On This Day in Sports History: June 13th

This date in pro sports history symbolizes the anniversary of many memorable moments that occurred on June 13th. Just last year, basketball fans watched The Klaw bring something to Canada nobody has ever done before. Sixteen years before that, baseball fans witnessed Roger Clemons achieve greatness. These phenomenal milestones just scratch the surface of the many significant events that continue to affect the sports community today.

Raptors 1st NBA Title

YEAR: 2019 – NBA Finals Game 6

SIGNIFICANCE: Raptors clinch their 1st NBA Finals in franchise history

Exactly a year ago today, SF Kawhi Leonard masterfully directed the Toronto Raptors through the 2019 Postseason. Even though Kevin Durant (ruptured achilles tendon in Game 5) and Klay Thompson (tore ACL in Game 6) went down with leg injuries, it was a highly impressive feat for The Klaw (28.5 PPG and 9.8 RPG) to take down Chef Curry and be named the first Finals MVP in Canadian history.

Over the six-game event, six Raptors players averaged 10+ PPG, including Fred VanVleet, who exploded from behind the arc as he drilled 16 of his 40 three-point attempts (40%) during the series. Making the series victory even more special, it was the Raptors’ first NBA Championship in franchise history. It’s easy to forget, but the Warriors were actually only down one point with five seconds left in Game 6 before Steph Curry missed the potential go-ahead bucket.

Matt Cain's Perfect Game

YEAR: 2012

SIGNIFICANCE: Giants SP Matt Cain pitched the 1st perfect game in franchise history

Here’s a quick lesson: a no-hitter is when a team does not allow their opposition to record a single hit in a game. They’re indeed difficult to accomplish, but they don’t measure up to throwing a Perfect Game, which is when a team refrains from putting even one opposing player on base over the entirety of the game. On this date eight years ago, San Francisco P Matt Cain fanned 14 Astros batters in 125 pitches on his way to throwing the first perfecto in Giants history.

Earlier in the season, Philip Humber of the Chicago White Sox pitched his perfect game on April 21st against the Mariners, striking out nine in the 96-pitch effort. With the sinker-throwing Giant following suit two months later, Matt Cain became just the 22nd player ever to toss a perfect game in the history of the big leagues. Felix Hernandez followed it up with a Perfect Game of his own later that season, making 2012 the only year in baseball history to feature three Perfect Games. MLB fans haven’t witnessed one since.

Pistons Sweep the "Showtime" Lakers

YEAR: 1989 – NBA Finals Game 4

SIGNIFICANCE: Pistons swept the Lakers in 4 game to secure their 1st NBA Title

In the late ’80s and early ’90s, the Detroit Pistons were known as the “Bad Boys”. Led by HC Chuck Daly, the Bad Boys were a mightily aggressive defensive squad that refused to get torched by NBA legends Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. The ’89 Pistons were comprised of C Bill Laimbeer, PF Dennis Rodman, and PG Isiah Thomas, among other standouts who were each extremely physical and tenacious athletes. Over three decades ago, the Motor City monsters terrorized the “Showtime” Lakers by sweeping them in the four-game series.

Throughout the ’89 Finals, Pistons’ franchise leader in assists (ninth all-time) Isiah Thomas averaged 21.3 PPG and 7.3 APG, guiding the Bad Boys to the team’s first ever Championship victory. The Detroit squad kept the ball rolling as they surged through the following regular season and playoffs to win their second straight NBA title.

Roger Clemons' 300th Win

YEAR: 2003

SIGNIFICANCE: Clemens joins elite company with 300th win and 4,000th strikeout

Even though he almost entered the league as an UDFA, he owns one of the greatest pitching resumes in MLB history. Roger Clemens was drafted by Boston Red Sox in the first round of the 1983 MLB June Amateur Draft, pitching FIVE Complete Games in his rookie season. To put it in perspective, P Gerrit Cole has two career CGs (to be fair, relief pitching tactics have evolved since the ’03 season). No one knew that this was only the beginning.

Seventeen years ago today, Roger “The Rocket” Clemens became the 21st member of the 300 Wins Club by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals. Coincidentally, he also recorded his 4,000 career strikeout in the same game. Mr. Splitty currently ranks ninth all-time in career Ws and third all-time in Ks. Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and Randy Johnson have since joined Clemens in the exclusive club.

Suns Beat the Bulls in 3OT

YEAR: 1993 – NBA Finals Game 3

SIGNIFICANCE: Suns & Bulls take a Finals game to 3OT for the 2nd time ever

27 years ago today, Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns defeated Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in Game 3 of the ’93 Finals. The event was also just the second Championship game ever to go into triple overtime (first ever was Suns-Celtics in ’76). The Suns went on to lose the series in six due to MJ’s all-time Finals performance (41 PPG on .508/.400/.694 shooting), while the Bulls clinched their first 3-peat of the decade.