60 Most Pivotal Moments in NBA History

If you like NBA history, you've come to the right place. 

The game of basketball has come a long way since it was first invented 120 years ago. Let's take a look through how it evolved by looking at the 60 most pivotal moments in NBA history, arranged in chronological order for your viewing pleasure. 

With 62 years worth of games, narrowing the moments down to just 60 is incredibly difficult. But here they are. 

As always, feel free to tell me which ones I missed in the comments section. 

James Naismith Invents Basketball (1891)

At a Springfield YMCA back in 1891, James Naismith was credited with the invention of the game that we now call basketball. 

Seeking to come up with a sport to occupy the young children for whom he was in charge, Naismith came up with "Basket Ball," developing 13 rules to form a sport that only moderately resembled the game's current form. 

Although the sport was met with skepticism at first, it quickly caught on and Naismith became the founder of basketball. 

Obviously, the creation of a sport is a fairly pivotal moment in that sport's history. 

BAA Founded (1946)

After Boston's Walter Brown decided that more money could be made from the empty ice hockey rinks that sat unused in between home games, Maurice Podoloff and others founded the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1946. 

With 11 teams and 60 regular season games, the BAA struggled during its first year. Games were cancelled due to puddles because owners of the arenas would simply put wood over the ice rinks. Some arenas weren't even heated, leading both fans and players to wear gloves and find ways to keep warm. And that's just the beginning of the problems. 

But no matter the problems, the league managed to survive from day one as the Toronto Huskies played the New York Knickerbockers. At the end of that first season, the Philadelphia Warriors won a best-of-seven series against the Chicago Stags to take home the BAA's first title. 

BAA and NBL Merge (1949)

At the time of the BAA's inception, the NBL was already thriving (relatively of course). 

On August 3, 1949, the two leagues merged together to form the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a result, there were 17 teams located throughout the country and the teams started to play in larger venues. 

After that, the league started to shrink until it reached just eight teams in 1954: New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia Warriors, Minneapolis Lakers, Cincinnati Royals, Fort Wayne Pistons, Tri-City Hawks and Syracuse Nationals. Variations of each of them are all still present in the modern-day NBA. 

George Mikan's Laker's Dynasty (1949-1954)

George Mikan was the first true superstar of the NBA. 

Mikan, who would come to be known as Mr. Basketball, was a center for the Minneapolis Lakers and used his 6'10" frame to revolutionize the game into a sport for big men. With his spectacles on, he'd use a combination of left- and right-handed hook shots to destroy the opposition. 

So good that the NBA actually widened the foul lane to try to stop him, Mikan won seven championships in his basketball career, five of which came during his NBA years with the Lakers, who would be the sport's first dynasty. 

In fact, only a fractured leg ever stopped Mikan's Lakers from taking home a title. 

NBA Starts to Track Rebounds (1950)

It's hard to believe, but at one point the NBA didn't even keep track of rebounds. Now I'm not talking about separating rebounds into offensive and defensive boards; rather, the NBA didn't even acknowledge its existence as a stat. 

Fortunately, that changed in 1950 and we were able to see recorded legendary performances like Wilt Chamberlain's 55-rebound game. 

The history of basketball would be quite different if we didn't have the ability to quantify player's contributions crashing the boards. 

Red Auerbach Hired by the Boston Celtics (1950)

In my opinion, Red Auerbach is the greatest professional basketball coach of all time. 

Auerbach started his professional coaching career with the BAA's Washington Capitols before moving on to the Tri-Cities Blackhawks. But after owner Ben Kerner traded away John Mahnken, Red's favorite player, the now-legendary coach resigned.

In stepped the Boston Celtics. Walter Brown hired Auerbach and it was the first crucial step toward the biggest dynasty in professional sports history.

There's no way to sum up the legend of Auerbach. He and his victory cigars were absolutely revered by the legendary players he added to the team. All of the mind games he played with his players were masterful; he always knew what to say and when to say it.

But in the end, Auerbach was all about won thing: winning.

He won quite a bit, taking home nine NBA championships as the head coach of the Celtics.  

