Some of the most famous moments in basketball history have been seen by crowds that broke records.
Fans have made the NBA known all over the world for decades. In the 1980s, there was a big rise in the number of people watching national TV. In the 21st century, there has been a big rise in the number of people watching live streams.
But going to the game is still the best thing to do. It gives fans of all ages a chance to see the best of athleticism, coordination, and competition in person.
On Friday, the San Antonio Spurs broke the NBA's all-time attendance record for a single regular-season game with 68,323 fans there. In 1998, the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks played a game at the Georgia Dome that drew 62,046 people.
The Spurs made history at the old Alamodome, where great Spurs games were played from 1993 to 2002. Steve Kerr, a key member of that 1998 Bulls team, was in charge of the Warriors when they broke a record in San Antonio on Friday.
"I think that's great. Kerr said before the game, "I think it's a great way to celebrate the Spurs' 50th anniversary." "There should be a lot of fun going on. Since none of our players have ever played in the Alamodome, I think they are really looking forwards to it.
In honour of what the Spurs and the NBA have done, here are some of the most famous and well-attended games in the league's history:
Atlanta Hawks vs. Chicago Bulls
Date: March 27, 1998
Attendance: 62,046
Stadium: Georgia Dome
Bulls starters: Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc, Ron Harper, Bill Wennington
Dikembe Mutombo, Steve Smith, Mookie Blaylock, Alan Henderson, and Tyrone Corbin start for the Hawks.
As always, Michael Jordan showed that the slower pace of the 1990s didn't bother him. In Chicago's 89-74 win at the Georgia Dome, Jordan scored 34 points on 50% shooting. Mutombo filled up the stat sheet for the Hawks, who hosted the game in Atlanta that set a record for the number of people who came. The Hawks' usual arena was being built, so they needed a different place to play. Fans came in droves to see what many thought could be Jordan's last game in Atlanta.
Kerr said that the venue and the number of people made it one of the most interesting things he had done in his basketball career.
Kerr said, "Yeah, it was pretty strange, especially since many of the fans couldn't see the court." "To fit 62,000 people in a basketball-style dome, a lot of people have to sit on a side of the dome that doesn't have a good view. So, they were looking at the scoreboard to watch the game. It was weird to walk onto the court and realise that most of the people inside couldn't even see you. They were there, though."
NBA All-Star Game 2010
Date: Feb. 10, 2010
Attendance: 108,713
Stadium: AT&T Stadium
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett, and Joe Johnson start for the East.
Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony, and Amar'e Stoudemire will start for the West.
Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, was the site of the best midseason show in NBA history. Even though NBA champion Kobe Bryant and 24-year-old Chris Paul were hurt, the energy in the arena did not change.
The East beat the West 141-139, thanks to Wade and James, who would play together the next year in Miami. Wade and James worked together to score 53 points, give 17 assists, and steal nine balls. Wade was named MVP. Anthony had 27 points and 10 rebounds to lead the West.
Detroit Pistons vs. Boston Celtics
Date: Jan. 29, 1988
Attendance: 61,983
Stadium: Pontiac Silverdome
Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson, and Danny Ainge are the starters for the Celtics.
Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, Adrian Dantley, and Rick Mahorn are the starters for the Pistons.
In the 1980s, the Eastern Conference had a lot of top players and a fast-paced cycle of power. Eight months earlier, Detroit had just lost the conference finals to Boston in a heartbreaking 4-3 game. The city was full of Celtic haters and people who wanted to win the title.
Fans packed the Pontiac Silverdome to see the latest game in this rivalry that has been going on for a long time. They were rewarded with classic team basketball, as eight Pistons scored in double figures, led by Dantley's 22 points, to beat Bird's 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists in Detroit's 125-108 win.
The Pistons and the Silverdome would also be at two other games that had the most people at them in the top ten.
Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Date: April 17, 1990
Attendance: 49,551
Stadium: Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Alex English, Fat Lever, Michael Adams, Joe Barry Carroll, and Jerome Lane started for the Nuggets.
Pooh Richardson, Tony Campbell, Tyrone Corbin, Randy Breuer, and Tod Murphy are the starters for the Timberwolves.
During Minnesota's short first stay at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, more than 45,000 people went to two games. The league's newest team was ahead in the first half, but Adams and Lever scored 43 points to beat them. Corbin, who was picked up in the expansion draught during the offseason before last, led the home team to a 99-89 loss with 25 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block.
Boston Celtics vs. Log Angeles Lakers
Five May, 1969
The Forum is the stadium
Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Sam Jones, Em Bryant, and Bailey Howell start for the Celtics.
Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Keith Erickson, and Johnny Egan start for the Lakers.
A then-record crowd of 17,568 people gathered at the Forum to watch one of the most exciting Game 7s ever played. It was a winner-take-all match between the dynastic Boston Celtics and a star-studded Lakers team that had not won a championship since moving from Minneapolis. With Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, and Elgin Baylor on the team, plus the fact that they were playing at home, balloons were hung in Los Angeles in hopes of a championship. Bill Russell and the Celtics had other plans. They ran faster than L.A. and were able to hold on to win by one basket, 108-106. Russell won his 11th championship in what turned out to be his last game. He also got 21 rebounds.
Sacramento Kings vs. Detroit Pistons
Date: Nov. 15, 2013
Attendance: 17,317
Stadium: Sleep Train Arena
Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe, Josh Smith, Brandon Jennings, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are the starters for the Pistons.
DeMarcus Cousins, John Salmons, Ben McLemore, Greivis Vasquez, and Jason Thompson started for the Kings.
Not the players, but the fans made history this night. Between the third and fourth quarters, the Kings fans set a new world record for the loudest crowd roar at an indoor sports stadium. They reached 126.0 dB. It's still the highest score ever set in an NBA arena.
Denver Nuggets vs. Phoenix Suns
11 October, 2008
Attendance: 16,236
Stadium: Indian Wells Tennis Garden
J.R. Smith, Kenyon Martin, Nene, Dahntay Jones, and Anthony Carter are the starters for the Nuggets.
Steve Nash, Shaquille O'Neal, Grant Hill, Boris Diaw, and Raja Bell start for the Suns.
The fact that this game was played outside was more interesting than how many people came. When Hall of Famers Connie Hawkins (Phoenix) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Milwaukee) played at Hiram Bithorn Stadium, a baseball field in Puerto Rico, the Suns "hosted" the league's first outdoor preseason game since 1972.
This modern renewal took place at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California. However, the evening temperatures were so cold that Steve Nash said, "It felt like Edmonton, Alberta, not Palm Springs." Even though that happened, the Suns played two more preseason games outside in the years that followed.
One of those games was against rookie guard Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in 2009.
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