Digging into the history of professional sports is always fun because you’re guaranteed to come across a bunch of things you had no idea happened no matter how avid of a fan you are. We started with the NBA and we found thousands of interesting tidbits but we decided to narrow it down for Part 1. They’ll be easier to remember when you want to show up that annoying bastard at the bar who knows every single event that ever took place in the history of sports. Enjoy and share them with your friends.
Out of the 50 highest scoring games by a player in a single game in the entire history of the NBA Wilt Chamberlain’s name is on the list 29 times including the infamous 100 point game in 1962.
Does anybody need more proof that Wilt Chamberlain was a complete and utter freak of nature? He’s the only rookie to ever lead the NBA in scoring with 37.6 PPG. Oh, he also threw in 27 rebounds a game for good measure.
Who holds the record for most assists in a single NBA game? It has to be John Stockton or Magic Johnson, right? Wrong. Scott Skiles of the Orlando Magic set the record in 1990 with 30 assists in a single game. The record turns 25 years old in a few months.
Most steals in a playoff game? That distinction goes to Mr. Allen Iverson with 10 steals in the 1999 playoffs. With those kind of numbers, who needs practice? Get it?
Bill Russell has 11 championships under his belt. The Celtics only lost one championship while he was on the team and he just happened to be injured in game 3. Talk about carrying an entire team on your back.
Oscar Robertson averaged a triple double for an entire season. Think about that while you look at the numbers he put up, 30.8 PPG, 11.4 APG, and 12.5 RPG. Want to have your mind blown further? He only led the league in assists and they did not give him the MVP. This is the greatest season ever had by a player in NBA history.
Robert Parish played an insane 21 seasons in the NBA, was a part of one of the most dominant teams the NBA has ever seen, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest centers to every play the game. His career scoring average? 14.5 points per game. This is proof that you don’t need big numbers to be a winner.
The NBA didn’t have a 3 point line until the 1979-1980 season. Let that sink in.
Who’s the original straight from high school to the pros baller? If you’re about to say Kobe Bryant, sit down. It was Hall of Famer Moses Malone who went on to kill it in the NBA for 19 seasons.
The Celtics won the NBA Finals in 1981, big shock. Cedric Maxwell won the Finals MVP, wow, that is a big shock. And yes, the big 3 including Bird were all present.
Article By: Jon DaBove
