May 31

1902 - Hall of Fame player John "Honey" Russell, who played in 3,200 pro games and coached college and pro teams for 30 years, is born in Brooklyn, New York.

1937 - Bob Ferry, NBA player, coach and general manager, is born in St. Louis, Missouri.

1983 - The Philadelphia 76ers defeat the Los Angeles Lakers, 115-108, in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. “Fo’ Fo’ Fo’,” declared Moses Malone (right) predicting that the 76ers, who had dominated the regular season with a 65-17 record, would sweep their three rounds in the 1983 NBA Playoffs. They came close but the Milwaukee Bucks spoiled Malone’s prediction by winning Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals 100-94. Otherwise Philadelphia was perfect, sweeping New York, beating the Bucks in five and then sweeping the Lakers in the Finals. Their 12-1 record and .923 winning percentage stood as the best in playoff history until the Lakers went 15-1 (.938) in 2001. The 76ers commemorated Malone’s prediction, with one slight alteration, on their championship rings: “Fo’ Fi’ Fo’.”

1999 - The Spurs' Sean Elliott hits a three-pointer with 9.9 seconds left over Rasheed Wallace, inches from stepping on the sideline, in game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.