This Day in Sports History: January 29
Sports in January include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL playoffs, college bowl games, some college basketball tournaments, the Australian Open for tennis, UFC Fight Nights, Formula E, and PGA…
Sports in January include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL playoffs, college bowl games, some college basketball tournaments, the Australian Open for tennis, UFC Fight Nights, Formula E, and PGA Tour events. Over the years, Jan. 29 has witnessed many notable moments and stories involving sporting legends. Here are some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history from Jan. 29 included:
- 1936: Baseball icons Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson became the first inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- 1940: Tennis player Adrian Quist won his second Australian title.
- 1952: George Mikan scored a career-high 61 points in a game for the Lakers.
- 1963: Jim Thorpe, Red Grange, & George Halas got into the football Hall of Fame.
- 1980: In a marathon game spanning four overtimes, the Cleveland Cavaliers clinched a thrilling 154-153 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
- 1984: At the NBA All-Star Game in Denver, All-Star Saturday events like the Slam Dunk Contest and Legends Classic debuted. Isiah Thomas earned MVP honors for his role in the East's overtime win over the West, 154–145.
- 1985: Edmonton Oilers star Jari Kurri reached his 100th point for the season in just his 39th game, solidifying his dominance in hockey during that era.
- 1989: The game-winning RBI statistic was officially retired after nine years due to its subjective nature. Keith Hernandez remains its all-time leader with 129 game-winning RBIs.
- 1994: Boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez got his first loss in 91 fights.
- 1995: The 49ers defeated the San Diego Chargers 49–26 in Super Bowl XXIX, with quarterback Steve Young throwing six touchdown passes.
- 2000: NBA legend Karl Malone became the third player in league history to surpass 30,000 career points while playing for the Utah Jazz. Despite his milestone, the Jazz narrowly lost to the Timberwolves, 96-94.
- 2006: Teemu Selanne got his 1,000th career point.
- 2012: Shaun White achieved a historic perfect score of 100 in the SuperPipe event at the Winter X Games, redefining the limits of snowboarding. This was the first time a competitor received a perfect score.
- 2018: David Beckham got approval for Inter Miami CF as an MLS expansion team, which further boosted soccer's growth in the United States while highlighting his influence on the sport's evolution.
- 2019: Following a chaotic post-fight brawl at UFC 229 between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor's camps, both fighters received fines and suspensions—one of MMA's most controversial moments. Nurmagomedov received a retroactive nine-month suspension and a $500,000 fine. McGregor received a six-month suspension and a $50,000 fine.
Three athletes who stood out on Jan. 29 were Julio Cesar Chavez, Karl Malone, and Shaun White.
Chavez is widely considered one of the greatest of all time, known for his incredible career spanning 1980-2005, winning six world titles in three weight classes. Malone is nicknamed "The Mailman" for his consistent scoring, a two-time MVP, 14-time All-Star, and a legendary scorer for the Utah Jazz alongside John Stockton. White is known for his three Olympic gold medals (2006, 2010, 2018) in halfpipe snowboarding, his iconic nickname "The Flying Tomato," and record-breaking X Games success.
