2006 Overview
From Hoopedia
2005-06 NBA Season
August 3, 2005 -- The largest trade in NBA history features 13 players. Memphis acquires Eddie Jones from Miami and Raul Lopez from Utah while sending Jason Williams, Andre Emmett and James Posey to Miami and trading Greg Ostertag to Utah. Miami sent Rasual Butler to New Orleans and traded Qyntel Woods, two second round draft picks and the draft rights to Albert Miralles to Boston. Utah traded Curtis Borchardt to the Celtics and Kirk Snyder to the New Orleans. The Celtics sent Antoine Walker to Miami and the Hornets traded the draft rights to Roberto Duenas to Miami.
January 22, 2006 -- Kobe Bryant tallies 81 points against the Raptors in a 122-104 Lakers win. The 81 is the second highest single-game point total in NBA history, behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100 over 40 years earlier.
March 8, 2006 -- In the first major professional sporting event in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city more than six months ago, the Lakers defeat the Hornets 113-107. A sellout crowd of 17,744 shows up at New Orleans Arena, which encounters flooding problems following one of the worst storms in American history on Aug. 29.
April 19, 2006 – The NBA Board of Governors appoints Adam Silver Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer, effective July 1, 2006. Joel Litvin, the league’s Executive Vice President, Legal and Business Affairs, is promoted to the newly created position of President, League and Basketball Operations. Heidi Ueberroth, the league’s Executive Vice President, Global Media Properties and Marketing Partnerships, becomes President, Global Marketing Partnerships and International Business Operations.
April 25, 2006 -- Violet Palmer becomes the first woman to referee an NBA Playoff game, when she works Game 2 of the first-round series between the Indiana Pacers and New Jersey Nets. The Nets beat the Pacers 90-75.
October 28, 2006 -- Arnold “Red” Auerbach, the coach of eight consecutive Boston Celtic NBA Champions as well as the architect of multiple Celtics dynasties, dies at the age of 89 in Washington D.C.
November 2006 -- Dikembe Mutombo opens a multi-million dollar, 300-bed hospital in his native Democratic Republic of Congo, named in honor of his late mother, Biamba Marie Mutombo.
