The Heat acquired Shaquille O’Neal from the Lakers in 2004, and the Spurs traded Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors in 2018.
Here’s a day-by-day look at landmark moments, games, performances, and more from this week in NBA history:
July 14
- 2004: Shaquille O’Neal was traded by the Los Angeles Lakers to the Miami Heat for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Cook, and a future first-round pick, marking the end of the Shaq-Kobe era in L.A.
- 2021: Devin Booker scored 42 points in Game 4 of the Finals, bringing his playoff scoring total to 542 points. He set the NBA record for most points scored in a player’s first postseason run, surpassing Hall of Famer Rick Barry’s 521 points from 1967.
July 15
- 1991: Sandhi Ortiz-Del Valle became the first woman to officiate a men’s professional basketball game, working a United States Basketball League game between the New Haven Skyhawks and the Philadelphia Spirit.
July 16
- 2008: Brandon Jennings signed a contract with Italian team Virtus Roma, becoming the first American to go directly from high school to a European pro team.
- 2016: Seven-time All-Star Nate Thurmond, a Hall-of-Famer and Warriors legend, passed away at the age of 74.
- 2019: All-Star guard Chris Paul was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a blockbuster deal that sent former MVP Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets. The Thunder also received four future first-round picks from Houston.
July 17
- 2000: Vancouver Grizzlies forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim was named to the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. He replaced Grant Hill, who withdrew due to a broken ankle suffered during the NBA playoffs.
July 18
- 2018: In a significant offseason trade, the San Antonio Spurs sent former Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors. In return, the Spurs received DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a 2019 first-round pick. The Raptors also acquired Danny Green.
July 19
- 1923: Alex Hannum was born in Los Angeles.
- 2005: The National Basketball Development League changed its name to the “NBA Development League” to better reflect its role within the new NBA-NBPA Collective Bargaining Agreement.
July 20
- 2000: Isiah Thomas was named head coach of the Indiana Pacers, replacing Larry Bird, who stepped down following the 1999-2000 NBA season. Thomas, a 12-time All-Star, led the Pistons to two NBA championships and was the Finals MVP in 1990. This was Thomas’ first coaching position.
- 2011: Houston Rockets center Yao Ming announced his retirement from the NBA, finishing his career with averages of 19.0 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.
- 2021: Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 50 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and blocked five shots to lead the Milwaukee Bucks past the Phoenix Suns in Game 6, securing their first NBA title since 1971. Antetokounmpo became the fourth international player to win Finals MVP honors and the second to score 50 points in a series-clinching Game 6, joining Hall of Famer Bob Pettit.
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