December 12
From Hoopedia
- 1932 - Hall of Famer Bob Pettit (right), the first player to score 20,000 career points in the NBA, is born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
- 1948 - Randy Smith, the 104th pick in the 1971 draft and four-time NBA All-Star, is born in Bellport, New York.
- 1984 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scores 15 points to become the first player in NBA history to surpass 32,000 career points, as the Los Angeles Lakers beat Golden State, 131-107.
- 1987 - Mookie Blaylock of the Atlanta Hawks sets an NBA single-game record of 13 steals.
- 1988 - With a 110-94 loss to Utah at the Salt Palace, the Miami Heat set an NBA record for the most consecutive games lost at the start of a season with 17. The Los Angeles Clippers opened the 1998-99 season with 17 straight defeats, tying the Heat’s mark.
- 1996 - NBA games are "cybercast" worldwide over the Internet via NBA.com and its League Audio Pass for the first time in league history.
- 1997 - Dean Smith, of the North Carolina Tar Heels, becomes the second college coach to be honored as Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.
