Since the inception of the NBA in 1946, there have been countless amount of interesting occurrences and statistical anomalies that have occurred. There are three facts that stand out in particular that any NBA fan should know.
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1. The Boston Celtics and New York Knicks Are the Only Franchises That Have Never Relocated
The first interesting basketball fact is that the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks are the only franchises in NBA history that have never relocated. The Celtics and the Knicks are two of the most well-known teams in the entire NBA, and it makes sense as to why neither team has left their home city.
For the Celtics, Boston is an incredible sports town with a very dedicated fan base. With the team already seeing decades of success in Boston, there is a strong chance that the day will never come when the team decides to pack it up for a new city.
For the Knicks, New York is arguably the biggest market in the United States with Los Angeles being its only competition. Leaving a market like New York would be one of the most boneheaded moves ever made in all of sports and is something that will never happen.
2. Shaquille O’Neal Only Made One Three Pointer In His Entire NBA Career
Shaquille O’Neal was one of the most dominant big men of all time. He was the first overall pick of the 1992 draft by the Orlando Magic. Throughout his 19 years in the NBA, he would play for the Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics. Shaq was known for being an unstoppable force in the paint on the offensive end and one of the fiercest rim defenders that the league has ever seen on defense.
He retired with 15 All-Star appearances, 14 All-NBA appearances, 3 All-Defensive Team appearances, 4 NBA Titles, 3 Finals MVP awards, the 1992-93 Rookie of the Year Awards, 2 scoring titles, and 1 MVP award while averaging 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
Despite accomplishing almost everything that a player can in the NBA, Shaq only made a single three-pointer in the entirety of his 19 years in the league. These three would come with the game clock ticking down to its final seconds. O’Neal had the ball well behind the three-point line and put up a prayer that would go down as the only made three of his career.
3. The Shortest and Tallest Players In League History Played Together
The final interesting fact is that the shortest and tallest players in NBA history would be on the same team. Despite standing at only 5’3” Muggsy Bouges would be a very solid point guard during his era. He would be the 12th overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft and would play 14 years in the league for the Washington Bullets, Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors, and Toronto Raptors. In his rookie season with the Bullets, Mouges would be teammates with Manute Bol who stood at a mind-blowing 7’7”.
Bol would play ten years in the league after being drafted with the 31st overall pick of the 1985 NBA Draft. During his time in the league, Bol would play for the Bullets, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, and Miami Heat.
During their single season together, Bouges would struggle to break into the starting lineup. He struggled to adjust to the professional level in his rookie season and would average only 5.0 points, 5.1 assists, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting a rough 39.0% from the field and 18.8% from three. Like Bouges, Bol would also rarely start for the Bullets in the 1987-88 season. He would average only 2.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.5% from the field and 0.0% from three.
