader in assists.
Nov. 7, 2022
Bennedict Mathurin of the Indiana Pacers and Dyson Daniels of the New Orleans Pelicans, both NBA Academy graduates, made history on Monday when they faced off in Indianapolis. This was the first time a pair of NBA Academy graduates played in a game together, ending with a 129-122 victory for the Pacers.
Nov. 8, 1978
On March 23, 1979, a game was replayed between the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Nets with the final 17:50 of the contest due to an upheld protest. Harvey Catchings and Ralph Simpson were playing for the 76ers, while Eric Money and Al Skinner were representing the Nets at the start of the game. However, by the time the game resumed, these players were traded to the opposing teams. This incident marks the only time in professional sports history where a player played for both teams in the same game.
Nov. 8, 1992
Following a 43-game losing streak on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Sacramento Kings finally broke the streak with a 124-114 win, thanks to Mitch Richmond’s 29 points. The Kings’ previous victory at the Great Western Forum had been on October 20, 1974, during their Kansas City-Omaha days.
Nov. 8, 1994
During the 1994-95 NBA season, Cleveland was the second team to open a new arena. The Gund Arena welcomed 20,562 spectators who watched the reigning NBA Champion, Houston Rockets, narrowly defeat the Cavaliers with a score of 100-98.
Nov. 8, 1994
Joe Dumars of Detroit matched the NBA record, held by Brian Shaw, for the maximum three-point field goals in one game by making 10 out of 18 attempts from behind the arc. He ended the game with a high of 40 points contributing to Pistons’ 126-112 victory over Minnesota who were visiting. The record was later broken by Dennis Scott from the Orlando Magic when he scored 11 three-pointers against Atlanta on April 18, 1996.
Nov. 8, 1999
The Philadelphia 76ers honored the late Wilt Chamberlain during their game against the Seattle SuperSonics. They held a moment of silence for Wilt, showcased a video clip from his 100-point game in 1962, and had Teddy Pendergrass sing the national anthem as part of the tribute.
Nov. 8, 2022
In an unprecedented move in NBA history, no games are scheduled on Election Day, with the NBA encouraging teams to disseminate election information to their fans.
Nov. 9, 1946
George Mikan had his first professional basketball game with the Chicago American Gears, which ended in a 66-61 defeat by the Oshkosh All-Stars in a National Basketball League match.
Nov. 9, 1975
Mendy Rudolph concluded his 23-year stint as an NBA referee, having officiated a record 2,113 games, the highest by any man in the league at the time. However, his record was subsequently surpassed by Earl Strom, who officiated more than 2,400 games during his 30-year career.
Nov. 9, 1983
David Stern was appointed as NBA Commissioner, succeeding Larry O’Brien who resigned after serving for 8 1/2 years. Stern officially assumed the position on February 1, 1984.
Nov. 9, 1989
The Milwaukee Bucks triumphed over the Seattle SuperSonics with a thrilling 155-154 victory in five overtime periods, equaling the record for the second-longest game in NBA history set by Syracuse-Anderson on November 24, 1949. Since the introduction of the 24-second shot clock in 1954, the Bucks-Sonics game became the longest. Dale Ellis of Seattle also set an NBA record by participating in 69 out of the 73 minutes of the game.
Nov. 9, 1993
Micheal Williams from Minnesota saw his NBA record-setting streak of consecutive free throws end at 97 during a game in San Antonio, after missing a second-quarter attempt. Williams’ 97 surpassed the previous consecutive free throw record of 78, set by Calvin Murphy in the 1980-81 season. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf of Denver moved into the second place on the all-time consecutive FT streak list with 81. His streak ended on Nov. 16, 1993, against San Antonio.
Nov. 9, 1995
The Chicago Bulls beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 106-88, securing the first of an NBA-record 33 away wins in a single season.
Nov. 9, 1997
Buck Williams from New York played his 1,270th game, which equaled John Havlicek’s record and placed him fifth on the all-time list.
Nov. 9, 2007
For the first time in NBA history, two Chinese powerhouses, Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian, face off. Yao Ming, together with the Houston Rockets, triumphs over Yi Jianlian and the Milwaukee Bucks with a score of 104-88. The live television broadcast is watched by an estimated 150-250 million Chinese fans.
