The National Basketball Association has seen 75 years of history. Who doesn’t love the NBA? Avid fans have the champions of each year memorized, and for good reason.
But there is still much to learn about the NBA. Today, we have eight facts you just didn’t know about the NBA.
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NBA Christmas Eve Games
Only twice in the history of the NBA have games been played on Christmas Eve.
These were in 1960 and 1967. The first featured the Celtics and the Hawks, and the second featured the Warriors and the Sonics.
Both of these games were televised nationally.
Kobe's Parents Had to Co-Sign His First NBA Contract
Kobe Bryant’s first NBA contract was co-signed by his parents. He was not 18 years old at the time he was picked for the draft.
But rules for eligibility to be an NBA Draft were different back then to how they are now. His parents had to co-sign his NBA contract until he turned 18 the next year.
Coin Toss Determined Which NBA Team Drafts Kareem
In 1969 a coin flip took place to decide which team would select first in the NBA Draft.
The Phoenix Suns chose heats, but tails came up which resulted in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who would begin his career with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Funny how chance works out.
Bullets Have Tallest & Shortest Players Ever on Same Team
The tallest player and shortest player in NBA history once played on the very same team.
Muggsy Bogues at 5-foot-3 was an epic athlete renowned for his steals, small enough to on one occasion go through the legs of another player. Manute Bol 7-foot-7 was an epic shot-blocker and rebounder.
In the season of 1987-1988, they both played for the Washington Bullets.
LeBron James Is Left-Handed, Shoots With Right
LeBron James is ambidextrous.
He shoots with his right hand, so is often thought to be right-handed, however, he eats and writes with his left hand. In fact, he uses his left hand for almost everything not related to shooting the basketball.
Wilt Averaged More Than 48 Minutes Per Game in a Season
From 1961 to 1962, Wilt Chamberlain's scoring was off the charts averaging 50.4 points over 80 games. However, his average minutes per game were actually more than the 48 minutes that teams play.
This was actually due to the fact that his then-team, the Philadelphia Warriors, played a total of nine overtime periods.
Majority of Players Go Broke After Their Careers
60% of NBA players are broke after 5 years of retirement. Sadly, so many players will binge out on cars, shoes, houses, and so on, and the millions they earn in their careers quickly disappears.
A financial adviser might be a good idea.
Muggsy Bogues' Blocked Shots
The aforementioned Tyrone ‘Muggsy’ Bogues managed to block 39 shots on taller players during his NBA career, despite being the shortest player in NBA history.
At 5-foot-3, he somehow managed to block shots on taller players so many times. It is quite an extraordinary story for an extraordinary NBA legend.
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