This Date in NBA History (March 30): George Gervin records hat-trick of scoring titles, Charles Barkley's jersey retirement in Philly & more

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George Gervin

On March 30th in 1980, George Gervin, of the San Antonio Spurs, became only the fifth player in NBA history to win at least three consecutive scoring titles. 

He joined the likes of George Mikan, Neil Johnston, Wilt Chamberlain and Bob McAdoo. Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant would later go on to join the list.

Season Games played Points per game Field goal %
1977-78 82 27.2 53.6%
1978-79 80 29.6 54.1%
1979-80 78 33.1 52.8%

In fact, 'The Iceman', as Gervin was nicknamed, would also go on to win the scoring title for the 1981-82 season, making it four in five years. 

Of the four, there's a pretty famous story that relates to Gervin's first scoring title. In a race that would go on to be the closest in NBA history, Gervin needed 58 for the scoring title after David Thompson went off for 73 earlier in the day. 

'The Iceman' had 53 points at the half and finished with his career-high tally of 63 in a 153-132 loss to the Utah Jazz.

Other notable events on March 30th

  • In 1986, the Boston Celtics, with a 122-117 win against the New Jersey Nets, extended their home win streak to 27 games. This matched the single-season mark set by the Minneapolis Lakers in 1950. They eventually finished the 1985-86 season with an NBA home record of 40-1 having won their last 31 home games.
  • In 2001, the Philadelphia 76ers retired Charles Barkley's #34. Barkley, who played eight seasons for the franchise from 1984 to 1991, became the seventh player in franchise history to have his number retired.
  • Also, in 2001, John Stockton climbed into third spot on the all-time games played list, trailing only Robert Parish (1,611 games) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,560).
  • In 2008, the Celtics limited the Miami Heat to just 17 field goals in an 88-62 win. That total is the lowest in an NBA game since the advent of the shot clock in 1954.
  • In 2019, James Harden finished with 50 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 119-108 win against the Sacramento Kings. This was the fifth 50-point triple-double of his career, the most in NBA history.

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