NBA Integration (1950)

There are three players with legitimate claims to being the first black players in NBA history. 

The first is Chuck Cooper, pictured to the left. Cooper was drafted by Red Auerbach's Boston Celtics in 1950 and went on to have a fairly successful career, but by no means a standout one. 

Nat Clifton was also drafted that year, although he was taken after Cooper. However, he did become the first African-American player to sign a contract with an NBA team. 

Then there was Earl Lloyd, who didn't get drafted first or sign a contract first. Instead, he became the first black player to actually play in a game because his Washington Capitols opened their season before Cooper's Celtics and Clifton's New York Knicks. 

Japanese-American Wataru Misaka was technically the first non-white player to do all three of these things back in the 1947-1948 season, but 1950 is still regarded as the year that the NBA was integrated. 

Danny Biasone Invents the Shot Clock (1954)

Perhaps no rule change has been more crucial to the development of the NBA. 

Sick of the stagnant playing style that basketball had so fully embraced, one that had made the sport decidedly less appealing to fans and TV stations alike, Syracuse Nationals owner Danny Biasone started to use a 24-second shot clock during his team's scrimmages. 

The NBA decided to incorporate that shot clock in the 1954-1955 season, and it is only fitting that Biasone's team won the very next championship. 

Scoring immediately went up, as did the popularity of the league. 

Bob Pettit Is the First NBA MVP (1956)

The NBA MVP award was first awarded at the conclusion of the 1955-1956 season and was given to a player who was voted the award by the players in the NBA. Now, the Maurice Podoloff Trophy is given to the player who a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters vote for, as has been the case since the 1979-1980 season. 

The award has come to be quite highly regarded by NBA buffs because the majority of the time, it has truly recognized the most valuable player in the game. 

Its first recipient was the St. Louis Hawks' Bob Pettit. In his second year, the forward had averaged a league-leading 25.7 points per game to go along with his 16.2 rebounds per contest. 

Pettit would go on to win one more MVP in his career, but the award itself would be even more successful. 

Boston Celtics Get Bill Russell (1957)

It is impossible to do the legend that is Bill Russell justice. In my best attempt to do so, I will direct you to a lengthy quote from a previous article that I've written:

"

How do you sum up the career of a man who many people consider the No. 2 player of all time in just one slide? I have no idea, but here's my attempt. 

After the Boston Celtics' cigar-smoking head coach Red Auerbach selected Tom Heinsohn with his territorial selection in the 1956 NBA draft, he set his sights on Bill Russell, a tough, defensively oriented monster on the glass from the University of San Francisco. However, Russell was taken at No. 2 by the St. Louis Hawks.

The draft-day saga was not over, though, as Auerbach decided to trade six-time All-Star Ed Macauley and promising prospect Cliff Hagan to the Hawks for Russell. After securing K.C. Jones later in the draft, Auerbach had added the services of not one, not two, but three future Hall of Famers in just one draft.

After sitting out the beginning of the NBA season to play for the U.S. National Team in the Olympics, Russell joined the Celtics and averaged 14.7 points and a league-high 19.6 rebounds per game during his rookie season. Amazingly enough, that would be the third-lowest rebounding per-game average of his career.

At the end of his rookie season, Russell helped defeat Bob Pettit and the always dangerous St. Louis Hawks to capture the first title of the 11 he would amass during his career. The next year, Russell took home MVP honors, but had to watch from the bench as his team fell to the Hawks in the Finals after he was sidelined with a foot injury. That was one of the two times in his career that his season would end with the agony of defeat. 

The next year, Russell led a Celtics team desperate for redemption. Boston managed to win 52 games, then an NBA record, in the regular season before steam-rolling through the playoffs and capping off the run with a 4-0 sweep of the Minneapolis Lakers in the Finals. The rest is history, as Russell and the Celtics would go on to win each of the next seven titles. 

At the end of the historic run, Russell started to slowly decline. Auerbach retired and left Russell as a player-coach, a job which he handled extraordinarily well. But in the end, his team was no match for the mighty Philadelphia 76ers, as Wilt Chamberlain led his team to a regular season record 68 wins and the championship. 

