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Most Significant Sports History on December 22nd
Learn about December 22nd's most significant sports history including Mike Thomas' REC record, Bill Russell's debut, Isiah to NYK, and more!
James Kenney / AP Images
A record-shattering day in the NFL last year, December 22nd was highlighted by star passers and a pass catcher — each under the age of 26. In the NBA, one of the most decorated players in league history made his highly-anticipated debut in Boston while another legend joined the Knicks’ front office. Lastly, Cleveland’s football dynasty officially began nearly 75 years ago to round out a historic day filled with monumental moments and record-setting achievements.
See what happened on this day in: 2020 | 2019
Alex Raphael covered the NBA sections in this article.
YEAR: 2019
SIGNIFICANCE: Michael Thomas broke the single-season record with his 144th REC
Exactly one year ago today, Marvin Harrison‘s former NFL record for RECs in a season fell to Michael Thomas. Resetting his own team record with 125 RECs in 2018, Thomas signed a monster 5y/$96.25M deal during the summer to remain in New Orelans through 2024. Entering the day with 133 RECs through 14 GP, his 11th catch of the game marked his 144th of 2019, surpassing Harrison’s record total from 2002. Finishing the Saints’ victory over the Titans with 12 REC, 136 YDS, and a TD, Thomas would grab four more in their 42-10 demolition of Carolina to finalize his all-time record at 149, rewarding NOLA for his record-setting extension.
60 Years Ago Today: Bill Russell makes his @NBA debut w/ @Celtics. He missed the first 24 games of the '56-57 season due to the '56 Olympics pic.twitter.com/ts40IVkAGc
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) December 22, 2016
YEAR: 1956
SIGNIFICANCE: Bill Russell made his NBA debut with the Boston Celtics, scoring 6 points with 16 rebounds
Leading the University of San Francisco to back-to-back national championships in 1955 & 1956, Bill Russell and K.C. Jones carried their college success over to the NBA. Both drafted in 1956, the two HOFers suited up for the Boston Celtics every season of their careers as they won eight NBA titles together. On this day 64 years ago, the electric rookie Bill Russell debuted his talent to a packed Boston Garden crowd against the St. Louis Hawks in a 95-93 win where he’d gather 6 points and 16 boards. Russell was such a magnet for the ball off missed shots that this season was the first of three straight years he’d lead the NBA in rebounds per game.
The glass cleaner’s 19.6 boards a game contributed positively to the C’s as they took home the NBA Finals hardware that year. In story-book fashion, Boston inched over the aforementioned St Louis Hawks 125-123 in a double OT Game 7 matinee. The 6-foot-10 agile rebound-machine Russell set two Finals rookie records as well, ripping down 32 boards in Game 7 and averaging a staggering 22.9 boards for the series. This NBA debut and NBA Finals debut were just the tip of the iceberg, however, as today the NBA Finals MVP Award is named after the all-time great himself, Bill Russell, for his groundbreaking achievements.
On this day, the New York Knicks hired NBA great Isiah Thomas to become the president of basketball operations in 2003 (Photo: ESPN). pic.twitter.com/9ftSwwhkUi
— Jamaal Brown (@JamaalDBrown) December 22, 2016
YEAR: 2003
SIGNIFICANCE: HOF PG Isiah Thomas was hired by the New York Knicks as President of Basketball Operations
As the second overall pick in the 1981 NBA Draft, Isiah Thomas was as iconic as they come in an era of basketball that was jam-packed with superstar personas. As an all-time great PG, “Zeke” was the heart and soul of the “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons until he tore his Achilles during his 13th season. His playing days effectively over, Thomas turned to the business side of basketball to continue his involvement in the industry he loved. Promptly, on 12/22/2003 Thomas was hired as the New York Knicks’ new General Manager and President of Basketball Operations.
