April 22
From Hoopedia
- 1917 - Hall of Famer Laddie Gale, who led Oregon to the 1939 NCAA championship (the first NCAA tournament), is born in Grants Pass, Oregon.
- 1947 - The Philadelphia Warriors, behind "Jumpin' Joe" Fulks's 34 points, beat the Chicago Stags, 83-80, to claim the first championship of the BAA (the forerunner of the NBA), four games to one. Each Warrior receives a bonus of $2,000 -- about half a season's pay.
- 1949 - Right: Spencer Haywood, the American Basketball Association's 1970 All-Star Game MVP, regular season MVP and Rookie of the Year, is born in Silver City, Mississippi.
- 1950 - The St. Louis Bombers announce that they have withdrawn from the NBA.
- 1954 - At their annual meeting NBA owners agree to the proposal made by Syracuse Nationals owner Danny Biasone and vote to use a 24-second shot clock in the 1954-55 season.
- 1967 - The Soviet Union creams Korea, 83-50, to win their third consecutive FIBA World Championship for Women.
- 1987 - The NBA grants expansion franchises to Charlotte, Miami, Minnesota and Orlando, raising the number of teams to 27. Charlotte and Miami would join the league in the 1988-89 season, while Minnesota and Orlando would join in 1989-90.
- 1990 - San Antonio defeat Phoenix, 108-93, to finish the season at 56-26. The Spurs’ 35-game improvement over the previous season being the greatest one-year jump in NBA history. They owed it all to rookie David Robinson -- The Admiral.