It was only fitting that Russell would retire in 1969 as a back-to-back NBA champion, though. Despite being hampered by old age and the psychological effects of the Martin Luther King Jr. assassination, the Robert F. Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War and the ugly divorce proceedings with his wife, Russell still managed to go out on top. 

The first defensive superstar, Russell was in reality one of the most complete players that the NBA has ever had the pleasure of introducing to its fans. A five-time MVP and 11-time champion in just 13 seasons of play with Boston, Russell is now the namesake of the NBA Finals MVP award, an honor truly befitting of such a great champion. 

He retired with career averages of 15.1 points and 22.5 rebounds, the latter second all-time to only Chamberlain. But the most impressive thing about his game may have been his blocking prowess, even though that stat was never officially recorded while he was still playing, meaning that we will never know just how statistically great he was in that respect. 

Russell is the greatest Celtic of all time. 

"

Wilt Chamberlain Scores 100 Points (1962)

Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game is the pinnacle of statistical achievements in basketball, an unmatched record that will probably never be broken. No one but Kobe Bryant has even come within 19 points of touching that triple-digit barrier. 

Playing for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962, Wilt the Stilt put up his masterpiece in a contest that his Warriors would emerge from with a 169-147 victory. 

I don't particularly like the way that Chamberlain played the game of basketball, so I'm going to move on without saying anything else. 

Oscar Robertson Averages a Triple-Double (1962)

In a season for the ages, Oscar Robertson became the first and only player to average a triple-double for the duration of a season. 

Playing for the Cincinnati Royals in just his sophomore season, Robertson dominated the competition all throughout the 1961-1962 campaign. When it ended, he had per-game averages of 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists per game. 

Nowadays, single triple-doubles are marveled at, yet a season-long one is still something that everyone strives for. 

J. Walter Kennedy Becomes League President (1963)

The man for whom the Citizenship Award is now named was the first commissioner of the NBA. He stepped in for Maurice Podoloff in 1963, gained the title of commissioner in 1967 and filled the post until his retirement in 1975.

Formerly the publicity director for the Harlem Globetrotters, J. Walter Kennedy did enough in his career to easily make the Hall of Fame. 

His career started off with a bang as he levied the NBA's largest fine ever at the time, charging Red Auerbach $500 for his behavior during a preseason game. 

When Kennedy took over, the NBA had just nine teams, no television deal and attendance that was, in a word, lacking. 

When he retired in 1975, the league had 18 teams, a television contract was in place, and both income and attendance had increased by 200 percent. 

Havlicek Steals the Ball (1965)

This is the first play where I'll pretty much let the video speak for itself, although it won't be the last. 

Giving Johnny Most the opportunity to make one of basketball's most famous calls, John Havlicek picked off Hal Greer's inbounds pass on April 15, 1965, to preserve a series-clinching victory against the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1965 Eastern Conference finals. 

Territorial Picks End (1966)

Prior to 1966, the NBA had allowed teams to select one player from a local college in order to boost both league and team popularity. This ended in 1966, but not before 22 selections were made. 

Of those 22 selections, 11 are now in the Hall of Fame, most notably Paul Arizin, Tommy Heinsohn, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Dave DeBusschere, Jerry Lucas, Bill Bradley and Gail Goodrich. 

ABA Formed (1967)

The biggest rival that the NBA has ever had to face, the ABA capitalized off America's desire for an even more exciting style of play. 

With a 30-second shot clock and the best athletes it could find, the league was formed with the intention of eventually merging with the NBA. It used a more flashy red, white and blue ball and the flashiness translated into the style of play. 

George Mikan served as the first commissioner, and the league introduced things like the slam dunk contest and a three-point line. 

But most importantly, it brought basketball legends like Julius Erving, Mel Daniels, Artis Gilmore, Connie Hawkins, Bobby Jones, David Thompson, Moses Malone, George McGinnis, Dan Issel, George Gervin, Billy Cunningham and Rick Barry into the nation's collective consciousness. 

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Opens (1968)

Now the pinnacle of a basketball's career, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame first opened in 1968.