Nov. 10, 1964
Dave DeBusschere, player-coach for the Detroit Pistons, achieved his first coaching win with a 119-117 victory against Baltimore in Philadelphia. At just 24 years old, DeBusschere made history as the youngest coach in the NBA.
Nov. 10, 1971
Earl Monroe was traded from the Baltimore Bullets to New York, where he contributed to the Knicks’ 1973 NBA championship victory.
Nov. 10, 1989
The Associated Press (AP) recognized NBA Commissioner David J. Stem as the Sports Executive of the Decade for the 1980s. The AP also announced their NBA award recipients: the Los Angeles Lakers for Team of the Decade, Pat Riley as Coach of the Decade, and Magic Johnson as Player of the Decade.
Nov. 10, 1989
The Minnesota Timberwolves secured their first NBA win with an overtime victory of 125-118 over Philadelphia at the Target Center.
Nov. 10, 1990
The Phoenix Suns equaled a 1959 Boston Celtics record for the most points scored in a non-overtime game when they crushed the Denver Nuggets 173-143 on their home court. The Suns broke another record by scoring 107 points in the first half, surpassing the previous 90-point record set by the Nuggets just three days prior in a 161-153 defeat to San Antonio. With this victory, the Suns’ Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons achieved his 700th career win, becoming only the seventh coach in the league’s history to attain this milestone.
Nov. 10, 2012
After a disappointing start to the season with a 1-4 record, Mike Brown has been dismissed as the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coach. This marks the quickest firing of a coach since the NBA-ABA merger.
Nov. 11, 1980
Billy Knight set a team-record for the Indiana Pacers by scoring 52 points in a game against San Antonio, leading the Pacers to a 119-113 win. However, this record was later broken by Reggie Miller who scored 57 points in a 134-122 victory over Charlotte on November 28, 1992.
Nov. 11, 1992
Shaquille O’Neal played his first NBA game for the Orlando Magic against Miami, in which Orlando emerged victorious with a score of 110-100. O’Neal contributed with 12 points, 18 rebounds, and three blocks.
Nov. 11, 1993
Before a game at the Meadowlands Arena with Indiana, New Jersey retired the No. 3 jersey that the late Drazen Petrovic used to wear. Petrovic tragically died in a car accident in Germany on June 7, 1993. The ceremony was attended by NBA Commissioner David J. Stern, Petrovic’s former teammates from Croatia Dino Radja and Stojko Vrankovic, and his family – father Jole, mother Biserka, and brother Aleksander.
Nov. 11, 1993
The NBA Board of Governors decided to adopt a revised NBA Draft Lottery system. This new system boosts the odds of the teams with the poorest records in the league to win one of the top three picks in the NBA Draft.
Nov. 11, 1995
Hakeem Olajuwon of Houston scored 21 points in the Rockets’ 119-97 win over Minnesota, making him the ninth NBA player to amass 20,000 points and 10,000 rebounds in his career.
Nov. 11, 1996
Patrick Ewing of New York became the 23rd player in NBA history to achieve 20,000 points, contributing 24 to the Knicks’ 92-88 victory over Orlando.
Nov. 11, 2006
In a 113-111 loss to the Utah Jazz, Michael Redd from the Milwaukee Bucks scores 57 points.
Nov. 11, 2014
Dirk Nowitzki surpasses Hakeem Olajuwon to become the 9th highest scorer in NBA history and the top international scorer. He achieves this by scoring 23 points in the Dallas Mavericks’ victory over the Sacramento Kings.
Nov. 12, 1980
During a 118-111 loss at New Jersey, Denver Nuggets center Dan Issel scored a fourth quarter layup, bringing his career point total to 20,000. This made him the 12th man in professional basketball history to reach this milestone.
Nov. 12, 1994
For the first time, NBA All-Star balloting was expanded beyond the United States. Fans in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Australia could access ballots at Foot Locker stores.
Nov. 12, 2010
Kevin Love scored 31 points and secured 31 rebounds against the New York Knicks, marking the first time a player has achieved 30 rebounds in a game since Charles Barkley in 1996. This performance also set a new record for the Timberwolves and made Love the 19th player in NBA history to record a 30-30 game.
Nov. 13, 1964
Bob Pettit, a forward for the St. Louis Hawks, was the first NBA player to reach a score of 20,000 points.
