This Day in Sports History: February 26
On Feb. 26, there was one NBA All-Star game and it was a high-scoring contest. Some sports history, along with a few baseball stories and Daytona 500 races. Let’s take a closer look at these historical sports moments.
Air Jordan and the NBA All-Star Game
This day witnessed great moments from legends of the NBA and some defense:
- 1987: Michael Jordan’s 58 points in one game is a Chicago Bulls record.
- 1987: The Washington Bullets blocked 20 Indiana Pacers shots, tying the NBA regulation game record.
- 2012: The 61st NBA All-Star Game was played at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. The West defeated the East 152-149, and Kevin Durant, a forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder, was named MVP.
Sports History
This day has also seen some unique history from chess, cricket, and rock climbing:
- 1859: Paul Morphy’s chess match vs Augustus Mongredien begins and Morphy wins the match.
- 1887: George Lohmann took their first 8-wicket haul in test cricket, 8-35 at Sydney Cricket Ground.
- 1980: New Zealand cricket captain Geoff Howarth 147 and Richard Hadlee 103 hold off West Indies pace quartet of Roberts, Garner, Holding, and Croft during a famous second test draw at Christchurch.
- 1989: The New York Yankees announce that Tom Seaver is their new television sportscaster.
- 2017: Margo Hayes becomes the first woman to climb a 9a+ (5.15a) graded route by ascending La Rambla in Siurana, Spain.
Baseball Stories
This day has seen some baseball legends’ accomplishments.
- 1935: New York Yankees release Babe Ruth and he signs with the Boston Braves.
- 1989: California court throws out most of Margo Adam’s 12 million breach-of-contract suit against Red Sox third baseman Wade Boggs.
- 1991: Bill Veeck & Tony Lazzeri are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Daytona 500
Some of the very first Daytona 500 races happened on this day:
- 1961: Third Daytona- Marvin Panch wins in a 1960 Pontiac owned by Smokey Yunick when race leader Fireball Roberts’ car suffered a blown engine with 13 laps remaining.
- 1967: Ninth Daytona- Mario Andretti wins his first and only NASCAR Grand National event. It was the only time a driver born outside the United States had ever won the Great American Race.
Looking back on Feb. 26, there were a few standout names and incredible records. A team recording 20 blocks in a single basketball game is remarkable, especially considering that most teams only manage a handful per game. Under Tom Landry, the Dallas Cowboys had 20 consecutive winning seasons and reached five Super Bowls, winning two of them. It’s hard to fathom why the Yankees would part ways with Babe Ruth, one of the greatest baseball players ever. Today, Shohei Ohtani is embodying Ruth’s legacy, shining as both a powerful hitter and a dominant pitcher.
