This Day In Sports: Lakers go big in the 1973 NBA draft
Height and size mattered to the Lakers on this date in 1973 when they selected seven players in the NBA draft, five of whom are in the giant class.
The Lakers’ No. 1 choice was Kermit Washington, a 6-foot-8, 230-pound power forward from American University. He was followed by 6-11 1/2 Jim Chones, a refugee from the American Basketball Assn., 7-foot David Brent from Jacksonville, 6-10 1/2 John “Pete” Perry from Pan American (now Texas Rio Grande Valley) and 6-11 Kresimir Cosic of Brigham Young.
Also drafted were Bill Schaeffer, a 6-5 forward from St. John’s, and Larry “Tubby” Finch, a 6-2 guard from Memphis State. The first player taken overall was Doug Collins of Illinois State by the Philadelphia 76ers.
If the baseball season hadn’t been postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dodgers would have started a three-game series at the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Angels and Chicago White Sox would have entertained a Friday-night crowd at Angel Stadium.
Here is a look at memorable games and outstanding sports performances on this date:
1945 — Albert B. “Happy” Chandler, the junior senator from Kentucky, is elected commissioner of baseball by unanimous vote of the club owners. Chandler gets a seven-year term and succeeds Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who died the previous November. Chandler supports the Dodgers’ signing of Jackie Robinson and helps create a players’ pension fund with revenue generated from a radio broadcast deal.
As expected, the findings on the Boston Red Sox’s improper use of a video replay system in the 2018 season were unspectacular, writes columnist Dylan Hernández writes.
1958 — Lee Walls hits three home runs and drives in eight runs when the Chicago Cubs rout the Dodgers 15-2 at the Coliseum. In 1961, the Dodgers would obtain Walls and $100,000 in a trade with the New York Mets for utility player Charlie Neal.
1967 — The Philadelphia 76ers win the NBA championship in six games with a 125-122 comeback over the San Francisco Warriors. Billy Cunningham scores 13 points in the final 12 minutes as the 76ers overcome a five-point deficit entering the fourth quarter. Rick Barry leads all scorers with 44 points and Wali Jones is the top scorer for Philadelphia with 23.
1993 — George Branham III is the first African-American bowler to win a Professional Bowlers Assn. Triple Crown event when he beats Parker Bohn III 227-214 in the Tournament of Champions.
1994 — David Robinson scores 71 points to win the NBA scoring title as the San Antonio Spurs end the regular season with a 112-97 victory over the Clippers. Robinson, the fourth NBA player to score more than 70 points in a game, edges Orlando’s Shaquille O’Neal for the title, averaging 29.787 to 29.346.
1996 — Petr Nedved scores a power-play goal with 44.6 seconds left in the fourth overtime, ending the longest NHL game in 60 years, that gives the Pittsburgh Penguins a 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals. Color commentator Paul Steigerwald says “it was the most exciting multi-overtime game I have ever witnessed.”
2003 — Petr Sykora scores 48 seconds into the fifth overtime as the Ducks outlast the Dallas Stars 4-3 to win the opener of the Western Conference semifinals at Dallas. The game is the fourth-longest in NHL history. The Ducks, known then as the Mighty Ducks, would go on to win in six games.
A look at what trainers and medical experts think about NBA players returning to games.
2010 — Jamaican Usain Bolt dazzles a capacity crowd at Franklin Field in Philadelphia with a lightning-fast final leg, overtaking USA’s Ivory Williams to win the 4x100-meter relay at the Penn Relays. A quartet of Mario Forsythe, Yohan Blake, Marvin Anderson and Bolt finishes in 37.90 seconds for Jamaica gold, setting a Penn Relays record. Bolt takes the baton and finishes the final 100 meters in an unofficial time of 8.79 seconds.
SOURCES; The Times, Associated Press
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