Nov. 13, 1977
John Havlicek, a Boston Celtics legend, accumulated 14 points in a 127-119 overtime win in Milwaukee, elevating his career score to 25,202 points. This achievement allowed him to surpass Jerry West and move into what was then the NBA all-time scoring list’s third position.
Nov. 13, 1979
During the Sixers’ 110-103 loss at Kansas City, Darryl Dawkins, while playing center for Philadelphia, shattered a backboard with a slam-dunk.
Nov. 13, 1990
Magic Johnson from the Los Angeles Lakers was just the second guard in NBA history to hit the 9,000 career assist milestone, joining Oscar Robertson. This achievement was accomplished during a 112-111 loss to Phoenix at the Great Western Forum. Later on, Utah’s John Stockton surpassed both Johnson and Robertson in career assists.
Nov. 13, 1998
The coach who led the New York Knicks to their sole two NBA titles in 1970 and 1973, William “Red” Holzman, passed away at the age of 78.
Nov. 13, 1999
The Cleveland Cavaliers celebrated former All-Star point guard Mark Price by retiring his No. 25 jersey during a halftime ceremony at their home game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Price, who played for the Cavaliers from 1986 to 1995, holds the franchise record for most assists (4,206) and steals (734).
Nov. 13, 2010
Kevin Love, star forward of the Minnesota Timberwolves, scored 31 points and grabbed 30 rebounds in a 112-103 victory over the New York Knicks. This is the first instance of a player recording at least 30 points and 30 rebounds in a single game since Moses Malone did so in 1982.
Nov. 13, 2016
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Phoenix Suns 133-120, setting an NBA record by going 96 days without suffering two consecutive losses.
Nov. 14, 1984
In a 137-133 overtime defeat to the Detroit Pistons, Moses Malone from the Philadelphia 76ers concluded the game with 51 points and 17 rebounds.
Nov. 14, 1997
The 140-139 quadruple overtime game in Phoenix was the eighth occurrence of such an event in NBA history. The last time it happened was when Golden State beat New Jersey 150-147 on February 1, 1987.
Nov. 14, 2006
Peja Stojaković made NBA history by being the first player to score 20 successive points at the start of a game. He also set a record for the New Orleans Hornets by scoring 22 points in the first quarter. He continued his streak, scoring a career-best 42 points, which contributed to the Hornets’ 94-85 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats.
Nov. 14, 2009
Brandon Jennings, a rookie, established a new Milwaukee Bucks record by scoring 55 points against the Golden State Warriors, surpassing the previous record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1970. This was the highest score by a rookie since Earl “The Pearl” Monroe’s 56 points in 1968.
Nov. 15, 1960
Elgin Baylor from the Los Angeles Lakers set an NBA record by scoring 71 points in a 123-108 win over the Knicks in New York. However, this record was broken less than two years later when Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points against New York on March 2, 1962.
Nov. 15, 1994
Los Angeles-based radio station KAZN-AM made history by broadcasting the Lakers-Clippers game in Mandarin Chinese. This marked the first time a Chinese broadcast of an NBA game occurred in the United States. Prior to this, U.S. radio broadcasts of NBA games had only been available in Spanish and Navajo Indian.
Nov. 15, 1995
Hakeem Olajuwon of the Rockets, after blocking seven shots from Toronto in Houston’s 96-93 victory on the road, becomes the third NBA player to exceed 3,000 career blocks.
Nov. 15, 1997
After securing a 96-93 victory over Denver, Miami’s head coach Pat Riley surpassed Jack Ramsay’s 864 wins, taking sole possession of the fifth-place spot on the all-time win list.
Nov. 15, 2005
Dwight Howard set a record as the youngest player ever to score 20 points and grab 20 rebounds in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats, at only 19 years old.
Nov. 16, 1957
Bill Russell from the Boston Celtics set an NBA record by securing 32 rebounds in one half during a home match against Philadelphia, which the Celtics won 111-89. He ended the game with a total of 49 rebounds. Later in his career, on February 5, 1960, Russell managed to grab 51 rebounds in a single game against Syracuse. This record is only surpassed by Wilt Chamberlain, who once secured 55 rebounds in a game.
Nov. 16, 1961
Connie Hawkins first played professionally for the Pittsburgh Rens of the ABL, debuting at home in a 97-89 loss against the Chicago Majors.
