6 NBA Curiosities that you’d like to know about

With more than 74 years of existence, NBA has got an incredible history full of facts, awards and, of course, curiosities. The fans are always looking for curious facts about their favourite teams and players.

Thinking about that, we’ve listed some very interesting NBA curiosities so you can have a look and get to know more about your idols. After going through all of our basketball content, you can take our basketball trivia quizzes to check if you know all about NBA already. Apart from that, you can also get ready to start betting with our basketball tips.

 

1. NBA players are the world’s best-paid athletes

According to Forbes, LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) is the highest-paid player in the United States. He appeared in fifth place in the annual top 100 of the highest-paid athletes in the world. His earnings reached a total of $88.2 million in the last year. The list also includes Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), with $74.4 million, Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets), with $63.9 million and Russell Westbrook (Houston Rockets), with $57 million a year.

 

2. Shaquille O’Neal has made only one three-point shot in his NBA career

The four-time NBA champion and 15-times NBA All-Star Shaquille O’Neal made only one three-point shot in his entire NBA career. Surprisingly, he has attempted 22 three-pointers during his time in the courts and has converted a single one in the 1995-96 season.

 

3. The Washington Bullets had the shortest player and the tallest player in NBA history playing in the same season

In the 1987-1988 season, the Washington Bullets team made history by selecting both the shortest and tallest player in the NBA to play. Muggsy Bogues is 5′ 3″ tall and is definitely the shortest person that ever played in the NBA. He was really famous for his steals and played for four teams over his career: Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Washington Bullets and the Toronto Raptors. Manute Bol was one of the tallest players in the history of the NBA. With 7′ 7″ tall, he was a really good shot-blocker and rebounder. He played for the Bullets and three other teams over the course of his NBA career (Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat), which lasted until 1995.

 

4. Kobe Bryant’s parents had to cosign his first NBA contract

In 1996, Kobe Bryant was selected by the Charlotte Hornets and was immediately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. When he was first drafted, he was only 17 years old, so his parents had to cosign his NBA contract on his behalf until he turned 18 later that year. The rules for eligibility to an NBA draft were different than nowadays.

 

5. Paul Pierce was stabbed 11 times and still came back to play the 2000-2001 NBA Season

In September 2000, Paul Pierce tried to stop a fight at a club in Boston where he was with some friends and was stabbed 11 times in the face, neck and back. His former teammate Tony Battie rushed him to the hospital, where he had to undergo lung surgery.

 

Remarkably, a while after that he came back to the court and started shooting. He played 82 games in the 2001-02 season and was the only Boston Celtics player to start each match in that season.

 

6. Bill Russell demanded his salary to be always at least a dollar higher than Wilt Chamberlain’s

Bill Russell was one of the first big earners in NBA basketball during his career. His 1956 rookie contract with Boston Celtics was worth $24,000. When Wilt Chamberlain, his big rival, became the first NBA player to earn $100,000 in salary in 1965, Russell went to his coach Auerbach and demanded a $100,001 salary, which he promptly received.