The 2022-2023 season has proven that anything is possible. It was the first time more than one player scored more than 70 points in one game. Luka Doncic became the first player to record a 60-20-10 triple double. While the talent in the NBA has certainly evolved over the years, there will always be a couple of single game records that will never be broken. Here are just three of them.
1. Cal Bowdler commits 7 personal fouls
Even if you've only watched one NBA game, you'd know that the most fouls a player can make in a single game are six. In 1999, an inattentive scorekeeper gave Cal Bowdler a chance to etch his name in the history books. It was a game between the Atlanta Hawks and Portland Trailblazers. By the end of the third quarter, it was a colossal blowout. While most people around the arena already wanted the game to be over, Hawks head coach Lenny Wilkins called a timeout with 2:16 left in the game down 29 points after Bowdler committed his 6th foul.
Again, it was a blowout, everyone's minds were already on something else. So, when the game resumed, Bowdler checked back in not realizing he was already disqualified from the game. If he didn't commit another foul less than two minutes later, he could've been the only disqualified player to ever score a point.
2. Rasual Butler commits one turnover in no minutes played.
In a game against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 12, 2012, the late Rasual Butler managed to pull off something that nobody else has ever done and probably never will.
It was the 4th quarter with 4.2 seconds left and the Raptors were down by one. Instead of going for the usual five players who played most of the entire 4th quarter, Dwane Casey chose to get creative. He wanted a reliable veteran to inbound the ball and chose Butler who was the third oldest player on the team.
However, Butler never took off his warmer up until that point. As he prepared to make the inbound pass, Butler couldn't find anyone open and was called for a five-second violation. Since the game clock never moved and he got subbed immediately after, Butler's box score that day was 00:00 minutes played with one turnover.
3. Cj Watson's 6×1 against his former team
In his prime, CJ Watson was one of the most serviceable backup point guards in the league. But on April 4th, 2013, as a member of the Nets, Watson didn't know what he really wanted to do. Maybe he was feeling the pressure since it was against his former team, the Chicago Bulls.
So, he just decided to do a little bit of everything in his eight minutes of action. Watson finished the game with one point, one assist, one rebound, one turnover, one steal, and one block. To make it sound even more insane, Watson also wore number one.
It goes to show that you don't have to be legendary to etch your name in NBA history. Sometimes all you need is a bit of luck. Or perhaps a technicality for it to happen.
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