Nov. 16, 1962
Wilt Chamberlain, playing for the San Francisco Warriors, managed to score 73 points against the New York Knicks, which stands as a tie for the third-highest point total in a single NBA game in history.
Nov. 16, 1993
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf from the Denver Nuggets saw his successive free throw streak conclude at 81 during a game against San Antonio. His streak was the second longest in NBA history, falling short of the 97 record set by Micheal Williams of Minnesota just a week prior.
Nov. 16, 1994
Patrick Ewing became the ninth NBA player to achieve 2,000 career blocks, following five rejections in New York’s 110-89 victory over the LA Lakers on the road.
Nov. 16, 2001
The inaugural season of the NBDL started with a game where the Greenville Groove hosted the North Charleston Lowgators at the BI-LO Center in Greenville, S.C.
Nov. 17, 1945
Rayville, Louisiana was the birthplace of Elvin Hayes.
Nov. 17, 1959
Connie Dierking, playing for the Syracuse Nationals, made history as the first player to foul out in the first quarter of a game. Despite this, Syracuse still managed to defeat Cincinnati 121-116 in New York.
Nov. 17, 1981
Bill Cartwright, New York Knicks’ center, tied the NBA record set by Bob Pettit from St. Louis by making 19 free throws without a single miss in a game against Kansas City. This record was later also tied by Adrian Dantley from Detroit and then broken by Dominique Wilkins from Atlanta, who successfully made 23 consecutive free throws without missing in a game against Chicago on December 8, 1992.
Nov. 17, 1984
Purvis Short managed to score 59 points, marking the highest score by any NBA player since April 9, 1978. However, his team, the Golden State Warriors, were defeated by New Jersey with a score of 131-114. This was Short’s third game within a week where he scored over 40 points.
Nov. 17, 1999
David Stern, NBA Commissioner, has announced that Jeffrey Mishkin will be leaving his position as the NBA’s Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of seven years to return to private practice. Effective from January 1, 2000, Mishkin will join the New York branch of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP as a partner. In his role at the NBA, Mishkin was responsible for all legal affairs, encompassing everything from litigation and labor relations to commercial transactions and enforcement of intellectual property rights. He also personally argued on behalf of the NBA in significant legal matters, such as NBA v. Williams, Chicago Professional Sports and WGN v. NBA, and NBA v. Motorola.
Nov. 17, 2000
Reggie Miller from the Indiana Pacers joined the ranks of the 25th player in NBA history to achieve 20,000 career points. This benchmark was reached when he scored 30 points during a 92-90 defeat against Golden State.
Nov. 17, 2000
The NBA record for turnovers in a single game was tied by Jason Kidd of the Phoenix Suns when he made 14 turnovers in a 90-85 defeat to New York. This record was previously set by John Drew of the Atlanta Hawks, who committed 14 turnovers against New Jersey on March 1, 1978.
Nov. 17, 2018
Kemba Walker, guard for the Charlotte Hornets, scores 60 points in a 122-119 defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Nov. 17, 2020
The NBA has revealed the structure and format of the 2020-21 season which will see each team playing a 72-game schedule. The schedule was unveiled in two parts – a First Half and Second Half, interspersed with an All-Star break from March 5-10, 2021. The NBA Board of Governors has also given the green light to a one-year Play-In Tournament proposal. This tournament will see teams ranked 7-10 in each conference participate.
Nov. 18, 1989
In an unprecedented event in NBA history, two Soviet Union players, Alexander Volkov of Atlanta and Sarunas Marciulionis of Golden State, faced each other on the court. Both were part of the Soviet team that clinched the gold medal at the 1988 Olympics in South Korea. On this particular encounter, Volkov led his team, the Hawks, to a 112-96 victory over Marciulionis’s Warriors.
Nov. 18, 2020
For the first time in league history, the 2020 NBA draft takes place virtually. The Minnesota Timberwolves select Anthony Edwards from the University of Georgia as the No. 1 overall pick.
Nov. 18, 2011
Walt Hazzard, a one-time All-Star who starred for the UCLA Bruins and various NBA teams including the Lakers, has died at the age of 69.
Nov. 18, 2016
Gregg Popovich, coach for the San Antonio Spurs, guided his team to a 116-107 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. This win marks his 1,099th, surpassing Larry Brown and moving him up to No. 7 on the all-time coaching wins list.
