NBA Cobwebs

April 14, 1993: Chicago Bulls fan Don Calhoun attends his first Bulls game in three years and throws in a 75-foot shot that wins him $1,000,000. Calhoun was selected to shoot because a Bulls employee felt his “suede hiking boots wouldn’t scuff the court."

October 26, 2001: The Celtics' Antoine Walker scores 32 PTS (5-7 3P) and Paul Pierce adds 19 PTS in a 107-93 preseason win over Michael Jordan (21 PTS) and the Washington Wizards in Uncasville, CT. The teams faced off in a regular season game 12 days later in Boston. 📺 WBZL/TNT

October 25, 1996: Kevin Garnett (25 PTS/8 REB) and rookie Stephon Marbury (18 PTS/7 AST) lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 116-115 preseason win over the Boston Celtics at the Worcester Centrum. Dino Radja had 22 PTS/9 REB and rookie Antoine Walker had 19 PTS for the Celtics.

October 25, 2004: A Wizards-Bulls brawl in Chicago. Washington's Brendan Haywood was suspended 3 games and Larry Hughes was suspended 1 game. The Bulls' Antonio Davis and Eddy Curry were each suspended 2 games, and Kirk Hinrich was fined $10K. Davis and Michael Ruffin were the only players ejected.

October 25, 1983: The 76ers top the Spurs, 114-113, at the Hall of Fame Game in Springfield, MA. Julius Erving had 20 PTS/8 REB & Andrew Toney added 19 PTS for Philadelphia. San Antonio's George Gervin scored 45 PTS (14-23 FG) in the game (which was played with no 3-point line).

October 25, 2002: An NBA Preseason fight between Doug Christie of the Sacramento Kings and Rick Fox of the Los Angeles Lakers (that continued into the Staples Center tunnel). Fox was suspended for six games; Christie for two games. No players were fined. The Kings won, 93-88.

October 25, 1996: An NBA Preseason fight between Charles Barkley of the Houston Rockets and Charles Oakley of the New York Knicks. Both players were ejected. Oakley was fined $10,000 and suspended for two games. Barkley was fined $5,000 and suspended for one game. 📺 MSG

October 24, 1994: A Minnesota Timberwolves 1994-95 season preview, with comments on the NBA's new hand-check rules from head coach Bill Blair and Doug West of the Timberwolves. 📺 WCCO-TV

October 24, 1985: The San Antonio Spurs trade 33-year-old George Gervin to the Chicago Bulls for David Greenwood. On the day before the deal, Gervin said: "As I get into my black Porsche and drive into the darkness, will I be coming back? I don't know." 📺 WKZO-TV

October 24, 1994: Orlando’s Shaquille O'Neal dunks on Charles Barkley of Phoenix during an NBA Preseason game at America West Arena. O'Neal finished with 23 PTS/11 REB/6 AST. Barkley scored 14 PTS as the Suns beat the Magic, 135-129. 📺 CNN/NBA

October 24, 1987: Chicago's Michael Jordan dunks on James Edwards of Phoenix during an NBA Preseason game at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Jordan finished with 28 PTS (10-19 FG/8-8 FT) but the Suns defeated the Bulls, 90-87.

October 23, 1992: Phoenix rookie Oliver Miller to Kevin Johnson to Charles Barkley for a slam dunk during the Suns' 147-105 preseason win over the Detroit Pistons. 📺 ESPN/NBA Action

October 23, 1986: Houston's Akeem Olajuwon scored 23 PTS and Jim Petersen had 20 PTS/9 REB in the Rockets' 113-101 preseason win over the 76ers in Lafayette, Louisiana. Julius Erving scored 16 PTS and Jeff Ruland had 16 PTS/7 REB for Philadelphia.

October 23, 2004: Boston's Gary Payton throws one off the glass to Ricky Davis for a slam against Cleveland. Payton had 9 AST and Davis scored 18 PTS for the Celtics. LeBron James finished with 21 PTS/6 AST in the Cavaliers' 96-91 preseason win in Uncasville, CT. 📺 NBA Action

October 23, 1984: The Jazz defeat the Celtics, 105-104, in the Hall of Fame Game (Springfield, MA). John Drew scored 21 PTS (including the game-winning FG) and Thurl Bailey added 18 PTS/12 REB for Utah. Boston's Dennis Johnson scored 24 PTS and Robert Parish had 23 PTS/12 REB.

October 23, 2000: This acrobatic reverse layup by Vince Carter during Toronto's 91-80 preseason win over Indiana. Carter had 33 PTS/7 REB/2 BLK and Kevin Willis added 14 PTS/9 REB for the Raptors. Austin Croshere had 22 PTS/3 STL to lead the Pacers. 📺 NBA Action

October 23, 1995: Chicago’s Dennis Rodman rebounds his own missed free throw and scores during a preseason game in South Bend, IN. Rodman had 10 PTS/15 REB and Michael Jordan scored 35 PTS (15-24 FG) but the Sonics beat the Bulls, 99-97. Shawn Kemp had 26 PTS/18 REB for Seattle.

