A portrait of Wayne Gretzky #99 of the Edmonton Oilers sitting on the bench during the National Hockey League Smythe Division in the Campbell Conference game against the Los Angeles Kings on 4 April1987 at the Great Western Forum, Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by Mike Powell/Allsport/Getty Images)
Sports in February are all about the Super Bowl in football, the NBA All-Star Game, various winter sports, the Winter Olympics, and a few stories from legends of the game. The Super Bowl has only fallen on this day once and that was last year's Chiefs win over the 49ers. Several All-Star Games have taken place on Feb. 11th, with Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson winning All-Star Game MVPs. Some iconic baseball offseason signings, along with a few legendary fights. Let's take a closer look at these and other moments
The Stars of the NBA and The Super Bowl
Feb. 11th has witnessed great moments from legends of both the NBA and the NFL:
· 1952: The second-ever NBA All-Star Game took place at the Boston Garden, where the East defeated the West 108-91. The MVP was Paul Arizin, a power forward for the Philadelphia Warriors.
· 1990: The 40th NBA All-Star Game happened at Miami Arena in Miami, Florida, where the East defeated the West 130-113. The MVP was Magic Johnson, a legend of the Los Angeles Lakers.
· 1996: The 46th NBA All-Star Game took place at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The East defeated the West 129-118, and the MVP was none other than the GOAT himself, Michael Jordan.
· 2001: The 50th NBA All-Star Game was at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C., where the East defeated the West 111-110. The MVP was Allen Iverson, one of the league's top ten scorers in points per game.
· 2024: The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, 25-22, in overtime. It was the Chiefs' second straight Super Bowl win and their third in five years, resulting in Patrick Mahomes being named Super Bowl MVP as he was one of the main reasons the Chiefs won the game.
Unforgettable Games & Remarkable Records
Feb. 11th has also seen some great fights and remarkable individual achievements.
· 1927: Nathaniel Niles wins the U.S. Men's Figure Skating Championship.
· 1938: Steve Casey defeats Lou Thesz in Boston to win the American Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Championship.
· 1966: San Francisco Giants legend Willie Mays signs the highest contract at $130,000 per year.
· 1973: Shane Gould swims the first sub-17-minute 1,500-meter freestyle.
· 1978: Denis Potvin records the 25th hat trick in New York Islanders history.
· 1984: Wayne Gretzky sets the NHL short-handed season scoring record with 11 goals.
· 1990: James Douglas knocks out the great Mike Tyson in the 10th round in Tokyo, Japan, to win the World Heavyweight boxing title.
· 2021: Caitlin Clark scores a season-high 39 points for Iowa and breaks the single-game scoring record for Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Looking back on these Feb. 11th statistics, it's amazing to see how many big names had an elite day. Some of those names, like Mahomes and Clark, are still very much the best in their respective sports. Also, comparing the NBA All-Star Games from then to now is like night and day. Back then, the games were probably played with more intensity, whereas now the Skills Competition is often more watchable than the All-Star Game itself, as players don't play defense and act more like the Harlem Globetrotters.
Finally, on a day when many legends had great performances, Mike Tyson experienced one of his six all-time losses. Iron Mike finished his career with a 50-6 record and truly embodied the "Rocky" mentality: "It's not about how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done."