Nov. 19, 1977
The New Orleans Jazz once held the NBA record for the least amount of free throws made in a game with just one. Despite the Houston Rockets committing 17 fouls, the Jazz only made it to the foul line five times, making only one of their attempts. However, they still managed to secure a 103-101 victory over the Rockets. This record was later broken by the Toronto Raptors on January 9, 1996, when they failed to make any free throws in a game they lost to the Charlotte Hornets, thus surpassing the Jazz’s record of one free throw.
Nov. 19, 1983
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from the Los Angeles Lakers joined Wilt Chamberlain as the second player in NBA history to score 30,000 points. This happened as the Lakers claimed a 117-110 victory over Portland.
Nov. 19, 1996
Patrick Ewing ends the game with 24 points in a 92-88 victory over the Orlando Magic, making him the 23rd player to achieve 20,000 career points.
Nov. 19, 2004
The Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons, two of the NBA’s top teams, faced off in a game that quickly descended into notoriety, earning a place in NBA history as one of its most infamous nights. The event, later known as The Malice at the Palace, started when Ron Artest (now known as Metta World Peace) stormed into the crowd after a drink was thrown at him. This sparked a massive brawl, resulting in nine players being suspended without pay. The incident led to heightened security measures at NBA games and restrictions on alcohol sales.
Nov. 20, 1979
Following a 130-125 overtime victory against Houston at Madison Square Garden, Red Holzman achieved his 500th win as the coach of the New York Knicks. At that point, Holzman had become only the second coach, after Red Auerbach, to hit that milestone with a single team.
Nov. 20, 1992
Karl Malone scored a game-high of 34 points leading Utah to a 97-95 victory over Indiana at Market Square Arena. This pushed his career points past the 15,000 mark.
Nov. 20, 1993
During the Magic’s 87-85 win over New Jersey at the Meadowlands Arena, Shaquille O’Neal of Orlando scored 24 points, secured 28 rebounds and blocked 15 shots. This tied him with Manute Bol for the second-highest total in NBA history.
Nov. 20, 1997
A.C. Green from the Dallas Mavericks established a new NBA record by participating in his 907th consecutive game during a face-off with Golden State. This achievement surpassed Randy Smith’s previous record of playing in 906 continuous games from 1972 to 1983. Green did not stop there and kept extending the record by playing in a total of 1,192 games until the conclusion of the 2000-01 season.
Nov. 20, 1999
Hakeem Olajuwon from Houston achieved 2,000 career steals following a steal in the second quarter during the Rockets’ 110-107 defeat to Seattle on Saturday night. Olajuwon is the sole player in NBA history to have both 2,000 steals and 2,000 blocks. The accumulation of steals and blocks has been recorded since the 1973-74 season.
Nov. 20, 2020
Free agent negotiations kicked off at 6 p.m. ET, with signings allowed from 12:01 p.m. ET on Nov 22. This was a faster timeframe than the NBA’s usual week-long gap between the start of discussions and the commencement of signings.
Nov. 20, 2020
The Toronto Raptors have announced their decision to begin the 2020-21 season in Tampa, Florida, due to coronavirus pandemic-related public health concerns.
Nov. 21, 1965
Chick Hearn initiated his record-breaking consecutive streak of broadcasting Los Angeles Lakers’ games. His last absence from a Lakers’ broadcast took place on Nov. 20, 1965, due to a college football game assignment in Arkansas the previous day and a subsequent flight cancellation. By the close of the 2000-01 season, Hearn had covered 3,301 successive Lakers games, incorporating both preseason and playoff games.
Nov. 21, 1984
In a 135-91 defeat of Golden State, the Boston Celtics set a club record with a shooting percentage of .679, landing 55 out of their 81 field goal attempts.
Nov. 21, 1990
Moses Malone from Atlanta became the seventh player in NBA history to achieve 25,000 points. He accomplished this by scoring 22 points during the Hawks’ 105-93 defeat to Milwaukee at the Bradley Center.
Nov. 21, 1996
Bill Fitch became the first NBA coach to record 1,000 career losses with the LA Clippers’ 105-94 defeat at Dallas.
