The NBA is famous not only for the scores and great achievements but also for epic fails, weird fights, crazy performances, and so on. Read this article to learn more about the 10 most extraordinary moments in NBA history.
10. Dennis Rodman kicked an operator during the match
Dennis Rodman is famous for many crazy situations but probably the weirdest one happened in 1997. Dennis was playing against the Timberwolves and he tripped over an operator Eugene Amos. Dennis fell to the floor and became really angry and emotional, as a result of which he kicked Eugene in the groin which looked terrible, however, it is important to mention that Amos made it look more dramatic. Dennis Rodman was suspended for 11 matches after that situation and he even got to the court with Eugene Amos.
9. Willis Reed’s readiness to help the team despite the injury
It was the NBA Finals in 1970 when The Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks were fighting with a 3-3 score. It looked like the New York Knicks were losing it though. Willis Reed who was the real star of the team suffered a muscle tear in the thigh during Game 5. It was obvious that the whole season was finished for him. He was sitting and watching how his team was losing everything on Game 6. When Game 7 was started, Willis surprised everyone as he decided to compete in spite of his serious injury. Reed was struggling but he scored the first 4 points for his team. His attitude and belief gave strength and motivation to his teammates, as a result of which they won that game and the whole championship.
8. Weird speech of Allen Iverson during the press conference
NBA players have said different inspirational quotes that are used nowadays as a motivation for many people. But Allen Iverson’s speech wasn’t so motivational, it was weird actually. He came to the press conference in 2002 and he was asked to talk about the practice process and his dedication to it. Allen started his speech saying that he was supposed to be the franchise player and that now he needed to sit and talk about practice. He said it made him surprised that he was asked about practice, not about matches. That speech lasted for a while and, as a result, he said the word «practice» 22 times.
7. The memorable defeat of the USA in the Olympic Games in 2004
Yes, that situation didn’t happen during the NBA match but still, it affected American basketball a lot. The US basketball teams have been winning the matches in the Olympic Games since 1992. But 2004 changed everything: American basketball team was ready to achieve Olympic gold again but the Argentinian team took that chance away in the semi-finals. As a result, the USA got only a bronze medal which was heartbreaking for many Americans. But that situation affected basketball a lot as teams from many countries realized that it was possible to beat the US basketball team.
6. Charles Barkley spat on a girl
Charles Barkley is known as a very rude basketball player, and he actually agreed with that. He lost control during many matches and it is hard to forget such situations. The most memorable situation happened in 1991 when Charles was playing against New Jersey Nets. Barkley heard how a «New Jersey Nets» fan said offensive racist phrases and became really mad as a result of which he decided to spit on that fan. But he did it not too accurately, so he spat on a girl who was sitting in the crowd. Charles Barkley was suspended for a game and he needed to pay a $10,000 fine. However, Barkley really felt terrible after that situation and he normalized his relations with that girl making sure that the girl and her relatives would have free tickets for multiple future games.
5. Unbelievable playing skills of Reggie Miller
The 1990s are famous for matches between The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers that played against each other in the playoffs 6 times during that decade. Reggie Miller was that basketball player who could get extraordinary achievements. He made such a thing during the semifinals in 1995. The match almost ended, there were only 18,7 seconds left and Reggie’s team was 6 points losing. But Miller suddenly changed everything as he was able to get 8 points in 9 seconds.
4. The serious fight at The Palace of Auburn Hills
November 19, 2004, was a crazy day in NBA history as one of the craziest fights happened. There were 45,9 seconds left in that match and a serious fight between some Pistons and Pacers players happened. That looked serious and suddenly a fan decided to throw a bottle at Ron Artest who was playing for the Pacers. After that, the whole crowd decided to participate, people started to beat each other and players. As a result, 9 players were suspended for a total of 146 matches. The other 5 players were charged with assault and got one year of probation; besides, 5 fans were sued.
3. Derek Fisher made a comeback for the 4th time
During Game 5 in the semifinals of Western Conference in 2004, Derek Fisher showed that impossible things are actually quite possible. It was the match between the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. When there were 11 seconds left, Kobe Bryant threw the ball and allowed the Lakers to get a 72-71 score. Then Tim Duncan did his best to allow the Spurs to get a 73-72 score with 0.4 seconds left. After 3 time-outs, Gary Payton finally decided to inbound the ball for the Lakers, finding Fisher who actually made a game-changing shot as time expired. Derek ran off the court and he had no idea if that goal would count. Referees took some time to give the final answer and they decided that the basket was good.
2. Incredible jump of Vince Carter
This situation also happened not during an NBA game, but it affected basketball a lot as it became one of the most memorable moments. Vince Carter was participating in the Olympic Games in 2000 when he made the most impressive dunk in NBA history. It was the finals and Vince was playing against France. He got the ball and was planning to throw it into the basket, however, he faced serious trouble: he saw the defender of the opponent’s team whose name was Frederic Weis and whose height was 7’2”. But Vince was so motivated that he didn’t care and he jumped over the head of Frederic to throw the ball. Such a situation is called «the dunk of death» and it made Vince Carter really famous. However, Frederic Weis became popular too, everyone knew him as “that man Vince Carter jumped over», although he never played in the NBA before and was completely unknown.
1. Wilt Chamberlain got 100 points during one match
That match was definitely life-changing for basketball and it happened in Philadelphia on March 2 in 1962. That day became famous because legendary Wilt Chamberlain who was playing for the Philadelphia Warriors set an impressive record. It’s hard to believe but he achieved 100 points by himself. 10 years before that day basketball was losing the audience as the games were really boring. But after Wilt Chamberlain’s playing, basketball was renewed and high scoring became a popular thing, making the sport interesting. However, Wilt’s achievement wasn’t beaten.
