Scott Skiles' 30-Assist Game: An NBA Record

On December thirtieth, nineteen ninety, the Orlando Magic were facing off against the Denver Nuggets, and the Orlando Magic were a new team in their second season, but a star was going to be made this game when they're six foot one inch point guard. Scott Skiles went out and put on a show, but not in scoring, but in passing the ball when he set an NBA record with an unbelievable thirty assist in a single game, showing his masterclass in court vision and basketball IQ and not caring about scoring but being a plaguemaker on the court. It cemented himself in the record book and made him beloved by Magic fans for the rest of his life. Today, we're going to dive into how Scott made it to the NBA in the game that he had that changed his career forever. Today on Daily Sports a Distance, Welcome to Daily Sports History. I'm Ethan Reese, your guide as you daily learn more about sports history, increasing your sports knowledge. As today we talk about Scott Stles the assist king, at least in this one game. And today's trivia question is who what Who was the previous record holder for the most assisted in a single game. Prior to Scott's type, prior to Scott Skiles. Now, before we get to the game, we gotta know who Scott was and how he made it all the way to the NBA. As he only grew to be six', one an average height that if you saw him walking down the, Street jesus are you may have never noticed who he. Was he's just an average looking. Guy you wouldn't think he has the skills that he. Had but he grew up In, indiana which is a basketball crazed. STATE i know BECAUSE i grew up and live In, indiana and we love our, basketball especially high school. Basketball and if you look around the country and in the entire, country the five a large which high school basketball gyms are all In indiana and in the top. Ten we love our basketball In indiana so much so that they made a movie Called, hoosiers which kind of mirrored Scott styles. Life as he grew up in Northwest indiana and went To Plymouth High, school which is a smaller, school and in his senior season he led them in scoring with twenty nine point three points a game and having multiple fifty point games that, season and he left being the all time leader in career points For. Plymouth, now the reason WHY i say he mirrored the Movie hoosiers is because they went Up Gary, roosevelt which is a much bigger school Than. Plymouth similar to the, movie it was a small school in My land taking On Muncie, central and that is exactly what, happened except in this game and at this time in nineteen eighty, two when this, Happened indiana high school basketball still class, list which means no matter the size of your, school you played against everybody for the right for one state. Championship made it a lot harder for smaller schools to, win Like mylan in the Movie, hoosiers the same As plymouth in nineteen eighty. Two he would go on to Win Mister basketball For indiana and sign With Michigan, state as not only could he, score but he could also. Assist and he Left Michigan, state which is a historically great, program the all time leader in points and assists and still holds the record for the most points scored in a single. Season but he did have his challenges as he wasn't this straight laced kid from a small. School, unfortunately he got arrested for possession of cocaine in, marijuana and he had enough that it was a felony possession of, cocaine but the chargers eventually were dropped on the cocaine and play and he pleaded guilty for possession of, marijuana which was a, misdemeanor and later he would also get arrested for drunk driving and had to spend fifteen days in. Jail in his senior, year he actually committed a parole violation and another brief instances in. Jail this made it very, hard even though he had so much success At Michigan state for him to be seen as a higher draft. Pick not only that he was also on the shorter, side but that didn't mean as much back then as point guards were smaller like Him John, Stockton Musey bows who had smaller point guards at that, time and it wasn't a big. Deal but he didn't get drafted until the twenty second round by The Milwaukee, bucks where he would spend ten, seasons making his debut On november, eleventh nineteen eighty. Six but he would struggle for early in his career to find his. Place he was, shorter he had to catch up to the game as it was a faster, speed and he only ended up playing just thirteen games at his rookie, season and then he would get traded for a second round pick to The Indiana, pacers where he was able to play a little bit, more playing fifty games averaging four points and three point five, assists and the following year he would play in eighty, games upping his point. Totaled and then in nineteen eighty, nine The Orlando magic were new franchise in THE nba and they held an expansion. Draft, now an expansion draft is for a new team IN ea team that's already in the league keeps certain players. Safe they cannot be picked in this, draft so it's usually players at the end of their bench that can be picked by this expansion. Team it allows this team to have some veterans on their team and not just start from the bottom of the barrel picking up anyone off the street to. Play it's a good system and it allows players like him who are younger and not having as much experience to really get a chance to. Play and that's exactly what. Happened. Now he started mainly as a point as a backup his first, season but he increased his point total to seven point seven points and is averaging four point eight assists in seventy. Games but the following year he transitioned to a starting, role which really jumps started his, career averaging thirty four minutes a. Game he averaged over seventeen points and eight assists a, game which was highlighted by the game he had On december, thirtieth nineteen ninety against The Denver. Nuggets in this game