Nov. 21, 2001
Chris Andersen becomes the first D-League player to be promoted to the NBA, as he is called up from the Fayetteville Patriots by the Denver Nuggets.
Nov. 21, 2013
Vern Mikkelsen, a six-time All-Star and Hall of Famer, passes away at 85.
Nov. 21, 2023
The Indiana Pacers became the first team to clinch East Group A and advance to the Knockout Rounds in the inaugural In-Season Tournament, by defeating the Atlanta Hawks 157-152 in Group Play. In a later game that night, the Los Angeles Lakers also advanced, clinching West Group A after beating the Utah Jazz 131-99.
Nov. 22, 1950
The lowest-scoring game in NBA history occurred in Minneapolis, where the Fort Wayne Pistons triumphed over the Minneapolis Lakers with a score of 19-18.
Nov. 22, 1961
In a 141-121 defeat at Boston, St. Louis Hawks forward Bob Pettit made all 19 of his foul shots, setting an NBA record at the time.
Nov. 22, 1992
Rick Adelman achieved his 200th coaching career victory when the Blazers defeated Detroit 115-90. This milestone was reached in his 288th game, making him the fastest coach to reach 200 wins at that time.
Nov. 22, 1994
Don Nelson, the coach of Golden State, made NBA history by being the first person to take part in 2,700 career games as either a player or coach, including both regular season and playoffs. This record was set during a 102-98 road loss for the Warriors at Golden State. However, later in the 1994-95 season, Nelson’s record for most NBA game appearances, as a player or coach, was surpassed by Lenny Wilkens, the head coach of Atlanta.
Nov. 22, 2000
The Philadelphia 76ers’ season-opening winning streak ended at 10 games after an 88-73 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The Sixers made history as the 12th team in the NBA to start a season with a minimum of 10 consecutive wins.
Nov. 22, 2023
LeBron James, the NBA’s highest scorer ever, has achieved a unique feat by becoming the sole player to reach 39,000 career points. In a game that saw the Lakers trounce the Jazz with a 131-99 score, James hit this landmark with a three-pointer in the first quarter. Contributing 17 points in 24 minutes, he helped the Lakers maintain an unbeaten record in the In-Season Tournament’s Group Play.
Nov. 23, 1979
Elvin Hayes of Washington scored 18 points in a 128-108 defeat at San Antonio, surpassing Hal Greer to secure the seventh place on the NBA all-time scoring list. He now has a total of 21,587 points.
Nov. 23, 1991
The Sacramento Kings ended their NBA record 43-game losing streak on the road with a narrow 95-93 victory against the Magic at Orlando Arena. Lionel Simmons was the star of the game, leading the Kings with a game-high 27 points. This marked their first victory away from home since November 20, 1990, in Washington.
Nov. 23, 1994
During the Utah Jazz’s 113-103 home victory over Seattle, Jeff Hornacek from Utah set a new NBA record by successfully making all eight of his 3-point field goal attempts. Hornacek scored a career-best 40 points and shattered the previous record set by Terry Porter of Portland in 1992 and Sam Perkins of the Sonics in 1993, both of whom had a 7-of-7 record from the 3-point range. On January 15, 1997, Perkins matched Hornacek’s 8-for-8 performance for Seattle against Toronto.
Nov. 23, 1994
Wesley Person led Phoenix with 19 points in a 140-109 home victory over the LA Clippers, where 10 players scored in double figures. This made the Suns the third NBA team to have 10 different players score in double figures in a single game. The Seattle Sonics were the first to achieve this feat on March 30, 1980, in a 135-104 win against Portland, with Gus Williams scoring 23 points. The Sonics repeated this achievement on April 14, 1994, beating the LA Clippers 150-101 at home, with Detlef Schrempf contributing 21 points.
Nov. 23, 1997
Del Harris, coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, achieved his 500th career win following a 119-102 victory over the LA Clippers.
Nov. 23, 2016
Kevin Love, a forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers, set a record by scoring 34 points in the first quarter against his hometown team, the Portland Trail Blazers. This achievement helped lead the Cavs to a 137-125 victory.
Nov. 24, 1938
Oscar Robertson was born in Charlotte, Tennessee.
Nov. 24, 1949
Don Otten from the Tri-Cities Blackhawks made NBA history by committing eight personal fouls during a 120-113 defeat to Sheboygan.
