On This Day in Sports History: June 8th

This date in professional sports history marks the anniversary of many memorable moments in sports. In 1986, the Boston Celtics clinched their then-record 16th NBA Championship. Exactly fifteen years later, Shaq broke the record for most blocks in an NBA Finals in Game 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers. Accompanying these special events are a handful of other phenomenal milestones that also occurred on June 8th.

Celtics 16th Championship

YEAR: 1986 – NBA Finals

SIGNIFICANCE: Boston Celtics clinch record for most NBA Titles

Led by Larry Bird, the Celtics defeated Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets in six games to claim their record-breaking 16th Championship trophy. While the C’s are globally recognized as one of the greatest NBA organizations of all-time, they have struggled to win the big one since that day, earning the Larry O’Brien Trophy only once (2008) in the last 34 years. To this day, the Celtics still top the NBA as the franchise with the most Titles (17), but the LA Lakers are hot on their trail (16) after winning five times between 2000-2010 and have the pieces to win another in the near future.

Karl Malone's 11th All-NBA Honors

YEAR: 1999

SIGNIFICANCE: Karl Malone was named for then-record 11th (straight) All-NBA first team selection

Dating back to the Association’s inaugural season in 1946, All-NBA honors have been given to the best players in the league. From 1989-1999, Karl Malone made eleven consecutive All-NBA first-teams, making the Jazz PF one of the most accomplished players in league history. Tied second with Kobe Bryant (11), the Mailman sits just behind LeBron James (12) for the most all-time first team selections as of 2020.

Shaq Ties Blocks Record in Finals Game

YEAR: 2001

SIGNIFICANCE: Shaq ties NBA Finals blocks record (8) nearly producing a quadruple-double

Shaquille O’Neal is recognized by ESPN as a top-10 player in NBA history, for good reason as he averaged 23.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, and 2.3 BPG during his dominant NBA tenure. Breaking numerous records throughout his career, Shaq added “most blocks in a Finals game” to his resume on this date exactly twenty years ago, swatting eight in Game 2 of the ’01 Finals against Iverson and the 76ers. The Lake Show went on to win the series in five games on the backs of O’Neal and Bryant, who put up 33 PPG/15 RPG and 25 PPG/6 APG respectively. In his 20-year career, Shaq was a 15x All-Star, 4x NBA Champ, 3x Finals MVP, 3x league MVP, and much more.

Warriors Cement a Dynasty

YEAR: 2018 – NBA Finals

SIGNIFICANCE: Warriors win third Title in four seasons by sweeping LeBron’s Cavs

Just two NBA postseasons ago, the Golden State Warriors won their third championship in four years. In sweeping fashion, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant blew away LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the ’18 Finals, further adding to the remarkable chapter of the Warriors Dynasty. During the four-game stretch, Durant averaged 28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 2.3 blocks on his way to his second straight season as Finals MVP. While Durant’s decision to move to Golden State in 2016 made fans question his competitiveness, nobody can debate the impact he played in the Warriors’ dominant dynasty.

Jazz Move to Utah

YEAR: 1979

SIGNIFICANCE: The Jazz franchise moves to Utah after 5 disappointing seasons in the league

Joining the NBA as an expansion team in 1974, the New Orleans Jazz were unusually underwhelming in their first five seasons of professional play (161-249). Since moving to Utah in 1979, the Jazz franchise is now among the most successful NBA teams ever, regarding all-time regular season win percentage. Even though the Jazz have yet to win a Championship, their two conference titles and nine division titles support their status as a top-tier NBA organization over the last four decades.