The simple fact that every player strives to one day be enshrined in its halls justifies this moment's inclusion on the list. 

Jerry West Proves He's Mr. Clutch (1970)

With one shot, Jerry West proved that he deserved his reputation as Mr. Clutch. 

In Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals, Dave DeBusschere hit a shot with three seconds left on the clock to put the New York Knicks up 102-100. But it wasn't over yet. 

Jerry West took the inbounds pass from Wilt Chamberlain, dribbled past Walt Frazier and launched up a 60-foot shot to tie the game. It was one of the most unbelievable shots in basketball history, even though the Los Angeles Lakers would go on to lose the game in overtime. 

Here Comes Willis! (1970)

It's amazing that two of the most memorable and pivotal moments in league history could come in the same playoff series, but Willis Reed's entrance in the final game of the 1970 NBA Finals deserves its spot. 

Reed wasn't expected to play in Game 7 because of a leg injury, but he somehow emerged from the tunnel and walked onto the floor at Madison Square Garden in a goosebump-enducing moment. He would start to play in the game and even hit his first two shots, inspiring his Knicks to a win. 

That moment overshadowed a legendary game from Walt Frazier though. Clyde ended up scoring 36 points, dishing out 19 dimes and grabbing seven rebounds in the 113-99 win. 

Spencer Haywood Skips the Draft (1970)

Before Spencer Haywood was an NBA player, the league required a four-year gap between high school graduation and playing in the league. 

Haywood challenged the rule with an antitrust lawsuit (Haywood v. National Basketball Association) that reached the U.S. Supreme Court. The court would rule in the player's favor and allow Haywood to become a part of the league, thus launching the career of a very impressive young player. 

The big man was by no means a popular player, even allegedly hiring a mobster to kill his coach, Paul Westhead, but he did set the stage for future prep-to-pro players. 

Julius Erving Joins the ABA (1971)

That's what I wrote in an article about the coolest players in each franchise's history:

"

If you don't think that Julius Erving is cool, please, stop reading this, throw out any basketball memorabilia you may own, and lock yourself away in an empty room without any form of entertainment until you've changed your mind. 

Erving was the original high-flyer in the NBA. He is THE GUY who popularized the above-the-rim style of play that's so popular in the league today. Basketball simply wouldn't be the same without him. 

It was Dr. J who provided the first truly memorable gravity-defying moment when he launched himself from the free-throw line and hung in the air longer than humanly possible before jamming the ball home through the rim. 

It was Dr. J who  "rocked the baby" against Michael Cooper and left the crowd simply speechless.

It was Dr. J who provided us with my favorite basketball play of all time.

If you don't think Erving was cool...I give up.

"

None of it would be possible if Dr. J hadn't joined the ABA's Virginia Squires as an undrafted free agent in 1971.   

NBA Logo Created (1971)

The NBA logo, modeled after a silhouette of Jerry West, is one of the most famous logos in all of sports. It is famous in more than just the world of sports. 

That logo has been around ever since its inception in 1971 and remains a perfect image for the league to build around. 

Plus it gave Jerry West one of the coolest nicknames of all time: The Logo. 

Los Angeles Lakers Win 33 Straight (1972)

I had to pick a picture of Jerry West here that closely resembled the NBA logo after that last slide. 

After Elgin Baylor retired, the Los Angeles Lakers reeled off 30 straight regular season wins to cap off the 1971 calendar year and then opened 1972 with three consecutive victories the next year to push the unbeaten streak to 33 games. 

It was the longest winning streak in American professional sports history but one that was ended by the Milwaukee Bucks in a 16-point loss.

This was all thanks to the inspired play of West, Wilt Chamberlain, Gail Goodrich and many other great players.  

NBA Starts to Track Blocks and Steals (1974)

I love this slide because it gives me a chance to quote one of my favorite passages from Bill Simmons' The Book of Basketball, a passage about the defensive prowess of Nate Thurmond:

"

Wilt and Kareem called you their toughest defender in the early seventies. You averaged 2.9 blocks during the first year they kept track, when you were just about washed up, so who knows how many you were getting in your prime. God forbid we kept track of blocks until 1974. What were stat guys doing back then? Do you think Maurice Podoloff suggested blocks in the early sixties and the NBA's lead statistician angrily responded, 'Look, we're f---ing overworked as it is—we have to keep track of points, rebounds, and assists! Get off our backs'?

