This basketball timeline will always be a work in progress. I have started by entering the NBA and ABA Most Valuable Players, as well as the NBA and ABA Champions for each year. I will continue to add basketball events from the past as well as important events as they happen.
Basketball Time Line: 1890’s
1891
December 1891 – Dr. James Naismith invented basket ball (then two words)
December 21, 1891 – the first basketball game was played in Springfield, Massachusetts
1892
1893
1894
1895
1896
1897
1898
1899
Basketball Time Line: 1900’s
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
Basketball Time Line: 1910’s
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919
Basketball Time Line: 1920’s
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
Basketball Time Line: 1930’s
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
August 7, 1936 – The first basketball game as an official Olympic medal sport is played.
1937
1938
1939
Basketball Time Line: 1940’s
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1944 – Goaltending was instituted as a rule to prevent big men such as Bob Kurland and George Mikan from standing near the basket and swatting away opponents shots.
1945
1946
1947
BAA Champion – Philadelphia Warriors
1948
BAA Champion – Baltimore Bullets
1949
BAA Champion – Minneapolis Lakers
Basketball Time Line: 1950’s
1950
April 25, 1950 – Chuck Cooper became the first African-American player to be selected in the NBA Draft.
October 31, 1950 – Earl Lloyd became the first African-American player to play in the NBA.
NBA Champion – Minneapolis Lakers
1951
NBA Champion – Rochester Royals
1952
NBA Champion – Minneapolis Lakers
1953
NBA Champion – Minneapolis Lakers
1954
NBA Champion – Minneapolis Lakers
1955
NBA Champion – Syracuse Nationals
1956
NBA Most Valuable Player – Bob Pettit
NBA Champion – Philadelphia Warriors
1957
NBA Most Valuable Player – Bob Cousy
NBA Champion – Boston Celtics
1958
NBA Most Valuable Player – Bill Russell
NBA Champion – St. Louis Hawks
1959
NBA Most Valuable Player – Bob Pettit
NBA Champion – Boston Celtics
Basketball Time Line: 1960’s
1960
NBA Most Valuable Player – Wilt Chamberlain
NBA Champion – Boston Celtics
1961
NBA Most Valuable Player – Bill Russell
NBA Champion – Boston Celtics
1962
March 2, 1962 – Wilt Chamberlain set an NBA record by scoring 100 points in a single game
NBA Most Valuable Player – Bill Russell
NBA Champion – Boston Celtics
1963
NBA Most Valuable Player – Bill Russell
NBA Champion – Boston Celtics
1964
NBA Most Valuable Player – Oscar Robertson
NBA Champion – Boston Celtics
1965
NBA Most Valuable Player – Bill Russell
NBA Champion – Boston Celtics
1966
March 19, 1966 – Texas Western became the first team with an all-black starting five to win the NCAA basketball tournament. They defeated Kentucky in a game immortalized by the film Glory Road.
NBA Most Valuable Player – Wilt Chamberlain
NBA Champion – Boston Celtics
1967
NBA Most Valuable Player – Wilt Chamberlain
NBA Champion – Philadelphia 76ers
1968
ABA Most Valuable Player – Connie Hawkins
ABA Champion – Pittsburgh Pipers
NBA Most Valuable Player – Wilt Chamberlain
NBA Champion – Boston Celtics
1969
ABA Most Valuable Player – Mel Daniels
ABA Champion – Oakland Oaks
NBA Most Valuable Player – Wes Unseld
NBA Champion – Boston Celtics
Basketball Time Line: 1970’s
1970
ABA Most Valuable Player – Spencer Haywood
ABA Champion – Indiana Pacers
NBA Most Valuable Player – Willis Reed
NBA Champion – New York Knicks
1971
ABA Most Valuable Player – Mel Daniels
ABA Champion – Utah Stars
NBA Most Valuable Player – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
NBA Champion – Milwaukee Bucks
1972
September 10, 1972 – The United States suffered a controversial, last second loss to the Soviet Union in the Olympic games. It was the first loss ever in the Olympics for the US men’s basketball team.
