Kevin Garnett overcome with emotion after Celtics defeated Lakers in Game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals.
Below is a day-by-day look at landmark moments, games, performances and more from this week in NBA lore.
June 16
June 16, 1975
The Milwaukee Bucks traded Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and reserve center Walt Wesley to the Los Angeles Lakers for center Elmore Smith, forward David Meyers, guard Brian Winters and swingman Junior Bridgeman.
June 16, 1988
A crowd of 41,732, the largest ever to attend an NBA playoff game, turned out at the Pontiac Silverdome to see the Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers 104-94 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to take a 3-2 lead in the series won by the Lakers in seven games.
June 16, 1993
Chicago defeated Phoenix 111-105 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals at Chicago Stadium, as the Bulls’ Michael Jordan erupted for 55 points (21-of-37 FGs, 13-of-18 FTs). Jordan’s 55-point effort matched the second-highest single-game point total in Finals history. Elgin Baylor of the Los Angeles Lakers holds the Finals scoring record, with 61 points on April 14, 1962 against Boston. Rick Barry scored 55 points for San Francisco against Philadelphia on April 18, 1967.
June 16, 1996
Chicago’s series-clinching victory over Seattle draws an 18.8 rating and a 35 share on NBC, with the game pulling in an estimated 60 million viewers, making it the most-watched NBA game ever on television. The six games of the Chicago-Seattle series average a 16.7 rating, ranking second all-time behind the six games of the 1993 Chicago-Phoenix series, which averaged a 17.9 rating.
June 16, 1996
Paced by Michael Jordan’s 22 points and seven assists, Dennis Rodman’s 19 rebounds and Scottie Pippen’s 17 points and four steals, Chicago defeated visiting Seattle 87-75 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, winning the series 4-2 and clinching the Bulls’ fourth NBA championship in six seasons. Jordan became the only player ever to win the NBA Finals MVP Award four times, after averaging 27.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in the championship series.
June 16, 1999
39,514 fans were in attendance in San Antonio’s Alamodome for Game 1 of the 1999 NBA Finals versus the New York Knicks. The fans saw the Spurs win 89-77 as they marked the second highest attendance mark in NBA Finals history. The record of 41,732 was set when the Los Angeles Lakers played the Detroit Pistons on June 16 of the 1988 NBA Finals.
June 16, 1999
The Los Angeles Lakers named Phil Jackson as head coach, replacing Kurt Rambis. Jackson returned to the NBA after a year off from coaching after leading the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles in eight years.
June 16, 2000
Reggie Miller’s four-point play at the 4:46 mark of the first quarter of Indiana’s 120-87 triumph over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of NBA Finals 2000 is the sixth four-point play in NBA Finals history and the second this series. The Lakers’ Glen Rice accomplished the feat in Game 4, marking the second time the feat has been accomplished twice in the same series.
June 16, 2015
The Golden State Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 of the 2015 Finals, 105-97, for the first championship for the Bay Area team since 1975. Andre Iguodala is the Finals MVP.
June 16, 2022
The Golden State Warriors close out the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the 2022 Finals, 103-90, for their fourth title in the last eight seasons. Stephen Curry is named Finals MVP after scoring 34 points for the Warriors, who claimed the franchise’s seventh championship overall. For Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, it’s a fourth championship.
June 16, 2022: The Golden State Warriors defeat the Boston Celtics 103-90 in Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals for their 4th title in 8 seasons.
June 17
June 17, 1976
Four former ABA teams — Denver, Indiana New York and San Antonio — were officially admitted into the NBA, raising the league to 22 teams.
June 17, 1994
In New York’s 91-84 win over Houston in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Patrick Ewing tied the NBA Finals record with eight blocked-shots. He shares the record with Bill Walton, Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O’Neal.
June 17, 2008
The Boston Celtics win their 17th NBA Championship, defeating the Lakers 4 games to 2. Boston’s 131-92 win in Game 6 is the most lopsided closeout win in NBA Finals history. Paul Pierce is named Finals MVP.
Kevin Garnett overcome with emotion after Celtics defeated Lakers in Game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals.
June 18
June 18, 1924
George Mikan is born in Joliet, Illinois.
June 18, 1932
The Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur (FIBA), the world governing body for basketball, was founded in Geneva, Switzerland.
June 18, 2013
In the 2013 Finals, Ray Allen hits the tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation to send Game 6 between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs into overtime, with the Heat winning 103-100. The Heat would go on to win Game 7 and the championship.
In Game 6 of the 2013 Finals, Ray Allen hit a clutch 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds left to send the game into overtime.
June 19
June 19, 1988
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sank two free throws with 14 seconds left as the Los Angeles Lakers edged the Detroit Pistons 103-102 to even the NBA Finals at 3-3. Isiah Thomas scored 43 points for the Pistons, including a Finals record 25 in the third quarter, despite suffering a sprained ankle early in the game. Thomas’ 11 field goals in the quarter is an NBA Finals record.