He filled the hot seat of Scott Layden who was justly fired after snowballing the Knicks into utter despair following a slough of horrid acquisitions. The 2x NBA champion Thomas attempted to climb New York out of the ditch Layden had dug but instead, he grabbed a shovel and did further damage. A string of signing overpriced players was to follow as Thomas made it his intention to win-now as opposed to rebuilding.
Unfortunately, the personnel “Zeke” brought on board wasn’t enough as the Knicks’ boat capsized that season, posting a 39-43 record. Unable to right the ship, New York plummeted to the low-hanging record of 56-108 the next two years before Thomas was named head coach — in addition to his front office positions. Matters were only made worse in his final two seasons by mirroring their pitiful 56-108 record they produced a few years prior. The Hall of Fame player moved on to be FIU’s head coach the following year in 2009 through 2012 and hasn’t held a NBA coaching or executive job since.
Playing his 30th career game on #SundayNightFootball, @PatrickMahomes has become the fastest player to reach 9,000 passing yards in NFL history.
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) December 23, 2019
Mahomes surpasses Hall of Famer @kurt13warner, who did it in 32 games.@Chiefs | #KCvsCHI
YEAR: 2019
SIGNIFICANCE: Patrick Mahomes AND Lamar Jackson both set all-time PASS records
In addition to Michael Thomas’ record, this date a year ago was also highlighted by some impressive feats from the league’s two most recent MVPs. In just his 30th career game, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs cruised to a 26-3 victory over the Bears and fellow 2017 draftee Mitchell Trubisky while the reigning MVP completed 23-of-33 passes for 251 yards and two TDs (plus a RUSH TD). Kansas City’s 11th victory of the season, Mahomes became the youngest in NFL history to throw his 75th career PASS TD or reach 9,000 YDS to continue their march towards the franchise’s first Super Bowl in half a century.
At 22 years and 350 days old, Lamar Jackson not only set a franchise record, but his 36th career PASS TD broke an all-time record for players under the age of 23. His 34th of the season surpassed Vinny Testaverde’s Ravens record from 1996 to lead Baltimore’s franchise-record 11th straight W. Adding two more by the end of the day, he would also become the first in NFL history to record 3,000 PASS and 1,000 RUSH YDS in a single season after breaking Michael Vick’s QB RUSH record the week before. Though he didn’t participate in their Week 17 victory over PIT, Lamar’s exclamation point was enough to make him the youngest MVP ever.
Lamar Jackson's 36 touchdown passes are the most in a season by any player before his 23rd birthday pic.twitter.com/yUkPX90kuI
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) December 23, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-In5CvSMTuI&t=202s
YEAR: 1946
SIGNIFICANCE: The Cleveland Browns defeated the New York Yankees in the inaugural AAFC Championship Game
Before growing into one of pro football’s greatest dynasties, the Cleveland Browns dominated the All-America Football Conference during its four-year existence. Beginning on this date in 1946, Paul Brown’s team would win all four AAFC titles before joining the NFL in 1950, where he would lead them to the title game in each of their first six seasons, winning three. Their eighth and final championship would come in 1964, Jim Brown’s second-to-last season before retirement.
On December 22nd, 1946, the Cleveland Browns and New York Yankees (who merged with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949) squared off in the AAFC’s very first championship game. Featuring pro football’s first black players since the early APFA days (FB Marion Motley, DL Bill Willis), Cleveland rolled to a 12-2 record while 10-3-1 New York was the Eastern Division’s only team with greater than three wins. Motley, their leading rusher, would score the game-winning TD in the fourth quarter to deliver Cleveland its first of many titles over the following years before today’s generation grew up to know CLE as notorious losers in the 21st century.
“Fans crowding around champs as they went to dressing room. @browns - Yankees 1946 title game" Cleveland fans mobbing players and sharing their appreciation after watching the Browns capture their first AAFC championship in 1946. Source: @Cleve_Memory #superbowlsunday pic.twitter.com/9NJvUZC4V5
— John Skrtic (@SkrticX) February 3, 2019
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