This Day in Sports History

April 24

1945— Albert B. “Happy” Chandler, a senator from Kentucky, is elected baseball commissioner by a unanimous vote of the club owners. Chandler is elected to a seven-year term and succeeds Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who died in November 1944.

1963— Bob Cousy ends his 13-year career by scoring 18 points, and the Boston Celtics win their fifth consecutive NBA championship by beating the Los Angeles Lakers 112109 in Game 6.

1967— The Philadelphia 76ers win the NBA championship in six games with 125-122 comeback victory over the San Francisco Warriors.

1974— Tampa, Fla., is awarded the NFL’s 27th franchise.

1993— George Branham

III becomes the first black bowler to win a PBA Triple Crown event when he defeats Parker Bohn III 227-214 in the Tournament of Champions.

1994— David Robinson scores 71 points to win the NBA scoring title, and the San Antonio Spurs end the regular season with a 112-97 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Robinson, the fourth NBA player to score more than 70 points in a game, edges Orlando’s Shaquille O’Neal for the scoring title.

1996— Petr Nedved scores on a power play with 44.6 seconds left in the fourth overtime, ending the longest NHL game in 60 years and giving the Pittsburgh Penguins a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals.

1999— Patrick Roy makes a season-high 42 saves while leading Colorado over San Jose 3-1. It’s the 100th playoff win for Roy, the most in NHL history.