Yesterday I witnessed perhaps the single greatest sporting spectacle I have ever seen!
For those of you that do not follow NBA basketball, something very rare happened the other day.
Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns scored 70 points in an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics.
He accomplished something that not even the great Michael Jordan has ever done.
To put that milestone into perspective, only 5 other players have ever scored at least 70 points in a game. Devin Booker joined the likes of:
1. Wilt Chamberlain
2. David Robinson
3. David Thompson
4. Elgin Baylor
and
5. Kobe Bryant
That's it.
What makes this feat even more amazing is that Booker is just 20 years old. What makes it even more amazing is that it was on the second night of a back-to-back.
Some Stats and Milestones
Overall, Booker's stat line read: 21-40 shooting overall, 4-11 from 3-pointer's, and 24-26 from the free throw line. He scored 18 points in the first half and 52 points in the second half. He also added 8 rebounds and 6 assists in 45 minutes of action.
The full highlights can be seen here:
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Of those players listed above, Booker was by far the youngest to ever reach the 70 point mark (or even the 60 point mark) and he was the only player to do it while also adding 6 assists. He was also the only one to do it on a back-to-back.
Booker's 70 points marked the highest points scored in a game since 2006 when Kobe Bryant scored 81.
The Boston Fans booed their own team!
What made this so amazing to watch was that the game was played on the road in Boston, and the Boston fans began to cheer for him late in the 4th quarter to score more points. Boston likely had the victory in hand so they began to root for Booker's individual scoring performance. They even booed a couple of their own players when they blocked Booker's shot. It really was a rare sight.
The 70 points was the most points ever scored in Boston or against Boston. The previous high was in 1959 when Elgin Baylor scored 64 points against the Celtics.
The greatest sports moments I have ever witnessed
In all my years of watching sports, there are a couple events that really stick out in my mind. Things that have been burned into my brain as events that were so extraordinary that I know I will be remembering them for the rest of my days.
In my mind watching Tiger woods chip in on hole 16 at the masters where his ball hung on the edge for a couple seconds before ultimately falling in was one of the single greatest sights I have ever witnessed.
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(I still get goosebumps watching this clip)
That, or watching Tiger Woods win the 2008 US Open with a broken leg. Or, watching Tiger win the 2000 US Open by 15 shots. Or even watching Kobe Bryant score 81 points in a game 11 years ago.
Those events seem to transcend time and were all up there with the greatest sporting accomplishments I have ever seen and things I will never forget. Now, watching Devin Booker score 70 points against Boston gets added to that list.
What are some of the greatest moments in sports you have ever seen? Let me know in the comments section below.
Live well my friends!
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Follow me: @jrcornel
To put this in perspective, Booker also scored 70 points COMBINED in his last 10 games at Kentucky.
Yep! Also I don't belive he ever scored more than 30 in a game in college, or possibly even 20?! Also also he wasn't even a starter in college... :)
Greatest moment I have personallywitnessed... my parents used to live in the Phoenix area and were big golf nuts. I was out there visiting in March of 2001, and of course we headed off to an LPGA event going on that weekend.
As it happened, I was following Swedish golfer Annika Sörenstam as she went on a spree of making birdies on 12 of the next 13, en route to the first 59 ever carded by a female pro golfer (only 3 by men, at the time) in an official event, and her birdie putt for 58 was the only chance anyone had ever had for a 58.
Wow that is amazing... I remember when she carded that 59, it was big news! That is amazing that you had the opportunity to witness it in person. Thanks for sharing such a neat experience! :)
Nice post and restem @jrcornel
Thank you!
I like it
Thank you!
Okey my frend
perfect.
@jrcornel
Thank you!
great work! :)
Thank you!
you are welcome
Beautiful post, Perfect a job
Thank you!
This is excellent when long efforts are rewarded. This is not all, there will be many more amazing.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
That kind of record is insane. I don't follow basketball, but I do wonder where his career will go from here on.
At only 20 years old, I imagine he will have a long career ahead of him! Hopefully it's with the suns :)
I love to watch good b-ball and am a GSW fan. Devon Booker has all the tools to be a wonderful player and if he stays healthy a potential hall of famer. I agree with you that his recent accomplishment was spectacular . Thanks for your post.
Hopefully next year when the suns play GSW it will be competitive. I expect the suns to be good again within the next or two... Booker will be a big part of that!