October 22, 1984: The Denver Nuggets defeat the SuperSonics, 111-100, during an NBA Preseason matchup in Seattle.

October 22, 1991. 📸 John W. McDonough

October 22, 1986: Indiana's Herb Williams scores 29 PTS and Chuck Person adds 19 PTS in the Pacers' 119-117 preseason win over Boston in Terre Haute, IN. For the Celtics, Larry Bird finished with 27 PTS/11 REB/10 AST, Kevin McHale scored 29 PTS and Robert Parish scored 25 PTS.

October 22, 1993: Charles Barkley goes coast-to-coast for a slam dunk during the Suns' 145-115 win over Real Madrid at the McDonald's Open in Munich. Barkley scored 24 PTS and Kevin Johnson added 23 PTS for Phoenix. Arvydas Sabonis had 24 PTS/10 REB for Real Madrid.

October 22, 1992: Seattle’s Shawn Kemp tackles Denver’s Scott Hastings during an NBA Preseason game in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Both players were ejected for fighting. Kemp was fined $8,000 and Hastings was fined $2,500. The SuperSonics defeated the Nuggets, 121-119.

October 22, 1991: Magic Johnson and Larry Bird face one another for the last time in the NBA ('91 preseason). Magic, who would announce his retirement from the NBA 16 days later, finished with 15 PTS/16 AST/6 REB in the Lakers' 121-105 win. Bird had 24 PTS/7 REB for the Celtics.

October 21, 1985: Indiana’s Herb Williams scored 19 PTS and Steve Stipanovich & Terence Stansbury added 18 PTS apiece in the Pacers’ 119-116 win over the Lakers in the 13th annual Hall of Fame Game in Springfield, MA. Magic Johnson scored 24 PTS and Byron Scott added 23 PTS for Los Angeles.

October 21, 2003: Toronto's Vince Carter finishes the break with a 360 slam in an NBA preseason game against Chicago. Carter had 23 PTS/7 AST/5 REB/3 BLK. Eddy Curry scored 20 PTS and Kendall Gill added 18 PTS/4 STL as the Bulls defeated the Raptors, 94-91. 📺 NBA Action

October 21, 1991: Phoenix rookie Richard Dumas dunks on Philadelphia's Manute Bol during the Suns' 126-121 preseason win over the 76ers in Toronto. Dumas, who scored 10 PTS, would be suspended by the NBA for the entire 1991-92 season after failing a drug test 10 days later.

October 21, 1995: Houston's Clyde Drexler drives for the lefty dunk over Orlando Woolridge during the Rockets' 126-112 win over Buckler Bologna at the McDonald's Championship in London. Drexler finished with 25 PTS/10 AST/7 REB. Woolridge had 34 PTS/9 REB for Bologna.

October 21, 1976: On the day after his player rights were purchased by the Philadelphia 76ers, Julius Erving discusses what he might have done had an agreement not been reached and he’d chosen not to play basketball during the 1976-77 season. 📺 NBC/Getty

October 21, 1994: "I hope Gregg Popovich can buy a new Rolex now." San Antonio's Dennis Rodman comments on being fined $15,000 for arriving late to a Spurs preseason game. *Special appearance by Jack Haley, who physically tried to prevent further comments from Rodman. 📺 WXYZ

October 20, 1994: Detroit’s Terry Mills rips one of the nets completely off the rim—and the Nets defeat the Pistons, 117-112—during a preseason game in Albany, NY. Derrick Coleman had 29 PTS/13 REB for New Jersey. Detroit's Joe Dumars scored 33 PTS (11-16 FG/5-6 3P). 📺ESPN/CNN

October 20, 1983: New York's Rory Sparrow scored 18 PTS (6-6 FG) and Bill Cartwright had 16 PTS/12 REB in the Knicks' 102-81 preseason victory over Milwaukee. Junior Bridgeman and Charlie Criss each had 14 PTS/5 AST and Marques Johnson scored 12 PTS for the Bucks. 📺 MSG

October 20, 1994: Boston's Sherman Douglas throws in a 70-footer during a preseason game (but the shot didn't count). Rod Strickland had 27 PTS/10 AST in a 121-116 Portland Trail Blazers win at the Hartford Civic Center. The Celtics' Dominique Wilkins scored 34 PTS. 📺 ESPN/CNN

October 20, 1983: Rookie Ralph Sampson and the Rockets defeat the San Antonio Spurs, 131-121, in a preseason game played in Houston.

October 20, 1985: Detroit's Kent Benson scored 18 PTS, Bill Laimbeer had 16 PTS/9 REB and Isiah Thomas had 14 AST in the Pistons' 112-94 preseason win over the Knicks in Toledo, Ohio. New York's Pat Cummings had 16 PTS before fouling out, and teammate Ken Bannister had 10 REB.

