August 31
From Hoopedia
- 1915 - Pete Newell, Hall of Fame coach, is born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He was the first coach to win an NIT championship, an NCAA championship, and an Olympics gold medal.
- 1952 - Mickey Johnson, "The Rubber Band Man," is born in Chicago, Illinois. He will play in the NBA for 12 productive seasons.
- 1968 - Jennifer Azzi, two-time All-American at Stanford and a guard on the gold medal-winning 1996 US women's Olympic team, is born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
- 1970 - The American Basketball Association's Louisiana Buccaneers move to Memphis and become the Memphis Pros.
- 1990 - Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton (right) passes away. Clifton was the first African American to sign a contract to play in the National Basketball Association. He debuted with the Knicks in 1950.