"

Regardless of the egregious holes in the records of the NBA (Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain's block totals most notably), steals and blocks started to be tracked in 1974. Thank goodness. 

Moses Malone Goes Prep to Pro (1974)

When he was drafted by the ABA's Utah Stars in 1974, Moses Malone became one of the first players to go prep-to-pro and actually have a terrific career, paving the way for stars like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard. 

Malone, now a Hall of Famer, would become a three-time MVP and 13-time All-Star. 

ABA-NBA Merger (1976)

After the 1976 season, the NBA and ABA agreed to a settlement that ended the ABA and brought four of the franchises over to the NBA (San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and New York Nets). 

The sudden infusion of teams and players provided a dramatic boost in popularity for the NBA. The increased athleticism and flashier style of play didn't hurt either. 

Three-Point Line Added (1979)

In 1979, the NBA finally did what the ABA had done before it and added a three-point line. Without that rule change, the two players you see pictured to the left, Ray Allen and Reggie Miller, would not be as famous as they are now for obvious reasons. 

It's amazing to me that it took so long for this rule change to come about. 

But it did and the NBA has never looked back. 

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson Drafted (1978-1979)

The 1979 NBA Draft saw two legends enter the league—players who would immediately boost the popularity of basketball by a significant amount. 

Magic Johnson was drafted No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979 while Larry Bird was taken sixth overall the year before. 

The two superstars played for the two best franchises in the NBA's history and quickly formed a rivalry on the court and a friendship off it. They accounted for numerous MVP awards and championships and truly helped the game become what it now is. 

Magic Plays Center (1980)

In one of the most memorable games of all time, Magic Johnson proved his versatility.

It was Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals and star center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had just been ruled out of the game by team doctors for the Los Angeles Lakers. In stepped rookie point guard Magic Johnson.

Magic would lose the opening tip to the Philadelphia 76ers' Caldwell Jones, but that's the only thing he would lose that night. He put up a final stat line of 42 points (14-for-14 from the free-throw line), 15 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block in the 123-107 series-clinching victory for the Lakers. 

Joe Barry Carroll Becomes Robert Parish and Kevin McHale (1980)

On June 9, 1980, the Boston Celtics traded two 1980 first-round draft picks to the Golden State Warriors for Robert Parish and a 1980 first-round draft pick of their own. 

The Warriors turned their picks into Joe Barry Carroll (who was later nicknamed Joe Barely Cares) and Rickey Brown (whom I've barely ever heard of). The Celtics used their pick on Kevin McHale. 

And the rest is history. 

Rock the Baby (1983)

It was perhaps the first truly famous in-game dunk, one that would lead to countless others in the future and revolutionize the flashiness of basketball. 

In 1983, Julius Erving grabbed the ball and took off down the court before dunking over the Los Angeles Lakers' Michael Cooper in a play that broadcaster Chick Hearn described as a "Rock the Baby" slam dunk. 

I'll let the video tell the more-detailed story here. 

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Becomes Leading Scorer (1984)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, thanks to his sky hook, scoring prowess and longevity, is the NBA's all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points in his career. 

Fittingly, his record-breaking points came in the form of a 1984 sky hook that pushed him past Wilt Chamberlain on the all-time list. 

His record is still the gold standard today when it comes to scoring. 

David Stern Becomes Commissioner (1984)

It will be a shame if the 2011 NBA lockout tarnishes David Stern's reputation, because for the most part, he's done a fabulous job since he became commissioner in 1984. 

Succeeding Larry O'Brien, Stern greatly increased the popularity of the sport in both the 1990s and the 2000s, making it the beast that it is today. 

Although his career is by no means devoid of controversy, he's seen 28 new arenas built and seven new franchises incorporated into the NBA model. Most importantly though, he's made the NBA into a truly global league.  

Michael Jordan Drafted (1984)

Duh. 

