June 22, 1991 – Eric Lindros was selected first overall by the Quebec Nordiques in 1991 NHL Entry Draft

Eric Lindros had signaled in advance that he would never play for the Nordiques, citing distance, lack of marketing potential, and having to speak French; the team selected him anyway. The Nordiques president publicly announced that they would make Lindros the centrepiece of their franchise turnaround, and refused to trade Lindros, saying that he would not have a career in the NHL as long as he held out. Because of Lindros’ popularity and hype, it is alleged that the NHL President intervened to get the Nordiques to trade him, as it would otherwise damage the image of the league. While he awaited a trade, Lindros spent the time playing with the Oshawa Generals and also participated in the 1992 Winter Olympics, winning a Silver Medal with Team Canada.

In 1992, the Nordiques worked out trades for him with both the New York Rangers, and Philadelphia Flyers. Eventually an arbitrator, Larry Bertuzzi (granduncle of Todd Bertuzzi), ruled in favour of the Flyers, for whom Lindros played from 1992 to 2000, most of the time as the team’s captain.

June 12, 1991 – The Chicago Bulls won their first NBA championship

This Finals was Michael Jordan‘s first NBA Finals appearance, Magic Johnson‘s last one, and the last NBA Finals trip of the Los Angeles Lakers until 2000. The Chicago Bulls would win the series 4-1. Jordan averaged 31.2 points on 56% shooting, 11.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks en route to his first NBA Finals MVP Award.

This series would mark the end of the Lakers Showtime era and the beginning of the Bulls’ dynasty. After winning five championships in eight finals appearances in the 1980s, the Lakers would struggle for the rest of the 1990s before returning to glory again in the late 90’s and 2000s (decade) with four championships beginning the 1999-2000 season, as well as a title in 2009-10, ending the 2000s decade. The Lakers were be led by Johnson, already into his thirties and fellow All-Star James Worthy; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had retired two seasons earlier. As for the Bulls, led by MVP Michael Jordan and superstar Scottie Pippen, they would win five more championships in a seven year span cementing their status as a dynasty before struggling badly in a post-MJ era that saw them take several years to even become average.

As of 2012, the Bulls were the last team to win an NBA championship despite fielding a full roster lacking in championship or Finals experience. None of the Bulls players had logged even a minute of NBA Finals experience prior to this.

Apr. 15, 1991 – Magic Johnson sets NBA record for career assists with 9,898

Fellow Lakers guard Michael Cooper said, “There have been times when [Johnson] has thrown passes and I wasn’t sure where he was going. Then one of our guys catches the ball and scores, and I run back up the floor convinced that he must’ve thrown it through somebody.”

In 905 NBA games, Magic Johnson tallied 17,707 points, 6,559 rebounds, and 10,141 assists, translating to career averages of 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 11.2 assists per game, the highest assists per game average in NBA history (second highest is John Stockton with a career average of 10.5 assists per game). Johnson shares the single-game playoff record for assists (24), holds the Finals record for assists in a game (21), and has the most playoff assists (2,346). He holds the All-Star Game single-game record for assists (22), and the All-Star Game record for career assists (127). Johnson introduced a fast-paced style of basketball called “Showtime”, described as a mix of “no-look passes off the fastbreak, pin-point alley-oops from halfcourt, spinning feeds and overhand bullets under the basket through triple teams.”

Johnson was exceptional because he played point guard despite being 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), a size reserved normally for frontcourt players. He combined the size of a power forward, the one-on-one skills of a swingman, and the ball handling talent of a guard, making him one of the most dangerous triple-double threats of all time; his 138 triple-double games are second only to Oscar Robertson‘s 181.

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Photo: John W. McDonough/SI, Text: Colin Becht

Magic Johnson works against Michael Jordan during Game 5 of the 1991 NBA Finals. Jordan dropped 30 points and dished out 10 assists to secure his first NBA title.

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1991 NBA Finals, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan jostle for rebound position as the ball hangs on the rim.

Slam Dunk Saturdays.

Seattle forward Shawn Kemp attempts a dunk during the 1991 Slam Dunk Contest in Charlotte, NC. Kemp would finish second to Celtics guard Dee Brown. (Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images)