Rookie Patrick Ewing’s 1985 preseason included 3 altercations, 2 ejections and a hyperextended elbow (from the Stipanovich fight)… October 4 vs. Bullets: Elbow exchanges with Tony Costner October 6: Ejected vs. Hawks after 2 technical fouls October 10: Fight with the Nets’ Buck Williams

October 19, 1983: Andrew Toney scored 32 PTS (9-18 FG) in the 76ers' 120-110 preseason victory over the Celtics in Chattanooga, TN. Boston's Larry Bird had 26 PTS/11 REB and Kevin McHale scored 27 PTS. Sedale Threatt scored 16 PTS and Moses Malone added 14 PTS for Philadelphia.

October 19, 1961: Walt Bellamy of the Chicago Packers finishes with 29 PTS/17 REB in his NBA debut. Bellamy would average 32 PTS/19 REB in 1961-62 and win Rookie of the Year. The Knicks beat the Packers, 120-103, in what was the first game for the Washington Wizards franchise.

October 19, 1994: Scottsdale's Michael Jordan goes 2-for-3 with a triple, single, walk, and three runs scored during the Scorpions' 5-3 win over the Sun Cities Solar Sox in Peoria, AZ. Jordan improved his Arizona Fall League batting average to .343 (12-for-35).

October 19, 1985: An NBA Preseason fight between New York Knicks rookie Patrick Ewing and the Indiana Pacers' Steve Stipanovich. Both were ejected. Ewing was fined $1,250 for instigating the fight. Stipanovich was fined $750 for escalating it. Knicks 121, Pacers 109. 📺 CBS

October 18, 1993: Chris Webber signs a 15-year, $74.4M contract with the Warriors. The contract, which would be worth $8.32M in its final year, contains a clause that would allow the Golden State rookie to become a restricted free agent after his first season. 📺 WPLG/TNT

October 18, 1991: Magic Johnson with a slam dunk and a handful of his 21 AST during the Los Angeles Lakers' 132-101 win over Limoges CSP at the McDonald's Open in Paris. Magic would announce his (first) retirement from the NBA 20 days later.

October 18, 1984: Chicago rookie Michael Jordan scores 23 PTS (9-16 FG) in a pair of his soon-to-be "banned" Nike Air Ship shoes against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Quintin Dailey added 28 PTS in the Bulls' 112-93 preseason win. Bernard King scored 29 PTS for New York.

October 17, 1995: A preseason fight in Chicago between Chris Webber and Luc Longley. Both players were fined $7,500 and suspended for one game. Washington rookie Rasheed Wallace was fined $5,000 for using the ball as a weapon. Bulls 112, Bullets 87. 📺 UCTV/ESPN/WBTV/7NEWS

October 16, 1979: Los Angeles Lakers rookie Magic Johnson puts on a show during his first regular season game in The Forum—a 105-96 win over the Bulls. Magic finished his second career NBA game with 19 PTS/9 REB/8 AST. Artis Gilmore led Chicago with 20 PTS/13 REB. 📺 WGN

October 16, 1997: San Antonio rookie Tim Duncan plays his first home NBA game—a 96-76 preseason win over the Wizards at the Alamodome. Duncan had 20 PTS/10 REB and Spurs teammate David Robinson had 14 PTS/2 BLK. Washington's Calbert Cheaney scored 12 PTS and Rod Strickland had 11 PTS/13 AST/3 STL.

October 16, 1996: Lakers rookie Kobe Bryant plays in his first NBA game—a 90-80 preseason win over Dallas in Fresno, CA. Bryant had 10 PTS (4-4 FG)/5 REB and Shaquille O'Neal scored 12 PTS for Los Angeles. George McCloud scored 18 PTS to lead the Mavericks. 📺 CNN/ESPN/KCAL

October 16, 1983: Three different preseason fights between the Celtics & 76ers— Three minutes into the game: Cedric Maxwell vs. Moses Malone. A minute later: Larry Bird vs. Marc Iavaroni (Red Auerbach enters to yell at refs/Malone). 3rd quarter: Gerald Henderson punches Sedale Threatt (no video).

October 16, 1990: Former Minnesota Vikings WR (and 4x Pro Bowler) Ahmad Rashad briefly enters an NBA Preseason game for the Philadelphia 76ers and scores two points. The Sixers defeated the Timberwolves, 102-96, in the first NBA game at Target Center (with 18,296 in attendance).

October 15, 1999: A pair of third quarter slams from Tim Duncan during the semifinal round of the McDonald's Open at the Fila Forum in Milan, Italy. San Antonio defeated Italy's Varese Roosters, 96-86. Avery Johnson had 18 PTS/12 AST and Mario Elie scored 16 PTS to lead the Spurs.

October 15, 1991: The Phoenix Suns' Jeff Hornacek has his college jersey number retired by the Iowa State Cyclones during halftime of a preseason game against Milwaukee at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, IA. Hornacek’s college teammate Jeff Grayer of the Bucks and ISU coach Johnny Orr were also on hand.

October 15, 1993: Charles Barkley of the Phoenix Suns says he is "99.9% sure" he will retire after the 1993-94 season. ...and then after the 1993-94 season, Barkley played six more NBA seasons, finally retiring on April 19, 2000. 📺 WWOR-TV