Larry Nance Wins the Slam Dunk Contest (1984)

The NBA's first slam dunk contest was held in 1984 and won by the Phoenix Suns' Larry Nance. 

The High-Ayatolla of Slamola may not be the most well-known winner in the contest's history, but he did win the first one, and that's what matters. Now, the contest is huge and watched all across the country. 

Draft Lottery Introduced (1985)

Doing away with the coin-flip system that was in place prior to 1985, the NBA instituted the lottery system to dispel the rumors that the Houston Rockets, among other teams, were tanking the final games of the regular season in order to have a shot at the first pick. 

This way, all non-playoff teams would have a shot at the first pick.

The New York Knicks won the first lottery and took Patrick Ewing with the No. 1 pick of the 1985 NBA Draft. 

Len Bias Overdoses (1986)

Len Bias was the No. 2 overall pick of the 1986 NBA Draft and was set to join the Boston Celtics after a massively successful career with the Maryland Terrapins. 

Two days later, in one of the saddest stories in basketball history, Bias was pronounced dead due to a cocaine overdose. 

His death, not to be trivialized in any way, created one of the greatest what-if scenarios in NBA history. How good could the Boston Celtics have been if Bias became Larry Bird's successor? 

Magic's Junior, Junior, Sky Hook (1987)

In Game 4 of the 1987 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, Magic Johnson got the ball with time running down and his team trailing 106-105. 

Magic took matters into his own hands (or hand I guess) and lofted up what would latter be called the "Junior, Junior Sky Hook," a beautiful Kareem Abdul-Jabbar-esque sky hook that floated over the arms of Kevin McHale and Robert Parish and into the hoop for two points and a Game 4 victory. The Los Angeles Lakers would go on to win the series in six games and Magic would be named NBA Finals MVP for the third time in his career. 

As Larry Bird would say, "You expect to lose on a sky hook. You just don't expect it to be Magic."

Drazen Petrovic Joins the Portland Trail Blazers (1989)

Drazen Petrovic, a Hall of Famer and one of the most talented scorers in basketball history, was drafted with the 60th pick of the 1989 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. 

He wouldn't achieve much until he joined the New Jersey Nets a few years later. His career ended abruptly in a tragic car accident, but Petrovic's legacy lives on. 

He, more so than anyone else, should be credited with the mass exodus of European players to the NBA that the league has recently seen. 

Magic Retires (1991)

On November 7, 1991, Johnson shocked the world and announced his immediate retirement from the game of basketball because he had tested positive for HIV. 

It was an unfortunate and sudden end to a legendary career, and many eventually praised the point guard as a hero. 

Johnson would go on to be voted to the 1992 All-Star Team despite his retirement and actually managed to justifiably be named the game's MVP. He would also play for the Dream Team in 1992 and attempted a few comebacks, but Magic's career still effectively ended with this announcement. 

The Dream Team (1992)

Possibly (read: probably) the greatest basketball team ever assembled, the 2002 Dream Team absolutely crushed the competition at the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, averaging about 44 points more than their opposition en route to the gold medal. 

The players were Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Christian Laettner, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson and John Stockton. Only Laettner is not a member of the Hall of Fame. 

The coaches were led by Chuck Daly with Mike Krzyzewski, P.J. Carlesimo and Lenny Wilkens serving as assistants. Only Carlesimo is absent from the Hall of Fame. 

Did you honestly think they'd be beat?

Michael Jordan Plays Baseball (1993)

Michael Jordan was a damn good baseball player, just not good enough to make it at the MLB level. Regardless, he tried. 

With the Chicago White Sox, Jordan struggled in the minor leagues as the Chicago Bulls struggled to win games. 

Then, with the simple statement of "I'm back," Jordan unretired in 1995. 

Dikembe Mutombo Sparks an Upset (1994)

Led by shot-blocker extraordinaire Dikembe Mutombo, the Denver Nuggets engineered the first-ever series in which a No. 8 seed upset a No. 1 seed during the 1994 NBA playoffs.

Despite losing the first two games of the series to the Seattle SuperSonics, the Nuggets stormed back and won the series in five games.

