100 & 50-Years of Men's & Women's U. S. Hoops Honored Back-2-Back

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100 & 50-Years of Men's & Women's U.S. Hoops Honored Back-2-Back

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July 12, 2011- For the Summer month's of June and July of 2011 the back-to-back honors for men's and women's basketball have both reached historical milestones. The 100-years combined Anniversaries for men's professional basketball, and 50-years combined Anniversaries for women's professional and amateur basketball are once-in-a-lifetime hoop celebrations.    

The NBHHCM (National Basketball & Hip-Hop Culture Month) Foundation honored men's professional basketball in the U.S. this past June as the NBA celebrated its 65th Anniversary (6/6/46 to 6/6/11) of being founded.

The NBA was founded as the BAA (Basketball Association of America) in New York City on June 6, 1946 as an 11-team league.

The 35th Anniversary (6/17/76 to 6/17/11) of the NBA/ABA Merger that was announced to the public on June 17, 1976 was also celebrated. The merger grew the NBA from 18-22 franchises. The 23rd NBA franchise is the 2011 NBA World Champion Dallas Mavericks that joined the league in 1980.

The ABA was founded in 1967 as an 11-team league just as the NBA in 1946.

The 100-years of combined Anniversary celebrations were surrounded by a very intense and memorable NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat.

Both historical events the NBA at 65 and the NBA/ABA Merger at 35 occurred 11-days a part during NBHHCM 2K11. Since 2009 June has been observed and proclaimed as NBHHCM.

This July the women's game has 50-years of combined Anniversary celebrations the 35th Anniversary of the first-ever USA Olympic Women's Basketball Team that won the silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada.  

The WNBA is celebrating its 15th Anniversary season. The WNBA began as 8-team league in 1997. The Houston Comets the 4-time WNBA Champions led by star players Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson won the first 4 WNBA titles. The team folded in 2008. 

The WNBA currently has 12 franchises.

July 19-26 is the most historical milestone run in women's U.S. basketball history.

July 19, 1976 the Olympic Women's Basketball Team made their 1976 Summer Olympic debut with a loss to Japan 84-71. The next day on July, 20th Team USA defeated Bulgaria 95-79 to win their first Olympic game.

July 22, 1976 Team USA defeated Canada 89-75 for their second Olympic Games basketball win. July 23rd Team USA was beaten by 35-points by the Soviet Union 112-77. July 23, 2011 will also be the Annual WNBA All-Star Game that will be played in San Antonio.

July 26, 1976 Team USA defeated Czechoslovakia 83-67 to secure the silver medal. Team USA and Bulgaria were tied 3-2 records. The U.S. was awarded the silver medal because they had the tied record advantage with an earlier win in the tournament 95-79.