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Most Significant Sports History on November 16th
Learn about November 16th's most significant sports history including Roger Clemens' 5th CYA, Jim Brown's single-season record, and more!
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Officially halfway through the month of November, the 16th represents plenty of significant events and achievements over the last half century. As a Blue Jay, Roger Clemens’ dominance continued as he received yet another record-extending Cy Young Award. In addition, Jim Brown also continued setting the NFL on fire with his record-shattering day at the age of 22.
Two of the longest free throw streaks in NBA history were broken while Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain put together some incredible performances on this date from a scoring and rebounding perspective only five years apart. Lastly, the precursor to this season’s Bengals-Eagles tie was played, resulting in one of the most infamous postgame comments from Donovan McNabb.
Roger Clemens won his FIFTH Cy Young award on this day in 1998. He went on to win two more for a MLB-record SEVEN Cy Young awards. 😱 pic.twitter.com/XMPIQwbmZV
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) November 16, 2017
YEAR: 1998
SIGNIFICANCE: Roger Clemens became the 1st pitcher in MLB history to win 5 Cy Young awards
A year after winning his record-breaking fourth AL Cy Young award, Toronto Blue Jays SP Roger Clemens overtook Steve Carlton and Greg Maddux as the leader in all-time MLB Cy Young trophies with five. Clemens won back-to-back Cy Young awards for the second time in his career, this time coming in a Blue Jays uniform.
Clemens’ 1998 season was not as incredible as his 1997 campaign, but it was nevertheless a dominant pitching performance. The Rocket led the majors in wins (20) for the second year in a row while leading the AL in ERA (2.65) and strikeouts (271), becoming the first MLB pitcher to win successive pitching Triple Crowns since Sandy Koufax in 1965-66, and just the fourth ever. Clemens would go on to win two more Cy Young awards, bringing his historic total up to seven, two more than Randy Johnson as he’ll hold onto this record for a long, long time.
1,000 scrimmage yards and 15+ TDs, first 8 games of a season:
— Pro Football Reference (@pfref) November 1, 2018
Jim Brown, 1958
Priest Holmes, 2002
Priest Holmes, 2004
Todd Gurley, 2018https://t.co/gLDiCXHtkP @RamsNFL
YEAR: 1958
SIGNIFICANCE: Jim Brown broke the single-season rushing record just 8 games into his 2nd season
In 1958, Jim Brown was in just his second season with the Cleveland Browns after an outstanding three years at Syracuse. As a rookie — when the NFL season was just 12 games — he rushed for a league-leading 942 yards and nine TDs, helping lead the Browns to an appearance in the 1957 NFL Championship. The following year, Brown took his game to a previously inconceivable level by rushing for 150+ yards in each of his first five games and 100+ in his first six games — an NFL record that was not matched until DeMarco Murray (2014).
Heading to Washington for his eighth game of the season on this date, he ripped off another 152 yards along with two TDs, bringing his season totals to a ridiculous 16 TD and 1,163 rushing yards — smashing previous single-season records in only eight games. He would continue rumbling through the next four teams, finishing his MVP season with 1,527 rushing yards and 17 TD while averaging a ludicrous 127 yards per game.
TIH: 1958 Bill Russell sets NBA record w/ 32 rebounds in 1 half! Reminds us; need to rebound? Try our breakfast! pic.twitter.com/5Z6TDlcG5B
— BuffaLouie's (@BuffaLouies) November 16, 2015
YEAR: 1957 & 1962
SIGNIFICANCE: Centers Bill Russell AND Wilt Chamberlain each set rebounding and scoring records on this day
In 1957, Bill Russell was one of the first superstars the league had ever seen, and he remains one of the greatest to grace the hardwood, especially in the rebound category. The longtime Boston Celtic was a gifted glass cleaner finishing with the second-most rebounds in NBA history with 21,620.
On his journey to winning 11 rings, he set countless records including a 32-rebound first half in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers on this day 63 years ago where he ended with a ludicrous 49 boards. Measuring 6-foot-10, his lanky presence around the rim aided him in snatching missed shots which helped make the Boston Celtics a dynasty throughout the 1960s.
