On This Day (Nov. 24)
On This Day (Nov. 24)
Notable events from NBA history that occurred on November 24.
Oscar Robertson’s Birthday
On this day in 1938, Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson was born in Charlotte, Tennessee. A 12-time All-Star, one-time MVP, one-time NBA champion, and member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, Robertson averaged 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 9.5 APG in 1040 career games.
The original king of the triple-double, Robertson averaged a 30-point triple-double through his first six seasons (30.4 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 10.7 APG). He’s second only to Russell Westbrook in career triple-doubles (181) and triple-doubles in a season (41, 1961-62).
Dave Bing’s Birthday
On this day in 1943, Hall of Famer Dave Bing was born in Washington, D.C. A seven-time All-Star and member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, Bing averaged 20.3 PPG and 6.0 APG in 901 career games.
Bing is one of only five guards in NBA history to average at least 20 PPG in each of his first seven seasons (minimum 50% of team's games):
Oscar Robertson
Dave Bing
George Gervin
Mitch Richmond
Allen Iverson
Bing’s number 21 was retired by the Detroit Pistons and his number 22 was retired by the Syracuse University.
Rudy Tomjanovich’s Birthday
On this day in 1948, Hall of Fame coach Rudy Tomjanovich was born in Hamtramck, Michigan. As a player, he was a five-time All-Star who averaged 17.4 PPG and 8.1 RPG in 768 career games. As a coach, Tomjanovich had a record of 527-416 (.559) and won back-to-back NBA titles with the Houston Rockets.
Tomjanovich’s number 45 has been retired by both the Houston Rockets and the University of Michigan. He was the head coach of the 2000 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team, leading them to a gold medal.
Board Man Gets Paid
On this day in 1960, the Philadelphia Warriors’ Wilt Chamberlain set an NBA single-game record with 55 rebounds, a mark that still stands. Despite Chamberlain’s record-setting effort, the Boston Celtics pulled out a 132-129 victory.
Chamberlain broke the record of his counterpart, Bill Russell, who snagged 51 rebounds on Feb. 5, 1960. They are the only players in NBA history to record at least 50 rebounds in a game, each having done so once.
Although offensive rebounds were not tracked at this time, Chamberlain probably retrieved a ton of his own misses, as he shot just 15-42 (35.7% from the field).
Drexler, Times Three
Clyde Drexler apparently had a thing for Nov. 24:
On this day in 1991, Drexler had 48 points, six rebounds, six steals, and three blocks while shooting 17-28 (60.7%) from the field to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 116-111 win over the San Antonio Spurs. His Game Score* was 45.0, the second-highest such figure of his career.
On this day in 1992, Drexler scored 24 points in a 95-91 win over the San Antonio Spurs. He surpassed 15,000 career points, becoming the first player in Portland Trail Blazers history to reach that mark.
On this day in 1996, Drexler, now playing for the Houston Rockets, scored 17 points in a 90-85 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. He surpassed 20,000 career points, becoming the 24th player in NBA history to reach that milestone. He also became the sixth player in NBA history to reach career totals of 20,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, and 5,000 assists.
* John Hollinger’s estimate of a player’s total production in a game.