As we reach the last few weeks of August, the historical events in sports begin to expand. Business in the NBA typically begins to heat up drastically. Over two decades ago today, a NBA household name made his move to the Houston Rockets. In addition, a massive trade occurred between the Hawks and Suns which impacted the paths of those franchises for seasons to come. A few monumental events in MLB history round out today’s edition of the most significant sports history.

Houston Lands Barkley

YEAR: 1996

SIGNIFICANCE: The Houston Rockets received PF Charles Barkley from the Phoenix Suns for 4 players

PF Charles Barkley had a legendary playing career and has become immortalized for his contributions to the league since then. Recognized by many as an analyst of the game, the big man left his mark far earlier on the court. The man that went toe-to-toe with the Michael Jordan in the finals of 1993, winning game three in triple overtime would soon depart from Phoenix.

On this day in 1996, Barkley was traded to Houston which resulted in Phoenix gaining four players including PG Sam Cassel and PF Robert Horry. The Rockets just came off of two consecutive Championships, but failed to make it back there despite the big three of Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and Clyde Frazier.

Hawks Acquire Iso Joe

YEAR: 2005

SIGNIFICANCE: The Atlanta Hawks acquired SG Joe Johnson from the Phoenix Suns for PF Boris Diaw and draft picks

One thing guaranteed to excite fans regardless of the sport, is trades of high-profile names. This type of thing is spotlighted heavily in the NBA, as seismic shifts around the league are more present than ever. 15 years ago today however, the NBA world watched a star player on the rise in SG Joe Johnson get traded to the Atlanta Hawks from the Phoenix Suns. In return, the Suns received PF Boris Diaw and two future first round draft picks. It only took two years for Johnson to become an NBA All-Star, which he would continue to be for six years straight and lead the Hawks to perennial postseason appearances.

Ty Cobb reaches 3,000

#OTD 1921: Ty Cobb becomes the youngest player to record 3,000 hits, in a 10-0 win against Boston, at 34 years old. pic.twitter.com/aXDo3xsItg
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) August 19, 2016

YEAR: 1921

SIGNIFICANCE: Ty Cobb became the 4th (and youngest) player to reach 3,000 hits

99 years ago, Tigers OF Ty Cobb hit the 3,000th hit of his career, becoming just the fourth player in MLB history to do so. At 34 years and 244 days old, Cobb also became the youngest player to ever reach that plateau, a record that stands to this day. “The Georgia Peach” was a career .366/.433/.944 hitter and mustered 4,189 career hits, a total that stood atop of the all-time hits list until Pete Rose surpassed it in 1985.

Phillies Trade Chase Utley

Source: Trade official. Utley and $4M to #Dodgers. IF/OF Darnell Sweeney and RHP John Richy to #Phillies. Sweeney was at AAA, Richy at Hi A.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 20, 2015

YEAR: 2015

SIGNIFICANCE: The Dodgers acquired Chase Utley from the Phillies for 2 prospects

As one of the final moves in the Phillies’ rebuild, 2B Chase Utley was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for UTIL Darnell Sweeney and RHP John Richy five years ago. This deal ended Utley’s tenure in Philadelphia, where he spent 13 years, made six All-Star appearances, won four Silver Sluggers, and won a World Series in 2008. Later that year, Utley would become one of the most controversial players in baseball when he slid hard to break up a double play and broke Ruben Tejada‘s leg. Months after that, the infamous “Chase Utley Rule” was adopted.

Giants are Bay Bound

#TodayInHistory: 1957 - The board of directors of the New York Giants votes to move the franchise to San Francisco. #SFGiants
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) August 19, 2014

YEAR: 1957

SIGNIFICANCE: The New York Giants baseball club passed a vote to officially relocate to San Francisco

63 years ago, the New York Giants board of directors approved the franchise’s move to San Francisco. The move comes simultaneous with the Brooklyn Dodgers’ plans to move to Los Angeles. Reasons why the Giants decided to relocate were because of decrease in attendance and immense increase in the New York Yankees’ popularity. The Giants still had a strong fanbase, but struggled when it came to sharing a market with two other historic clubs. The Giants, as well as the Dodgers, became the first teams in MLB history to call the West Coast home.

The New York Giants won seven championships during their 74 years in NYC. After moving to California, it took the team over half a century later to win another championship before Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner led the SFG to three World Series titles in five years.