NBA

This Date in NBA History (March 12): Kyrie Irving (57) in 2015 and Larry Bird (60) in 1985 record career-highs

Author Photo
Kyrie Irving and Larry Bird

Let's begin with Larry Legend. 

On this date in 1985, Larry Bird went off in Lakefront Arena, New Orleans for a career-high 60 points on a surreal efficiency of 61.1% shooting (22-of-36).

He also recorded 7 rebounds and 3 assists while making 15 of his 16 free-throw attempts in 43 of a possible 48 minutes on the floor. 

Seven other Celtics scored in double figures but it was Bird's hot hand that led them to a 126-115 victory against the Atlanta Hawks, who were led by Dominique Wilkins - 36 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals. 


The Kyrie show in San Antonio

Very early on in his career, Kyrie Irving showed the potential to catch fire. 

So, the first year that he had a competitive team around him when LeBron James returned to Cleveland in 2014, it gave Irving the platform to shine. 

On this date in 2015, he put on a clutch performance in San Antonio against the defending champions en route to a career-high 57 points. 

Irving made 62.5% of his field-goal attempts (20-of-32) including a late three to force overtime. He then went on to score 11 of the team's 18 points in the extra period as the team won the thriller 128-125. 

He made all of his seven three-pointers attempted and also recorded 5 assists, 4 steals, and 3 rebounds in the 47 minutes played. 


Other notable events on March 12

  • In 1972, it was Bill Russell Day at the Boston Garden and his No. 6 jersey was retired to the rafters in an afternoon ceremony. 
  • In 1992, Don Nelson became the first player in NBA history to participate in 2,500 NBA games as a player and coach (regular season and Playoffs). 
  • In 1998, Hakeem Olajuwon joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history with at least 24,000 points, 12,000 rebounds and 2,500 assists.

The views on this page do not necessarily represent the views of the NBA or its clubs.

Author(s)