Sports in June include the Stanley Cup Finals, NBA Finals, the middle of the MLB season, NBA Draft, US Open, Wimbledon, Belmont Stakes, and some Grand Prix events. Over the years, June 6 has witnessed many notable moments and stories involving sporting legends. Here are some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history from June 6 included:
1885: Patsy Duffy won the Belmont Stakes with a time of 2:43.00, riding the horse Tyrant.1896: Henry Griffin won the Preakness Stakes on the horse Byron McClelland with a time of 1:51.1901: James Braid won the British Open in golf. It was the first of five Open titles for Braid.1924: Cyril Walker won the U.S. Open in golf. It was his only major title.1925: Rene Lacoste won the French Open in tennis, the first of three French titles.1925: Suzanne Lenglen won the women’s French Open for tennis. It was the first time that a French event was considered a Grand Slam event.1932: Helen Wills won the women’s French Open for tennis.1932: Henri Cochet won the French Open for tennis. It was his seventh and final Grand Slam singles title.1936: Tony Manero won the U.S. Open for golf.1942: Eddie Arcaro won the Belmont Stakes riding the horse Shut Out, with a time of 2:29.2.1946: The NBA was founded.1971: Willie Mays hit the 22nd extra-inning home run of his career, setting an MLB record.1976: The Boston Celtics beat the Phoenix Suns four games to two to win the NBA Championship.1981: Teenager Hana Mandlíková won the women’s French Open for tennis.1983: The Boston Red Sox selected future Hall of Fame pitcher Roger Clemens with the 19th overall pick in the MLB Draft. 1990: Cecil Fielder hit three home runs in a game for the second time in the season.1992: Eddie Murray recorded his 1,510th run batted in, passing Mickey Mantle for first on the all-time run batted in list among switch hitters.1993: Sergi Bruguera beat Jim Courier in the French Open for tennis, preventing Courier from three-peating.1999: Juli Inkster won the U.S. Open for women’s golf and broke the under-par scoring record.1999: Andre Agassi defeated Andrei Medvedev in five sets at the French Open. With the victory, Agassi became only the fifth man in tennis history to complete the career Grand Slam. 2001: In one of the most thrilling Game 1 matchups in NBA Finals history, the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 107-101 in overtime. Allen Iverson (48 points) and Shaquille O’Neal (44 points) both exploded for 40-plus points, marking only the second time two opposing players hit that milestone in the same Finals game. 2010: Rafael Nadal won his fifth French Open title in tennis.2007: The Anaheim Ducks beat the Ottawa Senators four games to one to win their first-ever Stanley Cup Final.2015: Serena Williams won her third French Open title in tennis and her 20th Grand Slam singles event.2018: LeBron James set the mark for most 30-point games in NBA playoff history.
The three athletes who stood out on June 6 were Henri Cochet, Eddie Murray, and Allen Iverson.
Cochet was a legendary French tennis player and one of the “Four Musketeers” who dominated world tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Murray is one of only five players in MLB history to achieve both 3,000 career hits and 500 home runs. Iverson is famous for being one of the most dynamic, fearless, and influential guards in NBA history.