Seeing this article about the new NBA record for points scored by a single team in regulation by the Nuggets made me think about a historic basketball game I saw as a kid.
It was January 29, 1980. I was 8 years old. A bunch of guys--old guys, young guys, dads, and kids--from my church in Shelby, Ohio, crowded into cars to go see the Cleveland Cavaliers face the Los Angeles Lakers at Richfield Colisseum, the home court of the Cavs back in those days.
I don't really remember much about the records of the teams going into the game, or what the playoff implications might have been. I don't think I followed records or stats at that age. But I was a Cavs fan (and a Browns fan and an Indians fan), so going to the game was a big deal.
Ironically, I don't remember too many of the Cavs players. Sure, I recognize some of the names from the roster, but I don't really remember their playing very much. Except for Bingo Smith, who was my favorite at the time. I actually remember more of the Lakers players from that era than Cavs players.
Going to an NBA game is special enough for an 8-year-old kid, but this day was really over the top. First, I got Michael Cooper's autograph before the game. Amazing.
But the magical part was that this game turned into a quadruple overtime win for the Cavs, 154-153. It was like two games in one, and the Cavs came out on top in the end. The game was special enough in Cavs history to appear as #7 on the list of all-time great Cavs moments.
I wish every kid could have a chance for an experience like that.
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