On This Day (Jan. 28)

Notable events from NBA history that occurred on January 28.

Wilt First to Milestone

On this day in 1968, the Philadelphia 76ers’ Wilt Chamberlain scored 19 points on 9-17 shooting from the field in a loss to the Celtics, becoming the first player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career field goals made (there are currently 15 such players).

It took Chamberlain 676 games to reach that mark, 165 fewer than any other player in NBA history:

• 676 — Wilt Chamberlain

• 841 — Michael Jordan

• 858 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

• 968 — Shaquille O’Neal

• 1,020 — LeBron James

Chamberlain is also the youngest player in NBA history to reach 10,000 field goals made, even though he didn’t make his NBA debut until he was 23 years old (age in years-days):

• 31-160 — Wilt Chamberlain

• 32-009 — LeBron James

• 33-171 — Kobe Bryant

• 33-186 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

• 34-048 — Michael Jordan

Chamberlain also grabbed 24 rebounds and dished out 11 assists in this game. It was the first of three straight games in which Chamberlain recorded at least 20 rebounds and 10 assists without committing a personal foul. No other player in NBA history has even done this in back-to-back games.

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Kyrie Sets Franchise Marks

On this day in 2015, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving scored 55 points in a 99-94 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, setting franchise records for field goals attempted (36, tied), 3-pointers made (11), and 3-pointers attempted (19).

Irving — who made all 10 of his free throws — became the second player in NBA history to make at least 10 3-pointers and 10 free throws in a game. He’s now one of five players to record such a game (a total of eight instances):

• Stephen Curry (4 times)

• Joe Dumars

• Kyrie Irving

• Kemba Walker

• Damian Lillard

Irving scored 55.6% of the Cavaliers’ points, the second-highest such percentage in franchise history:

• 57.1% — LeBron James (March 20, 2005)

• 55.6% — Kyrie Irving (Jan. 28, 2015)

• 51.1% — James (March 12, 2006)

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Career High for Middleton

On this day in 2020, the Milwaukee Bucks’ Khris Middleton scored a career-high 51 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 151-131 rout of the Washington Wizards. Middleton is one of only three players in franchise history to record a 50-point, 10-rebound game:

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (8 times)

• Giannis Antetokounmpo (4 times)

• Khris Middleton

Middleton shot 16-26 from the field — including 7-10 from 3-point range — and made all 12 of his free throws. He owns the second-highest effective field goal percentage (75.0%) and second-highest true shooting percentage (81.5%) in a 50-point game in franchise history.