July 21, 1984: The U.S. men's Olympic basketball team faces off against a collection of NBA players during an exhibition game in Phoenix. Michael Jordan scored 27 PTS for the United States in an 84-72 win over the NBA team. Walter Davis of the Suns led the NBA squad with 14 PTS.

July 20, 1986: Kenny Smith (University of North Carolina) scores 23 PTS in the United States' 87-85 win over the USSR at the FIBA World Basketball Championship in Madrid. David Robinson (Navy) scored 20 PTS and Muggsy Bogues (Wake Forest) added 5 AST/5 STL for the United States.

July 20, 1986: Arvydas Sabonis with a putback dunk over David Robinson during the gold medal game at the World Basketball Championship. Sabonis—selected by Portland in the first round of the NBA Draft a month earlier—had 16 PTS/11 REB for the USSR. The United States won, 87-85.

July 19, 1993: "(Chicago) Bulls are on their way to a four-peat" after signing Toni Kukoč of Croatia, whom they'd drafted with the 29th overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft. 📺 WESH

July 19, 1996: The "Dream Team" at the Atlanta Olympics' opening ceremonies. Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Gary Payton, Mitch Richmond, Penny Hardaway, Reggie Miller, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O'Neal, Grant Hill, John Stockton and Lenny Wilkens.

July 18, 2001: Patrick Ewing signs a two-year contract with the Orlando Magic.

July 17, 2003.

July 17, 1986: A pair of fast break dunks from USA's Kenny Smith (assisted by David Robinson and Muggsy Bogues) during the first half of a 96-80 win over Brazil in the semifinal round of the men's World Basketball Championship. Smith scored 15 PTS and Robinson had 17 PTS/7 REB.

July 15, 1986: WABC-TV reports on the possibility of Julius Erving signing a 2-year, $4 million contract with the Utah Jazz:

July 14, 1996: The U.S. men's Olympic basketball team defeats Greece, 128-62, during an exhibition game in Indianapolis. Reggie Miller had 21 PTS/3 STL for the "Dream Team," which started the game with a 20-3 lead. Karl Malone scored 19 PTS and Grant Hill added 15 PTS.

July 13, 1986: Arvydas Sabonis runs the floor for a slam during the Soviet Union's 105-93 win over Greece in the semifinal round of the FIBA World Championship. Sabonis, who'd recently been selected as the 24th pick in the 1986 NBA Draft (Portland Trail Blazers), scored 17 PTS.

July 13, 1979: Isiah Thomas (age 18) finishes with 21 PTS/5 STL as the United States wins the gold medal at the Pan American Games with a 113-94 victory over Puerto Rico in San Juan.

July 12, 1984: Michael Jordan scores 25 PTS to lead the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team to a 96-85 win over a team of NBA players during an exhibition game in Greensboro, North Carolina.

July 11, 2000: Tim Duncan announces that he will re-sign with the San Antonio Spurs—passing on a 6-year, $67.5 million contract that was reportedly offered by the Orlando Magic. 📺 WZZM

July 10, 1996: Charles Barkley competes in his final game at America West Arena as a member of the Phoenix Suns. Barkley—who scored 11 PTS in the U.S. Olympic team's 119-58 exhibition win over China—would be traded to the Houston Rockets on August 19, ending his four-year stint with the Suns.

July 10, 1989: The Chicago Bulls name assistant coach Phil Jackson as head coach, replacing Doug Collins (who was fired five days earlier). Jackson—once a head coach in the Continental Basketball Association—became the third head coach hired by owner Jerry Reinsdorf since 1985.

July 10, 1996: Grant Hill finishes the break with a reverse dunk (off the assist from Anfernee Hardaway) during an exhibition game between the USA and China in Phoenix. "Dream Team III" shot 69%, had 24 dunks and scored 44 PTS off turnovers in a 119-58 win. Hill scored 14 PTS.

July 9, 1984. 📸 Sports Illustrated

July 9, 1984: Michael Jordan of the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team dunks on Robert Reid during an exhibition game against a team of NBA players in front of a crowd of 67,596 at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis. Chris Mullin scored 18 PTS in the U.S. Olympians' 97-82 victory.

July 9, 1996: The NBA imposes a lockout after contract talks between the league and the players' union broke down due to a disagreement over roughly $50M in profit sharing from NBA TV contracts. The lockout was lifted less than three hours later. 📺 WNBC

Also in this game: a pair of Michael Jordan slam dunks. July 8, 1984 📺 NBC SportsWorld

July 8, 2003: Cleveland rookie LeBron James makes his NBA Summer League debut at Orlando, finishing with 14 PTS/7 REB/6 AST in a 107-80 win over the Magic in front of 15,123 at TD Waterhouse Centre. James played 23 minutes in the 40 minute game, shooting 5-11 FG (0-3 3P)/4-4 FT.

July 8, 1984: Alvin Robertson "comes out of the roof" for a putback dunk over Bill Walton during an exhibition game between the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team and a team of NBA players at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. The U.S. Olympians defeated the NBA squad, 92-79.

July 7, 1996: A pair of Anfernee Hardaway assists to Grant Hill for and-1 baskets during the second half of the United States' 109-68 win over Brazil in a pre-Olympics exhibition game at Cleveland's Gund Arena. Mitch Richmond led "Dream Team III" with 21 PTS in 22 minutes.

July 6, 1993: Nets general manager Willis Reed poses for photos with New Jersey's most recent NBA draft picks—first rounder Rex Walters (16th overall, University of Kansas) and second round pick John Best (36th overall, Tennessee Tech). 📺 WABC-TV

July 6, 1996: The U.S. men's Olympic basketball team erases a 17-point halftime deficit against a USA Select Team during an exhibition game at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Scottie Pippen scored 17 PTS and Hakeem Olajuwon added 16 PTS in the debut of "Dream Team III," a 96-90 win.

July 5, 1986: Kenny Smith (University of North Carolina) with a breakaway reverse dunk off the lead pass from Steve Kerr (University of Arizona) during the United States' 99-63 preliminary round victory over Ivory Coast at the Goodwill Games in Malaga, Spain.

July 5, 1992: A handful of Michael Jordan highlights from the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team's 127-80 win over Venezuela in the final game of the Tournament of the Americas. The "Dream Team" finished 6-0 in the tournament, winning each game by an average of 51.5 points.

July 2, 1997: Patrick Ewing signs a 4-year contract with the New York Knicks believed to be worth $65 million, making him the NBA's second-highest paid center (behind Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers). 📺 WNYW

July 1, 1992: Michael Jordan drives and dunks during the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team's 128-87 win over Argentina in the Tournament of the Americas (held in Portland). The victory—the 4th win in 4 days for the "Dream Team"—qualified the USA for the Olympics in Barcelona.