Nov. 24, 1949
The Syracuse Nationals emerged victorious over the Anderson Packers with a score of 125-123, following five overtimes, marking the longest game in NBA history at that time. However, this record was surpassed just over a year later on January 6, 1951, when Rochester and Indianapolis played a game that went into six overtimes.
Nov. 24, 1960
Wilt Chamberlain, playing for the Philadelphia Warriors, set an NBA record by securing 55 rebounds in a 132-129 defeat against Boston. In the 1960-61 season, Chamberlain achieved another record by accumulating 2,149 rebounds across 79 games, averaging 27.2 rebounds per game. Both records continue to hold in the NBA.
Nov. 24, 1986
Maurice Podoloff, who was the initial chief executive of the NBA, passed away at 95 years old. From 1946 until his retirement in 1963, Podoloff served as the NBA President, a title that was rebranded to Commissioner in 1967.
Nov. 24, 1996
Clyde Drexler became the 24th player in NBA history to achieve 20,000 points, by scoring a pair of free throws in the third quarter of Houston’s 90-85 victory over the Lakers on the road.
Nov. 24, 1999
A.C. Green, a player for the Los Angeles Lakers, matches the record for the longest streak of consecutive games played in professional basketball history. He achieves this by playing in his 1,041st game when the Lakers take on the Utah Jazz at Staples Center. This ties him with former ABA and NBA star, Ron Boone. Green had previously set a record for being the NBA’s all-time iron man, having played 907 consecutive games while with the Dallas Mavericks, on November 20, 1997. This surpassed Randy Smith’s record of 906 consecutive games played for Buffalo, San Diego, Cleveland, and New York.
Nov. 24, 1999
After a 93-91 victory over Atlanta, Pat Riley from the Miami Heat secured his 200th win with the team. This achievement makes him one of the only coaches, alongside Lenny Wilkens and Bill Fitch, to have 200 wins with three different teams – the Lakers, New York, and Miami.
Nov. 24, 2001
Terry Porter of the San Antonio Spurs made NBA history by becoming the only player to record 15,000 points, 7,000 assists, 1,000 steals, and 1,000 3-pointers, despite a 99-94 loss to Minnesota where he made three assists.
Nov. 25, 1960
Bailey Howell from Detroit established a then Pistons’ home record by scoring 19 free throws in a game against Los Angeles, ending with 43 points. Additionally, he set another Pistons’ home game record by grabbing 21 rebounds in one half.
Nov. 26, 1986
The Milwaukee Bucks secured a 122-103 victory against the Washington Bullets, marking Don Nelson’s 500th career coaching win. He achieved this milestone quicker than any other coach in NBA history, in just 817 games. However, Pat Riley later surpassed this record by reaching 500 wins in only 684 games.
Nov. 26, 1994
In a 101-87 win against Golden State at Gund Arena, the Cleveland Cavaliers set a new NBA record by only attempting two free throws throughout the entire game. This broke the previous record of three held by the Los Angeles Lakers for 14 years. John “Hot Rod” Williams and Tony Campbell each successfully made one free throw for the Cavs.
Nov. 26, 1999
A.C. Green, a player for the Los Angeles Lakers, set a professional basketball record by playing in his 1,042nd consecutive game during a 103-80 victory over New Jersey. This achievement surpassed the record previously held by former ABA and NBA star, Ron Boone.
Nov. 26, 2000
John Stockton made his 1,271st NBA appearance, all while donning a Utah Jazz uniform, surpassing the previous record held by John Havlicek of the Boston Celtics for the most career games played for a single team. “My respect for John Havlicek is immense, I can’t even articulate it,” expressed Stockton.
Nov. 26, 2011
The NBA and the NBA Players Association have agreed on a new collective bargaining agreement, concluding the second-longest labor stoppage in the league’s history, which lasted 160 days.
Nov. 27, 1947
Howie Dallmar of Philadelphia set an NBA record by attempting, but not making, 15 field goals against New York. This record was not surpassed for 44 years until Tim Hardaway from Golden State missed all 17 of his field goal attempts on December 27, 1991.
Nov. 27, 1963
During a 118-89 victory over New York, Wilt Chamberlain set what was then an NBA record by consecutively hitting 18 field goals.
Nov. 27, 2015
In a 116-114 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, James Harden from the Houston Rockets tallied 50 points.
