The best of this day in NBA sports history. June 13. Toronto’s first championship, Bob Lanier’s leadership, Dikembe Mutombo in the White House, the Chicago Bulls’ fifth championship, triple overtime in the Finals, and the Pistons sweep the Lakers. What happened on this day in NBA history?
Toronto’s First Championship
The Toronto Raptors won their franchise’s first NBA championship when they defeated the Golden State Warriors 114-110 in Game 6 of the 2019 Finals. Kawhi Leonard, in addition to being named Finals MVP, also became the third player in league history to win the award with two different franchises.
Bob Lanier’s Leadership
The Joint Commission on Leadership of the United States Congress and the Board of Directors of the Congressional Award Foundation presented Bob Lanier, president of NBA TeamUp, with the Horizon Award for his outstanding leadership and commitment to improving the lives of young people.
The ceremony was held in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Lanier, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991, was honored before more than 100 members of Congress during the annual Gold Medal Ceremony, hosted by NBC’s Tim Russert.
Dikembe Mutombo In the White House
Atlanta Hawks Center Dikembe Mutombo was named one of 20 recipients of the Presidential Service Awards, the nation’s highest honor for volunteer service. The honor was presented to him during a ceremony at the White House.
Sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation and the Corporation for National and Community Service, the awards are the most prestigious national recognition given for voluntary community service aimed at addressing the country’s most severe social problems. Mutombo founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to assist the impoverished and disadvantaged people of his native Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
He donated $3 million for the construction of a 300-bed general hospital in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and spearheaded the fundraising effort to complete the project, which required $12 million. He was also actively involved in the country’s efforts to vaccinate 10 million children under the age of five.
Chicago Bulls’ Fifth Championship
The Chicago Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz 90-86 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to secure their fifth title. Although Michael Jordan was named Finals MVP, he didn’t have the game-winning shot, but he did provide the game-winning assist by finding Steve Kerr for a free jump shot from the foul line with five seconds left.
Triple Overtime In the NBA Finals
In Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Phoenix Suns and the Chicago Bulls, the visiting Phoenix Suns defeated the Chicago Bulls 129-121 in triple overtime. This was only the second triple-overtime game in Finals history.
The other was in the 1976 NBA Finals, where the Phoenix Suns also lost to the Celtics, 128-126, in Game 5 at the Boston Garden. Phoenix’s Kevin Johnson set a Finals record by playing 62 minutes, and teammate Dan Majerle set a record by playing 59 minutes without committing a personal foul.
The Pistons Sweep the Lakers
The 1989 Detroit Pistons won their first NBA title by sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers. Game 4 ended with a 105-97 victory, thus securing the first NBA title in franchise history.
Final Thoughts: This Day In NBA Sports History
If you missed the last article entitled This Day In NBA Sports History, read about it here on June 11.
