On This Day (Nov. 16)
Notable events from NBA history that occurred on November 16.
Drew Youngest with 40/20
On this day in 1974, Atlanta Hawks rookie John Drew had 44 points, 20 rebounds, five assists, and five steals in a 130-104 win over the New Orleans Jazz. He shot 80.0% from the field, hitting 16 of his 20 attempts.
At 20 years and 47 days old, Drew became the youngest player in NBA history to record a 40-point, 20-rebound game, a distinction he still holds.
Drew is one of only five players in NBA history to shoot at least 80% from the field in a 40-point, 20-rebound game:
Wilt Chamberlain (six times)
Bob Pettit
John Drew
Charles Barkley
Joel Embiid
Man of Steele
On this day in 1974, the aptly-named Larry Steele had 12 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals, and nine assists as the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Los Angeles Lakers 112-99.
Steele became the first NBA player to officially record a triple-double in which steals was one of the "double" categories. He still holds a share of the franchise single-game record for steals with Clyde Drexler and Brandon Roy.
The season before — when steals were first officially recorded by the NBA — Steele led the league in steals (217) and steals per game (2.7). His 217 steals are still the franchise single-season record.
Sharp-Shooting Jordan
On this day in 1988, the Chicago Bulls’ Michael Jordan tallied 52 points, nine rebounds, and four steals in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Jordan shot 24-29 (82.8%) from the field. Only two players in NBA history have recorded a higher field goal percentage in a 50-point game (a total of five instances):
87.0% — Wilt Chamberlain (Dec. 20, 1967)
84.0% — Chamberlain (Oct. 23, 1965)
84.0% — Jamal Murray (Feb. 19, 2021)
82.9% — Chamberlain (Feb. 9, 1969)
82.8% — Chamberlain (March 18, 1968)
Jordan attempted just four free throws, his fewest ever in a 50-point game. In fact, only five players in NBA history have attempted fewer free throws in a game in which they scored at least 50 points (a total of six instances):
0 — Jamal Murray (Feb. 19, 2021)
1 — Stephen Curry (Feb. 25, 2016)
2 — Dana Barros (March 14, 1995)
2 — Klay Thompson (Oct. 29, 2018)
3 — Tracy McGrady (Nov. 14, 2003)
3 — Curry (Feb. 3, 2016)
Wilt Scores 73
On this day in 1962, the Philadelphia Warriors’ Wilt Chamberlain scored 73 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 127-111 win over the New York Knicks. He shot 29-43 from the field and an impressive (for him) 15-19 from the free throw line.
This was one of six career 70-point games for Chamberlain, one more than all other players in NBA history combined. No other player has recorded more than one such game.
Amar’e Stoudemire’s Birthday
On this day in 1982, Amar’e Stoudemire was born in Lake Wales, Florida. A six-time All-Star and the 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year, Stoudemire averaged 18.9 PPG and 7.8 RPG in 846 career games.
An efficient scorer, Stoudemire is one of only 16 players in NBA history to score at least 15,000 career points while shooting 50% from the field and 75% from the free throw line.
Stoudemire averaged 37.0 PPG in the 2005 Western Conference Finals, the second-highest scoring average in a conference finals series. The record is held by LeBron James, who averaged 38.5 PPG in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals.