This Day In Basketball History
1999 - NBA approves new rules to enhance offense
If you want to pinpoint an event or date that gave birth to the modern era of offensive, perimeter-oriented basketball, it's probably September 17, 1999.
Ahead of the 1999-2000 season, the NBA Board of Governors approves a number of rule modifications that benefit offensive teams. Chief among them, defensive players cannot make contact with an offensive player with his hands or forearms except below the free throw line extended.
In addition, from NBA.com:
A five-second rule that mandates that a player must either shoot, pass or pick up his dribble within five seconds if he begins dribbling the ball with his back toward the basket below the free throw line extended; The 24-second shot clock will be re-set to 14 seconds if the violations listed below occur with less than 14 seconds remaining on the 24-second clock, and will remain unchanged if the violation occurs with 14 or more seconds remaining on the 24-second clock: 1. A personal foul that does not result in free throw attempts. 2. Kicking the ball or blocking the ball with any part of the leg. 3. Punching the ball with a fist. 4. An illegal defense violation that does not result in free throw attempts; No illegal defense guidelines will apply to a player who is defending an offensive player who is positioned on the strong side of the court.
The league sees an immediate jump in scoring that continues well into the future, as the table below shows (Averages are for bottom-ranked and top-ranked teams).
| Season | Team PPG | Team FG% |
|---|---|---|
| 1998-99 | 81.9-100.2 | 40.1-46.8 |
| 1999-00 | 84.8-105.0 | 41.5-47.0 |
| 2013-14 | 93.7-107.9 | 43.2-50.1 |
2011 - Ron Artest changes his name to Metta World Peace
The man known for his role in the Malice At the Palace and for his unpredictable on-court behavior continues to try to rehab his image with a bizarre, endearing name change.
Birthdays
1945 - Phil Jackson
In 32 seasons as an NBA player or head coach with the Knicks, Nets, Bulls and Lakers, Jackson wins 13 championships and appears in 16 Finals before eventually taking over as President of the Knicks in 2014.
1974 - Rasheed Wallace
In 16 seasons, Wallace averages 14.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals, wins a championship, makes four All-Star games and becomes synonymous with the phrase "ball don't lie."