This Week in NBA History: Week of Sept. 22

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Below is a day-by-day look at landmark moments, games, performances and more from this week in NBA lore.
Sept. 24
Sept. 24, 1985
The Chinese national basketball team arrived in New York to begin a month of training and practice with NBA personnel, as part of the cultural and educational agreements between China and the United States.
Sept. 24, 1998
The NBA announced that the opening of training camps for the 1998-99 season have been postponed indefinitely because of the stalled collective bargaining negotiations with the National Basketball Players Association. Training camps were scheduled to open on October 5.
Sept. 25
Sept. 25, 2001
Michael Jordan announces that he is coming out of retirement for the second time and returning to play in the NBA with the Washington Wizards.
Sept. 25, 2015
Three-time All-Star Bill Bridges dies at the age of 76.
Sept. 26
Sept. 26, 2020
The Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals to clinch their first Finals berth in 10 years. It was also the Lakers’ 32nd Finals appearance — the most in NBA history — and the 10-year gap between Finals appearances was the longest drought in team history.
Sept. 27
Sept. 27, 2020
The Miami Heat defeat the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals to clinch a spot in The Finals. One day earlier, the Los Angeles Lakers clinched their Finals berth, making the 2020 Finals the first NBA championship series featuring two teams that missed the playoffs the previous season (2018-19).
Sept. 27, 2023
In a blockbuster move, the Portland Trail Blazers trade franchise icon Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team deal also involving the Phoenix Suns. Lillard, the Blazers’ all-time leading scorer, heads East while the Bucks send Jrue Holiday and three future Draft picks to Portland. The Blazers also get Deandre Ayton from the Suns, while Phoenix get Grayson Allen from Milwaukee and Keon Johnson, Nassir Little and Jusuf Nurkic from Portland.
Sept. 28
Sept. 28, 1983
The NBA and the Players’ Association established a landmark program in sports to battle drug abuse, providing treatment and rehabilitation that also mandated expulsion of repeat offenders and players convicted of using or selling drugs.
Sept. 28, 2002
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame formally opens its new 80,000 square-foot, $103 million building.