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First Iconic NBA Moment of Your Life [Photo Gallery]

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by Richie_Rich, Aug 23, 2013.

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What's the FIRST (most iconic) NBA moment you remember watching?

  1. 1980: Dr J's ridiculous under-the-basket-reverse layup (Game 4, NBA Finals)

    5 vote(s)
    6.5%

  2. 1980: Magic at C for injured Kareem - wins title (42pts, 15reb, 7 ast) as Rookie!

    5 vote(s)
    6.5%

  3. 1986: Air Jordan's coming out party - Game 2 in Boston - 63pts! - NBA Playoff Record

    2 vote(s)
    2.6%

  4. 1987: Bird's in-bounds steal on Isiah & feed to DJ for layup to win Game 5 of ECF

    2 vote(s)
    2.6%

  5. 1987: Magic's buzzer-beating, sweeping junior hook in the lane to win Game 4 in Boston

    4 vote(s)
    5.2%

  6. 1989: "The Shot" - MJ hangs, double-clutches, drains buzzer-beater on Ehlo and Cavs

    5 vote(s)
    6.5%

  7. 1991: "A spectacular move!" MJ drives, elevates, switches to left, lay up -Gm 2- NBA Finals

    12 vote(s)
    15.6%

  8. 1992: The first & only -- DREAM TEAM -- Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain

    7 vote(s)
    9.1%

  9. 1998: Reggie takes down Manhattan w last second heroics -- Spike Lee chokes!

    7 vote(s)
    9.1%

  10. 1998: "The Shot Pt 2" MJ strips Malone, shakes off Russell, holds pose on 6th title clincher!

    28 vote(s)
    36.4%
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  1. Richie_Rich

    Richie_Rich Member
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    Some of us may be dating ourselves here, but that's ok. Should make this topic all the more interesting. May also give some youngsters a brief historical look as to why some old schoolers in the BBS personally love this game.

    Obviously, the majority of us here are diehard Rockets fans. Whether we grew up idolizing Calvin, Moses, Sampson, Dream, Francis, T-Mac or Yao -- makes little difference -- we still bleed ketchup & mustard. That being said, we're in the Dish so let's keep this topic strictly on the NBA (and ABA for you 70's cats).

    So what's your FIRST memorable, iconic NBA moment growing up? You know, the one thrilling moment that stoled your heart and sealed your fate as a lifelong junkie of the greatest game on earth. (There's no right or wrong answer here so let's just have fun with it.)

    Short personal stories are welcome, but photo images really tell it.

    I'll go first.

    Guess I was about 11 yrs old, and the prior year our young, upstart Rockets had stunned the basketball world with Sampson's miracle buzzer beater at the Forum. (I'll never forgive Kupchak for what he pulled in getting Olajuwon ejected. Thought for sure we would lose. It did suck going down in 6 to Boston tho.)

    So now it's the summer of '87. I convinced my mom to tune to CBS and catch Dick Stockton, Tom Heinsohn and Pat O'Brien call the Finals again (knowing full well my Rockets were already eliminated weeks ago by Seattle in the 2nd rd -- couldn't believe it! But mom, Akeem said we were "unbeatable".) Whatever.

    Didn't matter. To this point I'd only cared about my Rockets. But something in me really wanted to see Showtime crush Bird and his Celtics. Call it vengeance, I guess. Little did I know this Finals series would elevate my fandom beyond Gene Peterson and "Houston Rockets Basketball". The first three games of the series were great, but the way Magic stoled game 4 on Beantown's parquet was all Hollywood.

    Man, talk about goosebumps...


    [​IMG]


    This was, without question, my first romantic (non-Rockets) NBA moment of my life.

    Where has the love gone?

    Today, I'm mostly back to just caring about the New Age. :cool:
     
    #1 Richie_Rich, Aug 23, 2013
  2. gwatson86

    gwatson86 Contributing Member

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    I'm 27, so I was only 6 in 1992... have to go with 1998. I don't remember Reggie abusing Spike Lee, so it was Jordan ripping out Utah's hearts. Again.

    Earliest I actually remember is Jordan's retirement announcement. I was stunned. Sorry ClutchFans, but I was a Bulls fan as a child. I grew up in Louisiana. We had nothing!
     
    #2 gwatson86, Aug 23, 2013
  3. CDrex

    CDrex Contributing Member

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    My first NBA memory is celebrating the 1995 title. However I can't really say that at 5 years old I was inherently cognizant of the moment - I don't specifically remember, say, Dream's tip-in or Rudy's quote. So as for an actual moment that I do remember specifically watching and reacting to, and it shaping my fandom, I would go with...

    [​IMG]

    I know that's not really what you asked but as a kid the Rockets stuff trumped the non-Rockets stuff by far.

    I remember Jordan in 1998 but I didn't find it particularly genre-defining because I was a young Rockets homer.
     
