Basketball history between 1940s-1990s

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    Basketball history

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    NBA Founding Years

  • Dallmar, Warriors win first title

    Dallmar, Warriors win first title
    A big shot by the Warriors' Howie Dallmar in the final minute clinched the first title in the league that would later become known as the National Basketball Association
  • True Trail Blazer

    True Trail Blazer
    Earl Lloyd, Chuck Cooper, and Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton may not have been able to eat in certain restaurants in 1950, but the trio entered the NBA that year and became pioneers for today's African-American basketball players.
  • Joseph McCarthy (McCarthyisms)

    Joseph McCarthy (McCarthyisms)
    McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence.
  • Cltics down Nationals in Four overtime

    Cltics down Nationals in Four overtime
    Before the 24-second shot clock, in the stagnant era of the NBA, Bob Cousy and the Celtics outran Syracuse in an atypical postseason game.
  • MVP

    MVP
    Bob Petit; St. Louis Hawks
  • Vietnam War

    Vietnam War
    Communist victory
    Withdrawal of American-led anti communist forces
    Communist governments take power in South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia
    South Vietnam is annexed by North Vietnam
  • Pettits Revenge

    Pettits Revenge
    Bob Pettit turned in one of the finest performances in championship history when he scored 50 points in Game 6 against the Boston Celtics.
  • MVP

    MVP
    Wilt Chamberlin;Philadelphia Warriors
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    Decade of Dominance

  • Wilt Scores 100!

    Wilt Scores 100!
    Wilt Chamberlain set the NBA single-game scoring record by tallying 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 169-147 victory over the New York Knicks.
  • Baylor scores 61 for finals record

    Baylor scores 61 for finals record
    Elgin Baylor was a scoring machine in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, ringing up 61 points, a feat that remains a Finals record.
  • Cousy dribbles out the clock

    Cousy dribbles out the clock
    Bob Cousy and the Celtics were called "too old," to win their fifth straight title, but the Houdini of the Hardwood proved them wrong in his final game.
  • Civil Rights Movement

    Civil Rights Movement
    Martin Luther King and other civil rights leaders in front of the statue of Abraham Lincoln,
  • Assassination of JFK

    Assassination of JFK
    John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time (18:30 UTC) on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas.[1][2] Kennedy was fatally shot by a sniper while traveling with his wife Jacqueline
  • West average 46.3 against the Bullets

    West average 46.3 against the Bullets
    The Baltimore Bullets were the victims of the greatest single-man assault in playoff history when Lakers' guard Jerry West averaged more than 46 points a game over six games of their Western Division Finals series.
  • "Havlicek stole the ball"

    "Havlicek stole the ball"
    Celtics broadcaster Johnny Most made basketball's most famous call, describing John Havlicek's heroics in the closing seconds of Game 7 of the 1965 Eastern Division Finals.
  • Boston caps the Russell Era with 11 titles in 13 seasons

    Boston caps the Russell Era with 11 titles in 13 seasons
    Player-coach Bill Russell inspired Boston to one last title in '68-69 before retiring as the game's greatest champion.
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    A New Era

  • Mr. Clutch sinks a 60-footer

    Mr. Clutch sinks a 60-footer
    Jerry West showed he deserved his nickname when he buried a 60-foot, game-tying bomb at the buzzer in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Knicks.
  • Reed Inspires Knicks to Win

    Reed Inspires Knicks to Win
    It remains one of sports most dramatic moments: Madison Square Garden. NBA Finals. Knicks vs. Lakers. Game 7. Just before tip-off, Willis Reed hobbles out on a bandaged leg, then scores the first two baskets, propelling the Knicks to their first NBA title.
  • Lakers win 33 in a row

    Lakers win 33 in a row
    By beating the Hawks on January 7, 1972, Jerry West and the Lakers set an NBA record for most consecutive wins with 33.
  • MVP

    MVP
    Bob McAboo; Buffalo Braves
  • celtics survive Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Heroics

    celtics survive Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Heroics
    The Milwaukee Bucks were favored to beat the Boston Celtics in the 1974 NBA Finals but Dave Cowens and his teammates proved you could never count the Celtics out.
  • Greatest Game Ever?