June 19, 1994
Hakeem Olajuwon scored 30 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and partially blocked the final shot of the game (by John Starks), leading the Houston Rockets to an 86-84 win over the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. The win by Houston forced a deciding seventh game of the NBA Finals for the first time in six years and the only time in the 1990s.
June 19, 2000
Shaquille O’Neal is named unanimous Most Valuable Player of NBA Finals 2000 following the Lakers’ 116-111 Game 6 victory, receiving all seven votes from a national media panel. O’Neal averaged 38 points, 16.7 rebounds and 2.67 blocks in the six-game Finals series. He became just the third person to sweep MVP honors for the season, capturing the All-Star Game MVP, which he shared with San Antonio’s Tim Duncan, NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP awards. O’Neal joined Willis Reed (1970) and Michael Jordan (1996). The Lakers tied the NBA Finals single game record with only five turnovers.
June 19, 2016
LeBron James fulfills his promise to Cleveland and brings the Cavaliers their first championship ever. The Cavaliers come back from 3-1 down and take The Finals, 4-3, with a 93-89 Game 7 win. LeBron is the Finals MVP, averaging 29.7 points per game.
LeBron James fulfills his promise to Cleveland and brings the Cavaliers their first NBA championship ever in a classic Game 7.
June 20
June 20, 1993
John Paxson’s 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left and Horace Grant’s block of a Kevin Johnson shot in the lane in the final second lifted Chicago to a 99-98 win over host Phoenix in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, clinching the Bulls’ third consecutive NBA Championship. Chicago became only the third NBA franchise (along with Boston, 1959-66, and Minneapolis, 1952-54) to win three straight titles. Michael Jordan of Chicago was named the NBA Finals MVP for the third straight year after averaging a Finals record 41.0 points per game, along with 8.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists. Magic Johnson is the only other player in NBA history to win at least three NBA Finals MVP awards.
In Game 6 of the 1993 Finals, John Paxson hit a 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left to lift the Bulls to a third consecutive NBA title.
June 20, 2013
LeBron James and the Miami Heat won their second straight NBA championship, taking an epic series 4-3 with a Game 7 win over the San Antonio Spurs, 95-88. LeBron was named Finals MVP for the second straight year. It was the third straight Finals appearance for the Heat and its Big Three of Lebron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Watch as the Miami Heat battle through an intense NBA season to win back-to-back championships.
June 21
June 21, 1988
James Worthy posted the first triple-double of his career with 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated Detroit 108-105 in Game 7 of the Finals to become the first NBA team to successfully defend its title since the Boston Celtics in 1968 and 1969. The Lakers also became the first team in NBA history to win three consecutive seven-game series (4-3 over Utah, Dallas and Detroit).
James Worthy cements his nickname with a triple-double against the Pistons in the deciding game of the 1988 NBA Finals.
June 21, 1997
The WNBA, the new women’s professional basketball league, played its first regular season games. New York beat Los Angeles 67-57, Houston beat Cleveland 76-56 and Sacramento beat Utah 70-60.
June 21, 1999
The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 89-81 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, snapping San Antonio’s record 12-game playoff win streak in one playoff series. The Spurs rebounded with two more wins to capture their first NBA championship, posting a 15-2 record in the 1999 playoffs.
June 21, 2012
The Miami Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-106 in Game 5, winning the NBA Finals 4-1. It was the first title for LeBron James, who was named Finals MVP, and the second for the Miami Heat.
LeBron James leads the Miami Heat to his 1st and the franchise's 2nd championship.
June 22
June 22, 1994
Led by Hakeem Olajuwon’s 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, Houston defeated New York 90-84 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals at The Summit, giving the Rockets their first NBA championship in the 27-year history of the franchise. Olajuwon averaged 26 9 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.86 blocks for the series and was unanimously voted the Finals MVP, the first player to ever win the Defensive Player of the Year and both the regular season and Finals MVP awards in the same season. The game was the Knicks’ 25th game of the 1994 postseason, an NBA record. Derek Harper set a Finals record for the most 3-point field goals made (17) in a seven-game series and Patrick Ewing set a Finals record for the most blocks in a series with 30.
Watch how Houston truly became known as Clutch City by winning the 1994 NBA championship.
June 22, 2000
The Indiana Pacers announced that Larry Bird, the team’s head coach for three seasons, would not return to the franchise in any capacity for the 2000-2001 season. In his three seasons with the Pacers, Bird compiled a 147-67 record for a winning percentage of .687, the best three-year winning percentage in team history. The Pacers also won two Central Division championships, an Eastern Conference championship, reached the Eastern Conference finals three times and in 2000, advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. In postseason play, the Pacers were 32-20 (.615) under Bird.
