LJ earned the nickname "Grandmama" for a popular series of Converse commercials that had him dunking all over the place in a granny wig and Mrs. Doubtfire dress. In 1993, Johnson appeared in an episode of the sitcom Family Matters as his alter ego "Grandmama", who becomes Steve Urkel's teammate in a basketball tournament.

In 2016, LeBron James was named the unanimous NBA Finals MVP after leading all players in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks during the series, a feat that had never been accomplished in an NBA playoff series.

During the 2012-13 season, Golden State point guard Stephen Curry set the NBA record for three-pointers made in a regular season, with 272. He surpassed that record in 2015 with 286, and again in 2016 with 402.

The Chicago Bulls' Michael Jordan won the Nestle Crunch Slam Dunk Contest on February 6, 1988, with a perfect score of 50 on his final dunk in front of an appreciative hometown crowd at Chicago Stadium.

On April 29, 1970, Los Angeles Lakers guard Jerry West showed he deserved his nickname, "Mr. Clutch," when he hit a 60-foot desperation shot at the buzzer to tie Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. The Lakers went on to score just six points in overtime, however, and lost to the Knicks 111-108.

On April 5, 2001, Wang Zhizhi of the Dallas Mavericks became the first Chinese player to compete in the NBA. Wang had six points and three rebounds in a 108-94 win over Atlanta.

A Stephen Curry mouthguard found by a fan at a Golden State Warriors road game was sold for $3,190 in an online auction. Also in the auction was a headband worn by Lakers center Wilt Chamberlain in the early 1970s, which sold for $4,141.

In 2005, Durant's mentor and first basketball coach was tragically murdered. Charles Craig was just 35 years old, and Durant has worn this number ever since in his honor.

Gasol was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the third overall pick in the first round of the 2001 NBA draft, but his rights were traded to the Memphis Grizzlies where he was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2002.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the award a record-setting six times in his career.