Other teams have achieved this seemingly impossible feat since 1994, but this will always remain the first occasion.  

John Stockton Becomes Assist Leader (1995)

John Stockton's career assist record of 15,806 is largely considered to be one of the most unbreakable records not only in basketball, but also in all of the sports world. He has more than 4,000 assists on the runner-up (Jason Kidd).

Stockton went into a home game needing 11 assists to pass Magic Johnson and finished with 16, passing Magic in the first half before the Jumbotron delivered a personal message from Magic himself.

He wouldn't stop there.  

Chicago Bulls Win 72 Games (1996)

The 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls remain the gold standard for NBA teams thanks to their all-time best 72-10 regular season record and the fact that they went on to win the championship. 

Having Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc, Luc Longley, Steve Kerr and Ron Harper on the same roster tends to do that. 

Los Angeles Lakers Steal Kobe Bryant (1996)

How many people actually know that Kobe Bryant wasn't drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers?

Bryant was drafted at No. 13 in 1996 by the Charlotte Hornets even though he had publicly stated he wouldn't play for them, essentially forcing a trade. 

The Hornets ended up getting Vlade Divac and the Lakers got Bryant. It seemed fair at the time. 

It wasn't. 

The Flu Game (1997)

The day before Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan woke up in the morning barely able to move thanks to an illness and was told by trainers that he wouldn't be playing the next day.

"Psh," said Jordan. (Note: he didn't actually say that, I think.)

Without much energy and noticeably pale, Jordan exploded for 38 points, repeatedly coming close to fainting. He collapsed into Scottie Pippen's arms after the crucial 90-88 victory.

That by no means does this performance justice, but I have limited space. I'm sorry.  

Tim Duncan Goes to San Antonio and Not Boston (1997)

In a victory for small market teams everywhere, the San Antonio Spurs overcame the Boston Celtics' 36 percent chance of getting the No. 1 pick and landed Tim Duncan to pair with David Robinson in the greatest frontcourt duo of all time. 

The sure-fire future Hall of Famer is one of the greatest defensive players of all time and has led the Spurs to four championships. 

A two-time MVP and 13-time All-Star, he's arguably a top-10 player of all time and he dramatically altered the course of this franchise's storied history. 

1998 NBA Lockout (1998)

I really don't feel like thinking or writing about lockouts right now. It's too depressing. 

But the season was shortened to just 50 games. 

That's all I'm saying right now. 

Michael Jordan's Final Shot* (1998)

Just sit back and marvel. 

Yao Ming Goes No. 1 (2002)

In a victory for foreign players everywhere, Yao Ming was drafted No. 1 overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2002 NBA Draft. 

It was the first time that a foreign player with no U.S. college basketball experience would be the first pick, but it wouldn't be the last. 

Ming became one of the most popular players on the planet and enjoyed quite a bit of success before retiring after this past season. 

New York Knicks Hire Isiah Thomas (2003)

For the sake of New York Knicks fans everywhere, I'm going to skim over a lot of Isiah Thomas' mistakes. 

He was hired into the New York front office in 2003 and quickly made a lot of mistakes, essentially wrecking the once-proud franchise and dooming them to an awful decade, one from which they are just now emerging forth from. 

Do the names Stephon Marbury and Eddy Curry ring any bells?

LeBron James Drafted (2003)

Already appearing on Sports Illustrated's cover as "The Chosen One," LeBron James was the next big thing in the NBA, the sure-fire prospect who would alter a franchise's path no matter where he ended up. 

Cleveland lucked into this pick and didn't even hesitate to take the hometown hero. 

James would go on to win two MVP awards and take the Cleveland Cavaliers deep into the postseason multiple times while establishing himself as an all-time great with only a ring missing from his resume. 

Like it or not, Cleveland, James brought you some incredible moments, most notably the 48 Special. 

Then "The Decision" happened. 

Hand-Checking Abolished (2004)

In 2004, the league abolished hand-checking, making defensive play on the perimeter a much-less physical endeavor. 

This created a number of wonderful hypotheticals. 