ABA Most Valuable Player – Artis Gilmore
ABA Champion – Indiana Pacers
NBA Most Valuable Player – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
NBA Champion – Los Angeles Lakers
1973
ABA Most Valuable Player – Billy Cunningham
ABA Champion – Indiana Pacers
NBA Most Valuable Player – Dave Cowens
NBA Champion – New York Knicks
1974
ABA Most Valuable Player – Julius Erving
ABA Champion – New York Nets
NBA Most Valuable Player – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
NBA Champion – Boston Celtics
1975
ABA Most Valuable Player – George McGinnis and Julius Erving (tie)
ABA Champion – Kentucky Colonels
NBA Most Valuable Player – Bob McAdoo
NBA Champion – Golden State Warriors
1976
ABA Most Valuable Player – Julius Erving
ABA Champion – New York Nets
NBA Most Valuable Player – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
NBA Champion – Boston Celtics
1977
NBA Most Valuable Player – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
NBA Champion – Portland Trail Blazers
1978
NBA Most Valuable Player – Bill Walton
NBA Champion – Washington Bullets
1979
NBA Most Valuable Player – Moses Malone
NBA Champion – Seattle SuperSonics
Basketball Time Line: 1980’s
1980
NBA Most Valuable Player – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
NBA Champion – Los Angeles Lakers
1981
NBA Most Valuable Player – Julius Erving
NBA Champion – Boston Celtics
1982
NBA Most Valuable Player – Moses Malone
NBA Champion – Los Angeles Lakers
1983
NBA Most Valuable Player – Moses Malone
NBA Champion – Philadelphia 76ers
1984
NBA Most Valuable Player – Larry Bird
NBA Champion – Boston Celtics
1985
NBA Most Valuable Player – Larry Bird
NBA Champion – Los Angeles Lakers
1986
NBA Most Valuable Player – Larry Bird
NBA Champion – Boston Celtics
1987
NBA Most Valuable Player – Magic Johnson
NBA Champion – Los Angeles Lakers
1988
NBA Most Valuable Player – Michael Jordan
NBA Champion – Los Angeles Lakers
1989
NBA Most Valuable Player – Magic Johnson
NBA Champion – Detroit Pistons
Basketball Time Line: 1990’s
1990
NBA Most Valuable Player – Magic Johnson
NBA Champion – Detroit Pistons
1991
NBA Most Valuable Player – Michael Jordan
NBA Champion – Chicago Bulls
1992
NBA Most Valuable Player – Michael Jordan
NBA Champion – Chicago Bulls
1993
NBA Most Valuable Player – Charles Barkley
NBA Champion – Chicago Bulls
1994
NBA Most Valuable Player – Hakeem Olajuwon
NBA Champion – Houston Rockets
1995
NBA Most Valuable Player – David Robinson
NBA Champion – Houston Rockets
1996
NBA Most Valuable Player – Michael Jordan
NBA Champion – Chicago Bulls
1997
October 31, 1997 – Violet Palmer became the first female referee to officiate an NBA game.
NBA Most Valuable Player – Karl Malone
NBA Champion – Chicago Bulls
1998
NBA Most Valuable Player – Michael Jordan
NBA Champion – Chicago Bulls
1999
NBA Most Valuable Player – Karl Malone
NBA Champion – San Antonio Spurs
Basketball Time Line: 2000’s
2000
NBA Most Valuable Player – Shaquille O’Neal
NBA Champion – Los Angeles Lakers
2001
NBA Most Valuable Player – Allen Iverson
NBA Champion – Los Angeles Lakers
2002
NBA Most Valuable Player – Tim Duncan
NBA Champion – Los Angeles Lakers
2003
NBA Most Valuable Player – Tim Duncan
NBA Champion – San Antonio Spurs
2004
NBA Most Valuable Player – Kevin Garnett
NBA Champion – Detroit Pistons
2005
NBA Most Valuable Player – Steve Nash
NBA Champion – San Antonio Spurs
2006
January 22, 2006 – Kobe Bryant scores 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second most in NBA history to this point.
NBA Most Valuable Player – Steve Nash
NBA Champion – Miami Heat
2007
NBA Most Valuable Player – Dirk Nowitzki
NBA Champion – San Antonio Spurs
2008
NBA Most Valuable Player – Kobe Bryant
NBA Champion – Boston Celtics
2009
NBA Most Valuable Player – LeBron James
NBA Champion – Los Angeles Lakers
Basketball Time Line: 2010’s
2010
July 8, 2010 – LeBron James and ESPN broadcast “The Decision” in which LeBron announces that he is leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers and taking his talents to South Beach to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
NBA Most Valuable Player – LeBron James
NBA Champion – Los Angeles Lakers
2011
NBA Most Valuable Player – Derrick Rose
NBA Champion – Dallas Mavericks
2012
NBA Most Valuable Player – LeBron James
NBA Champion – Miami Heat
2013
NBA Most Valuable Player – LeBron James
NBA Champion – Miami Heat
2014
NBA Most Valuable Player – Kevin Durant
NBA Champion – San Antonio Spurs
2015
NBA Most Valuable Player – Stephen Curry
NBA Champion – Golden State Warriors
2016
April 13, 2016 – Kobe Bryant’s last NBA game. He scored 60 points and logged 2.65 miles during the game.
NBA Most Valuable Player – Stephen Curry
NBA Champion – Cleveland Cavaliers
2017
NBA Champion
NBA Most Valuable Player – Russell Westbrook
NBA Champion – Golden State Warriors
2018
NBA Most Valuable Player – James Harden
NBA Champion – Golden State Warriors
2019
NBA Most Valuable Player – Giannis Antetokounmpo
NBA Champion – Toronto Raptors
Basketball Timeline 2020’s
2020
January 1, 2020 – Former NBA Commissioner David Stern passed away.
January 26, 2020 – Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others lost their lives in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
March 11, 2020 – The NBA suspended its season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
October 11, 2020 – After completing the NBA playoffs in a “bubble” due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Los Angeles Lakers won their 17th NBA Championship. Led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers tied the Boston Celtics for the most championships in NBA history.