Pinned against Bill Russell on occasion was Wilt Chamberlain who towered over everyone at the unreal height of 7-foot-1. Scoring was almost an afterthought for “Wilt the Stilt,” who effortlessly dropped the ball in the hoop anytime near the rim by utilizing fadeaway touch-shots and rim-rattling jams. Today in 1962, the 7x scoring champ and San Francisco Warriors big man saturated the points section of the stat sheet by erupting for an NBA regulation record 73 points which buried the Knicks that night.
Amazingly this was just one of the six 70-point games that the 30.1 points per game scorer would register over his illustrious HOF career. Wilt dropped 78 in a game the previous year, but that matchup went to 3OT, which made his 73 points on this day tied with his performance from earlier that calendar year for the most ever in a game that concluded without any extra periods.
55 Years Ago (11/16/62) Wilt Chamberlain SF @Warriors scores 73 points vs @NYKnicks: tied - 3rd highest single-game point total @NBAHistory. pic.twitter.com/F62c2xt4fR
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) November 16, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz7aqzl333M
YEAR: 2008
SIGNIFICANCE: The Bengals and Eagles tied, leading to QB Donovan McNabb’s iconic infamous postgame comments
Quite similarly to their 2020 matchup, the 5-4 Philadelphia Eagles and 1-8 Cincinnati Bengals engaged in an ugly, low-scoring, sloppy contest that neither team seemed to want to win back in ’08. A 13-13 game with five turnovers and ten sacks, neither Donovan McNabb nor Ryan Fitzpatrick had a good day by any means. McNabb completed less than half of his passes (28/58), tossed three INTs, and lost a fumble while “FitzMagic” was tortured by Philly’s front-seven to the tune of eight sacks.
Neither team could sustain a drive in OT and continually shot themselves in the foot each time they caught a break. Back in the days of true “sudden death” OT, any type of score would have won the game, but the entire 15-minute OT period witnessed five of the game’s 21 punts along with a missed GW-FG. To make matters worse, Donovan McNabb admitted in the postgame press conference that he was unaware that a tie was even possible in football, leading to plenty of ridicule from the media.
Eagles and Bengals tie 23-23.
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) September 27, 2020
In 2008, those two teams also tied, officially making Donovan McNabb aware of the fact that NFL games can end without a winner. pic.twitter.com/LQwAFnmWnY
https://youtu.be/XZUGiOoH8rU
YEAR: 1976 & 1993
SIGNIFICANCE: Rick Barry’s AND Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf’s historic free throw streaks ended
Just over four decades ago to the date, Rick Barry’s then-NBA record for the most free throws made consecutively ended at the high mark of 60 in a row after going 9-10 at the line in a win versus Seattle. The aspect which makes this feat so intriguing is the unorthodox underhanded stroke that the Golden State Warriors forward used when stepping up to the charity stripe. Being a proponent of the rather awkward-looking form, at times referred to as “the granny shot”, resulted in the HOFer consistently converting on free throws 89.3% over the course of his 14-year career.
Along with Barry’s brilliance, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf of the Denver Nuggets was on an absolute tear at the free-throw line 17 years later until he missed on November 16th, 1993 which thrusted him into second place (at the time) for most free throws made without a miss. The point guard was unconscious and tallied 81-straight, only 16 shy of the still-record held by the Indiana Pacers’ Michael Williams who set the record at 97, literally a week prior. The most improved player award recipient Abdul-Rauf also hoists a pristine efficiency rate from the line as 90.5% of his attempts found the bottom of the net in his nine-year NBA career.
Random stat #13
— Hollywoodbets UK & Ireland (@HWbetsUKIRE) April 12, 2020
Jose Calderon went 151-for-154 from the line over the 2008-09 NBA season, resulting in a FT% of 98.1%. 💪
That remains the highest FT% over a season:
1. Jose Calderon - 98.1% (2008-09)
2. Calvin Murphy - 95.8% (1980-81)
3. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf - 95.6% (1993-94)
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