    Greatest Game Ever?
    The triple-overtime battle between the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns in Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals was the longest Finals game ever and maybe the best game of all-time.
  • MVP Season

    MVP Season
    Bill Walton; Portland trail blazer
  • Gervin, Thompson duel to the finish

    Gervin, Thompson duel to the finish
    The 1977-78 season featured two of the league's most spectacular stars in a duel for the scoring crown that came down to the final day of the season.
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    Bird and Magic Show

  • Doctor hangs one on the lakers

    Doctor hangs one on the lakers
    In Game 4 of the 1980 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, Dr. J. stunned everyone with an amazing reverse layup.
  • MVP Season

    MVP Season
    Dr.J; Philadelphia 76ers
  • HIV/AIDS

    HIV/AIDS
    AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is the final stage of HIV disease, which causes severe damage to the immune system.
  • The Instinctive Genius of Larry Bird

    The Instinctive Genius of Larry Bird
    Boston Celtics president Red Auerbach called Larry Bird's heads-up move in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Rockets " the greatest play I've ever seen."
  • Magic Center of Attention in NBA Final

    Magic Center of Attention in NBA Final
    Magic Johnson, the Lakers' 20-year-old, 6-8 point guard, filled in at center for the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Game 6 of the NBA Finals and led L.A. to the title.
  • MVP

    MVP
    Philadelphia Warriors; Philadelphia 76ers
  • Kareem Becomes NBA's all time scorer

    Kareem Becomes NBA's all time scorer
    On April 5, 1984, in a game against the Utah Jazz in Las Vegas, Nev., Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sank another sky-hook -- but this one proved historic.
  • MVP Season

    MVP Season
    Larry Bird; Boston Celtics
  • Henderson steal saves the Celtics

    Henderson steal saves the Celtics
    There have been three historic steals in the storied history of the Boston Celtics but only Gerald Henderson's theft came in the NBA Finals.
  • Henderson's steal saves the Celtics

    There have been three historic steals in the storied history of the Boston Celtics but only Gerald Henderson's theft came in the NBA Finals.
  • Aging Abdul-Jabbar Finds Youth

    Aging Abdul-Jabbar Finds Youth
    At age 38, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar finds the fountain of youth against Boston, leading the Lakers to an NBA Championship.
  • God Disguised as Micheal Jordan

    God Disguised as Micheal Jordan
    That's how Boston's Larry Bird described what he saw on the night Jordan scored an NBA playoff-record 63 points against the Celtics.
  • Sampson Stuns the Lakers

    Sampson Stuns the Lakers
    In the year of Houston's Twin Towers, Ralph Sampson's last-second shot ended the Los Angeles Lakers' season.
  • Bird Picks Piston's Pockets

    Bird Picks Piston's Pockets
    Larry Bird stole an inbounds pass thrown by Detroit's Isiah Thomas and fed it to a cutting Dennis Johnson for the game-winning layup in Game 6 of the East Finals.
  • Magic's Junior, Junior sky hook Beats Boston

    Magic's Junior, Junior sky hook Beats Boston
    With Game 4 of the NBA Finals on the line, Magic Johnson did his best Kareem Abdul-Jabbar impersonation, sinking a sweet sky hook for the game-winner.
  • The Bad Boys

    The Bad Boys
    Pistons have the best of all time
  • Jordan and Wilkins Battle for Dunk Title

    Jordan and Wilkins Battle for Dunk Title
    The 1988 Slam Dunk contest came down to the wire as Dominique Wilkins and hometown favorite Michael Jordan faced off for dunk title honors.
  • Shootout in Boston Garden

    Shootout in Boston Garden
    In Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Dominique Wilkins and Larry Bird went head to head down the stretch in an unforgettable scoring shootout.
  • Heroic Isiah Hobbles to Finals Records

    Heroic Isiah Hobbles to Finals Records
    In the 1988 Finals against the Lakers, not even a sprained ankle could stop Isiah Thomas from scoring a record 25 points in the third quarter of Game 6.
  • Riley Gurantees a Repeat

    Riley Gurantees a Repeat
    Coach Pat Riley made good on his promise as the Lakers won back-to-back Championships in '87 and '88.
  • Micheal Jordan Downs the Cavs

    Micheal Jordan Downs the Cavs
    It is known, in Chicago and especially in Cleveland, as "The Shot," and Michael Jordan's game-winning jumper was among the first of his numerous clutch shots.
  • Pistons Bad Boys

    Pistons Bad Boys
    Pistons First Winning Season