happened In, orlando where both The nuggets In orlando were struggling this, season As orlando were in the second season as each team had only won six games this season out of twenty nine and they were struggling to find their, way And, orlando being a young, franchise had a lot of young players looking for a chance to jump. Out And denver were led By Paul, weshead who won a championship with The La lakers In Magic johnson's first year and had just come out of college where he Led Laola mayormount to historic highs with his fast running gun, offense which meant there was a good chance this would be a high scoring. Event And orlando recognized that The nuggets weakness was their, defense as they were allowing a league worse one hundred and thirty points a, game and this looked like a chance For scott to take over the offense and use his expert passing to get his guys wide. Open so in the first, Half scott really focused on distributing the ball and helped him jump out to a thirty five to twenty three lead in the first, quarter and it was a lot of the same in the second, quarter And Scott skyles finished the first half with fourteen assists as The Orlando magic led at half seventy two to forty. Nine but when The magic were going on fast break after fast, break setting pick and, rolls moving the ball, around wearing out the defense that was already struggling of The Denver nuggets in the second, half scoring thirty eight in the third quarter and finishing the fourth quarter scoring forty, five beating The Denver nuggets one fifty five to one thirty, eight and the game ended With Scott skiles scoring twenty two. Points but that wasn't what was so, Impressive it was the thirty assist he. Had seven of his teammates scored in double, figures being led By Terry cartilage And Jerry, reynolds who each scored over twenty five points as. Well it set a record for the highest point total In magic history and put The magic on the map And Scott skiles on the upper echelon of point guards and would Lead Scott skyles to winning The Most Improved player award at the end of that. Season he would go on to play three more years with The Orlando, magic and even though he was the most improved, players he never really reached that point. Again his numbers dropped off the next few, years still being a quality, player but wasn't the Potential All star possibility that he showed that nineteen ninety. Season and it didn't help that The Orlando magic were looking at a new season as they just as they Had Penny hardway And shaquille O'Neal coming in and they were going a different direction at the point guard. Position so he moved on to The Washington bullets and then The philadelphia seventy six ers before playing a season in The Greek league for the Pa oka before retiring after ten seasons in THE nba and won in The Greek. League he would go on to become a coach of The paoka before coming over to be an assistant for The Phoenix suns for two years before getting promoted to head coach in nineteen ninety were to be a head coach there for three, years leading them to the playoffs two out of his three, years including beating the defending, champs The San Antonio spurs in two, thousand but it wasn't good, enough so he got he was fired and would eventually take a head coaching job for The Chicago bulls in two thousand and three with little, success and it would be fired in two thousand and seven and would get another job with The Milwaukee, bucks whereas team would struggle with. Injuries but he would come back to The Orlando magic in two thousand and five after being let go by The Milwaukee bucks to coach one season for the team as they, struggled and would step down from his position as he claimed he was not the right person for the. Job he struggled as a coach and he struggled as a, player but he had a lot of success in the. League was able to play ten years in THE nba and having the record for the most assists in a game all time is impressive as the record he beat Was Kevin porter set in nineteen seventy eight when he had twenty nine. Assists the previous record before that was twenty, eight which was set By Bob coosey And Guy rodgers in nineteen fifty nine and nineteen sixty, three. Respectively And John, stockton the leader all time in total assist hit this mark in nineteen ninety one and would also hit the mark of twenty seven and twenty six all, time and the closest player to get to this record since two thousand Was Rajon rondo when he was with The New Orleans pelicans in twenty seventeen when he had twenty five. Assists it's a record that many think will never be, broken as even though arguably the greatest passer of all, Time John stockton couldn't even break. It what chances do everyone else? Have But Scott skiles was not the greatest passor of all. Time he took advantage of a system which allowed him to break the. Record even though he was a great passer and a great, player it wasn't the greatest of all, time but his name will always be in the record. Books having thirty assist in a single game one that may never be. BROKEN i want to thank you to listening to today's. Episode if you wann't more content about the Alern Orlando, magic check out The penny And pops podcast Where adam And spencer take you through all matters Of Orlando magic, basketball giving you local strong opinions in the longest running podcast dedicated to The Orlando. Magic and we'll put a link in the description below for you to check them. Out AND i hope you enjoyed today's. Episode if you liked, it please make sure you are subscribed wherever you're listening so you do not miss a single. Episode and did you catch the answer today's triviy? Question who was the previous record holder for the most of cents in a game prior To Scott Skyles and the answer Is Kevin porter of The New Jersey nets when they based off against The Houston rockets in nineteen seventy eight where he had twenty eight where he had twenty nine assist