Would Gary Payton (pictured to the left post-2004), universally regarded as one of the two best defensive guard of all time, been as successful if his entire career was played under these rules?

Could Michael Jordan have averaged 50 points?

We'll never know... 

Malice at the Palace (2004)

On November 19, 2004, Ben Wallace shoved Ron Artest, a mini-brawl ensued on the court, Artest laid down on the scorer's table, a fan threw a drink at him, and all hell broke loose. 

The ridiculous scene involved multiple players going into the stands to fight with fans. It was completely and utterly unacceptable and absolutely horrifying to watch. 

Multiple suspensions were handed out, most notably to Artest, who was banned for 86 games, the longest suspension in NBA history for in-game conduct. This incident definitely tarnished Artest's reputation forever and will remain a black mark in the NBA's story for quite some time. 

High Schoolers Ineligible for the Draft (2006)

After Andrew Bynum and Monta Ellis made the prep-to-pro leap in 2005, the NBA changed the rules surrounding the eligibility of high school players. 

The NBA wanted the minimum age for eligible draftees to be 20, but the player's union vetoed that. Instead, the two sides settled on a compromise. 

Players had to be at least 19 years old and be at least one year removed from high school. 

Tim Donaghy Scandal (2007)

Everybody knows about Bill Russell's greatness as a player, but little know that he may have been able to predict the future too. How do I know this? Well, I read his memoir, Second Wind, as should every basketball fan. 

In it, he says the following:

"

I've always thought the most likely targets of gamblers would be the referees. They make peanuts, they're highly abused both by fans and players, and they have more control over a game than anyone else. Moreover, the normal incompetence of NBA referees would be a perfect disuse for a corrupt one. It seems to me that the NBA has gone out of its way to keep its referees poor and incompetent—and I mean clear around-the-barn-out-of-the-way.

"

Written in 1979, when Tim Donaghy was just 12 years old, Second Wind foretold the future. 

Donaghy significantly tarnished the reputation of the league by betting on NBA games that he was calling and making calls that allowed spreads to be covered. The subject of an FBI probe, Donaghy resigned and was eventually imprisoned. 

Seattle to Oklahoma City (2008)

In an article I wrote about the biggest blunders of the last decade in the NBA, the relocation of the Seattle SuperSonics to Oklahoma City, where they would be called the Thunder, came in at No. 9. 

Here's what I said: 

"

When the New Orleans Hornets were forced to temporarily relocate to Oklahoma City by Hurricane Katrina, the city proved that it could support its own professional basketball team.

David Stern, in one of the more controversial quotes of his career, actually told a reporter that he "can say without reservation that Oklahoma City is now at the top of the list [of cities that can support an NBA team]."

Stern's quote would actually turn out to be prophetic and it is for that reason that many Seattle residents still harbor quite a bit of bitterness towards the commish. 

In 2006, Clay Bennett and a group of investors from Oklahoma City bought the Seattle SuperSonics for $350 million and were given 12 months to attempt to try to find a new arena lease or venue in Seattle. They failed to do so although no one will ever know just how hard they tried. 

Then it was too Oklahoma City. The colors, team name and logo stayed behind in Seattle, but the franchise's history and players, including Kevin Durant, went with the team to its new location. 

Needless to say, not everyone (and by that I mean barely anyone) was happy with these events. 

 

"

The Decision (2010)

Love it or hate it, LeBron James drastically altered the NBA landscape when he chose to "take his talents to South Beach."

He went from one of the most popular players in the NBA to one of the most vilified. 

But his extended time in the spotlight during the summer of 2010 did more than that. It thrust the NBA into the public view even more, drastically increasing the popularity of the league. The Association has had very few seasons rival this past one in terms of popularity and buzz, and most of that is thanks to LeBron. 

2011 NBA Lockout (2011)

Now that the NBA has cancelled the first two weeks of the NBA season...

Nope. Can't write any more about this one. It's still too painful. 

Needless to say, this will have a pretty dramatic effect on the league, putting an immediate halt to all the momentum the NBA gained from the 2010-2011 season. 

Adam Fromal is a syndicated writer and Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on    Twitter.

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