This Day in Basketball History

1991 - Michael Jordan unleashes vintage hand-switching lay-up

Few individual efforts in basketball, if any, are as iconic as the move Michael Jordan busted out in Game 2 of the 1991 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

After moving past Byron Scott with the ball in his right hand, Jordan took off with the intention of throwing down a massive dunk. But when Sam Perkins stepped up to contest the shot, Jordan casually switched the ball to his left hand and proceeded to lay it in off the glass with the gentlest of touches.

Just look at the expression on Phil Jackson's face after the shot dropped.

The move would end up being something of a poster shot for Jordan's career. It summed up so many of the skills that defined him as a player: freak athleticism, an ability to supernaturally suspend himself in the air, and a complete disregard for opposing defenses. He even had his tongue sticking out.

It's also pretty cool that this moment happened exactly 23 years ago.

1994 - Knicks drop Pacers in Game 7 of Eastern Conference finals

During the 1990s, the rivalry between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers was among the fiercest in the North American sportsphere.

Having already met in the first round of the 1993 playoffs, a series that the Knicks took 3-1, the two franchises squared off once again in the 1994 Eastern Conference finals.

By the time Game 7 came around, the rivalry had reached new heights. Reggie Miller's feud with Spike Lee was making headlines across the country. The pair had engaged in animated and heated conservations throughout each contest in the series, leading Knicks fans to blame Lee for Miller's 38-point performance in Game 5.

But no one was pointing fingers at Lee after Game 7. With the Pacers leading 90-89 in the final minute, Patrick Ewing put back a missed shot from John Starks to give the Knicks the lead. Miller then missed a three-pointer and was subsequently called for a flagrant foul on Starks.

Knicks win 94-90.

1996 - NBA Finals televised in record 169 countries

The globalization of the NBA was well underway by the mid-1990s, so it shouldn't come as any surprise that television coverage of the 1996 NBA Finals reached a record 169 countries on six continents in 40 different languages.

Being showcased to the world were Chicago Bulls, whose roster included Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman, and the Seattle SuperSonics, who featured the likes of Gary Payton and Sean Kemp. The Bulls won the series 4-2.

Game 1 at the United Center earned a 16.8 rating, a 31 share on NBC, and was viewed in a record 16,111,200 homes.