From its early days as a physical, plodding game with franchises parked in outpost towns like Fort Wayne, Moline, and Rochester, to today’s international showcase sport, professional basketball has evolved dramatically over the decades. But the development of the National Basketball Association and its star players was not preordained. There were moments, both obvious and subtle, that steered the direction of the sport, whether it was Bill Russell’s swan song, a near-miss on Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant’s All-Star debut at nineteen, a LeBron James legacy game or a deep 3-point-shot by Steph Curry, these moments gradually brought us the NBA we know today–a scrappy league that was jump-started by a 24-second timer and will be defined by the 30,000 3-pointers its players knock down per season. Veteran NBA reporter and editor Sean Deveney will explore the unique characters and backstories of 12 crucial games in the history of the NBA, while putting them into the context of their influence on the direction of the league.