This Day in Basketball History
1957 - Russell pulls down 32 rebounds in a half
In a portent of things to come, Boston Celtics center Bill Russell led the NBA in rebounding in his rookie season and, along with point guard Bob Cousy, willed the Celtics to the first championship in franchise history.
Fans wondering what he'd do for an encore get a peek early on in the 1957-58 campaign, as Russell sets an NBA record with 32 rebounds in the first half of a game against the Philadelphia Warriors.
Russell ends up pulling down 49 rebounds in the game - also an NBA record, though it will soon be eclipsed by Wilt Chamberlain, the center these same Warriors will nab as a "territorial pick" two years hence.
Speaking of Wilt ...
1962 - Wilt scores 73
Chamberlain ties his own mark with the third-highest scoring game in NBA history, dropping 73 points in a 127-111 win over the New York Knicks.
Wilt can now lay claim to the league's top four single-game scoring outputs, having set the record of 100 against the same sad-sack Knicks a season previous, as well as putting up a 78-spot earlier in that season (somehow in a losing effort) against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Wilt won't quite match the highs of his 1961-62 campaign, which saw him average over 50 points and 25 rebounds. But in '62-63, he'll still lead the league in both categories for a fourth straight season, with marks of 44.8 and 24.3. Not bad.
Of course, Russell will still swipe MVP honors and lead his Celtics to a fifth straight championship.
Birthdays
1946 - Jo Jo White
1956 - Wayne Cooper
1982 - Amar'e Stoudemire