    #3 CDrex, Aug 23, 2013
  4. victorx91

    victorx91 Member

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    I'm only 22 and didn't see a live Rockets game until 2006 at the Oracle against the Warriors because I'm from the Bay Area. First game I ever went to in my life, and this happens.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZubvPYD8u0Y

    But on television... When the squad of Steve Francis, Mobley, Yao, Jim Jackson, etc, in the first round against the Lakers back in 2004. When Nachbar dunked on Karl Malone... that entire series was pretty exciting. I still remember Francis finding Jim Jackson for an open 3 in the corner in game 1, and him missing it. Definitely the first iconic NBA moment of my life. Almost stole the first game from LA at Staples, when they had that squad of Kobe, Shaq, Payton, Karl, etc.
     
    #4 victorx91, Aug 23, 2013
  5. heypartner

    heypartner Contributing Member

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    First?

    1976 NBA Finals Game 5 Triple Overtime -- Suns vs Celtics
     
    #5 heypartner, Aug 23, 2013
  6. Shakee

    Shakee Member

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    Far from my "favorite iconic moment" but the question was "1st iconic moment of my life" so it had to be the "spectacular shot" I was 10 yrs old thinking why didn't he just dunk it? Lol
     
    #6 Shakee, Aug 23, 2013
  7. Shakee

    Shakee Member

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    *spectacular move*
     
    #7 Shakee, Aug 23, 2013
  8. dachuda86

    dachuda86 Member

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    knicks v rox finals
     
    #8 dachuda86, Aug 23, 2013
  9. VBG

    VBG Member

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    The moment I realized I loved basketball was the Kings - Lakers series. The Robert Horry shot. It's the moment when I fell for the NBA -

    [​IMG]
     
    #9 VBG, Aug 23, 2013
  10. tmacfor35

    tmacfor35 Contributing Member

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    Flame suit on- but my first memory was John Stocktons game winner against us.

    As a kid it hurt and it was then I realized I was emotionally attached to the Rockets!
     
    #10 tmacfor35, Aug 23, 2013
  11. SunsRocketsfan

    SunsRocketsfan Member

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    what?!
    a) are you a lakers fan?
    b) do you realize that was the most rigged series ever?

    For a lot of people that was the moment people realized the NBA is potentially corrupt and fixed games
     
    #11 SunsRocketsfan, Aug 23, 2013
  12. cjtaylorpt

    cjtaylorpt Member

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    OJ Simpson being chased down... LOL!
     
    #12 cjtaylorpt, Aug 23, 2013
  13. rockbox

    rockbox Around before clutchcity.com

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    The ralph sampson shot.
     
    #13 rockbox, Aug 23, 2013
  14. VBG

    VBG Member

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    I was 10. Never really watched basketball. And that was still an insane shot.
     
    #14 VBG, Aug 23, 2013
  15. dreamshakin

    dreamshakin Member

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    I was barely old enough to remember the mj shot, but I lived in Chicago at the time and it was my most memorable and oldest nba moment I can think of. I'm glad I moved to Houston soon after and became a rockets fan for life :D
     
    #15 dreamshakin, Aug 23, 2013
  16. Richie_Rich

    Richie_Rich Member
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    That's cool. I live in the SF Bay area myself. My gf is a lame Warriors fan. (can't lie... they're pretty fun to watch)

    Man, I was at the Compaq Center (upper bowl) for that game. Boki's facial on Karla almost blew the roof of the place! I strongly recall kicking over my $6 beer as I high five'd everybody within 5 rows of me. Great times. (except for the beer part)
     
    #16 Richie_Rich, Aug 23, 2013
  17. Richie_Rich

    Richie_Rich Member
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    Haha, yeah... I remember thinking that too.

    But you better believe we were all outside the next day struggling to do that move! :grin:


    [​IMG]
     
    #17 Richie_Rich, Aug 23, 2013
  18. professorjay

    professorjay Contributing Member

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    I'm a Cavs fan. Unfortunately it was The Shot.

    I'm also a die hard Browns fan. For the NFL it was The Drive.

    Events so famous they are referred to as a single word. And both against Cleveland teams.

    The trauma was too much to handle at such a young age. The innocence of childhood was ripped to shreds. I steered towards a life of drugs and crime at a young age to erase the pain and now seek counseling on a bi-weekly schedule to pick up the pieces in adulthood.
     
    #18 professorjay, Aug 23, 2013
    1 person likes this.
  19. Johndoe804

    Johndoe804 Member

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    My first memory of actually watching basketball was John Stockton hitting that three on Charles Barkley to knock us out...

    Of course, my first memory of basketball in general would have to be the Dr. J shot. I didn't even know who he was at the time, but that layup represented the sport of basketball in my mind.
     
    #19 Johndoe804, Aug 23, 2013
  20. gifford1967

    gifford1967 Contributing Member
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    Seeing Moses Malone play at the Summit when I was around 9. Sneaking down to the floor and realizing just how friggin huge the players really were.
     
    #20 gifford1967, Aug 23, 2013
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