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Sports in February are all about the ultimate bowl game in football, the NBA All-Star Game, various winter sports, the Winter Olympics, and a few stories from legends of the game. Two NBA All-Star Games have taken place on Feb. 19th, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis winning All-Star Game MVPs. There have also been some iconic baseball offseason signings, along with the Daytona 500. Let's take a closer look at these and other moments.
The Stars of the NBA
Feb. 19th has witnessed great moments from legends of the NBA:
- 2006: The 55th NBA All-Star Game happened at the Toyota Centre in Houston, Texas, where the East beat the West, 122-120. The MVP was Lebron James.
- 2017: The 66th NBA All-Star Game took place at the Smoothie King Centre, in New Orleans, Louisiana, where the West beat the East, 192-182. The MVP was Anthony Davis.
MLB Offseason News
In the past, this day has also seen some baseball offseason stories:
- 1970: AL Cy Young Award winner Denny McLain is suspended for bookmaking
- 1983: Fernando Valenzuela wins his salary arbitration of $1 million.
- 1987: Less than a month after re-signing, Oakland Athletics pitcher Vida Blue retires.
- 2019: Four-time MLB All-Star at third base, Manny Machado, agrees to the largest free-agent contract in American sports history: a 10-year deal worth $300 million with the San Diego Padres.
Daytona 500
This day has also seen some great races:
- 1978: The 20th Daytona 500: Bobby Allison takes the lead with 11 laps remaining. It was the lowest starting position (33rd) for a winner until 2007.
- 1984: The 26th Daytona 500: Cale Yarborough wins for the second consecutive year and fourth time in his career. He had a last-lap pass to beat Darrell Waltrip.
- 1989: The 31st Daytona 500: Darrell Waltrip wins with a bold fueling strategy. The Hendrick Racing team decided to be the only car not to pit in the closing laps to add fuel.
- 1995: The 37th Daytona 500: Sterling Marlin wins for the second straight year. He is the third driver to achieve back-to-back titles, following Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough.
- 2006: The 48th Daytona 500: Jimmie Johnson driving from Hendrick Motorsports wins a 203 lap race and goes on to win his first championship.
- 2023: The 65th Daytona 500: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wins for JTG Daugherty Racing in double overtime and under caution over a record 212 laps.
Looking back in history, some big names in sports showed up, and some of these athletes are still performing well today. It's crazy that LeBron James and Anthony Davis would eventually play together on the Los Angeles Lakers, win an NBA championship, and then Davis would be part of a shocking trade for Luka Dončić. This trade went down as one of the worst NBA trades in recent memory.
With the Denny McLain bookie news, it's amazing to see how far betting in sports has come compared to 55 years ago. As a side note, Pete Rose, the MLB all-time hits leader, should be in the Hall of Fame, because there's some betting going on with players behind the scenes anyway.