Nov. 28, 1969
The New York Knicks defeated the Cincinnati Royals with a score of 106-105, after scoring six points in the last 16 seconds. This victory extended their winning streak to a then-NBA record of 18 consecutive games. However, the current NBA record of 33 consecutive wins was set by the Lakers in the 1971-72 season.
Nov. 28, 1986
The Celtics defeated San Antonio 111-96 at Boston Garden, establishing an NBA record with their 38th consecutive home win.
Nov. 28, 1988
Magic Johnson, guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, ended the game with 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 20 assists, leading to a 109-104 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Nov. 28, 1992
Lenny Wilkens, the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, marked his 2,500th NBA game appearance in a 95-93 defeat to Orlando. This counts his 29-season career as a player and a coach, including both regular season and playoff games. Wilkens, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988, became only the second person after Don Nelson to appear in 2,500 games. In the 1994-95 season, Wilkens surpassed Nelson to become the NBA’s all-time leader in game appearances, player or coach, with a total of 2,737.
Nov. 28, 1992
Reggie Miller set an Indiana team record with a 57-point explosion, leading the Pacers to a 134-122 victory over the host Charlotte Hornets.
Nov. 28, 1992
Larry Brown, the LA Clippers’ head coach, achieved his 400th career NBA victory when the Clippers won 121-119 on the road against Denver.
Nov. 28, 1997
Michael Jordan from Chicago scored 26 points in Indiana, surpassing Elvin Hayes’ 27,313 points to secure the fourth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with a total of 27,332 points.
Nov. 28, 2003
Karl Malone, forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, ended the game with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in their 103-87 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. By achieving a triple-double at the age of 40 years and 127 days, Malone set a new NBA record as the oldest player to do so.
Nov. 28, 2012
Rajon Rondo was sent off in the middle of the Boston Celtics’ 95-83 defeat to the Brooklyn Nets. At the time of his ejection, he had only made three assists, which ended his impressive streak of double-digit assists at 37 games. This streak is second only to Magic Johnson’s 46-game streak.
Nov. 28, 2023
In the exciting last night of Group Play in the first In-Season Tournament, the Knicks, Bucks, Celtics, and Kings all emerged victorious and moved on to the Knockout Rounds. The quarterfinals are scheduled for Dec. 4 and 5, with these matchups: Bucks against Knicks, Lakers opposite Suns, Pacers versus Celtics and Pelicans competing with Kings.
Nov. 29, 1997
The Washington Wizards played their final game at US Airways Arena in Landover, MD, against the Chicago Bulls, after 24 seasons. The game ended with an 88-83 win for Chicago.
Nov. 29, 1999
Tyrone Corbin from the Sacramento Kings achieved a milestone that eluded basketball legends like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson. He played in his 1,000th regular NBA season game.
Nov. 29, 2015
Through a poem posted on The Players’ Tribune website, Kobe Bryant has announced his retirement, effective after the 2015-16 season. Bryant has been a steadfast fixture of the Los Angeles Lakers, spending all 20 seasons of his NBA career with the team.
Nov. 30, 1977
Bob Hopkins was succeeded by Lenny Wilkens as the coach of the Seattle SuperSonics, a team that was struggling with a 5-17 record at the time. The team’s fortune changed under Wilkens, finishing the rest of the season with a 42-18 record and reaching the NBA Finals. However, they lost to the Washington Bullets in a series that went to seven games.
Nov. 30, 1990
Larry Bird, a forward for the Boston Celtics, achieved his 20,000th career point during the Celtics’ 123-95 victory over Washington at the Garden. This accomplishment made Bird the fifth player in league history, joining the ranks of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, John Havlicek, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West, to accumulate 20,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 5,000 assists throughout his professional career.
Nov. 30, 1996
After scoring 35 points in the Bulls’ 97-88 victory over the Spurs, Michael Jordan became the 10th player in NBA history to accumulate 25,000 points. He achieved this feat in 782 games, only surpassed in speed by Wilt Chamberlain who did it in 691 games.
Nov. 30, 2019
James Harden, guard for the Houston Rockets, racked up 60 points in 31 minutes during a 158-111 thrashing against the Atlanta Hawks. Falling just one point short of his personal and franchise record, he managed to net eight 3-pointers and 20 free throws.
