Sports of all sorts through the years in Las Vegas — PHOTOS
Las Vegas isn’t just for boxing. Here are nine cool nonboxing sporting things that happened in Las Vegas:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sets NBA career scoring record (April 5, 1984)
Early in the fourth quarter with a capacity crowd of more than 18,000 looking on, the Los Angeles Lakers center took a pass from teammate Magic Johnson and made a basket that gave him 31,420 career points, breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s record. The Utah Jazz, which played a partial schedule of games in Las Vegas for two seasons, was the host team. 
Caesars Palace hosts first NHL outdoor hockey game (Sept. 27, 1991)
Despite temperatures approaching 90 degrees, the ice at a temporary rink erected at the iconic hotel-casino stayed frozen as the Los Angeles Kings defeated the New York Rangers 5-2 in an preseason game billed as the NHL’s first game played outdoors. Wayne Gretzky scored a goal in the third period when a horde of grasshoppers were attracted to the ice by bright temporary lights. 
Evel Knievel crashes on New Year’s Eve: (Dec. 31, 1967)
Las Vegas still was growing up as a sports locale when legendary daredevil Evel Knievel attempted a 141-foot jump — his longest to date — over the famous Caesars Palace fountains. He came up short and skidded into the adjacent Dunes parking lot, suffering a crushed pelvis, femur, hip, wrist and ankle fractures and a concussion that kept him in the hospital for 29 days. 
Tiger Woods wins first pro tournament (Oct. 6, 1996)
Making his fifth professional start, the 20-year-old phenom defeated Davis Love III on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff and won the Las Vegas Invitational. The victory guaranteed golfing’s young Tiger a berth in the 1997 Masters, which he dominated en route to his first major victory. 
Oakland A’s open baseball season in Las Vegas (April 1, 1996)
With Oakland Coliseum undergoing renovation, the Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays spent Opening Day in Las Vegas, with the Jays taking a 9-6 win in front of 7,294 spectators at Cashman Field, home of the Pacific Coast League’s Las Vegas Stars. The A’s played their first six games of the 1996 season in Las Vegas, going 2-4 against Toronto and the Detroit Tigers. 
Katie Hnida becomes first women to play in college bowl game (Dec. 25, 2002)
After New Mexico scored a touchdown to take a 6-3 lead against UCLA, Lobos coach Rocky Long sent a reserve kicker onto the field to attempt the extra point. With a long blond ponytail cascading from her helmet, Katie Hnida’s kick was blocked. She nevertheless made history by becoming the first female to play in an NCAA bowl game. 
Gonzo journalism born at Mint 400 (March 29, 1971)
Hunter S. Thompson turned a 250-word photo caption assignment from Sports Illustrated into a literary style following the 1971 running of the famous off-road race. Wrote the author about the fear and loathing he encountered in the Las Vegas desert: “In some circles, the Mint 400 is a far, far better thing than the Super Bowl, the Kentucky Derby and the lower Oakland roller derby finals all rolled into one.” 
World Cup soccer draw (Dec. 19, 1993)
A star-studded cast including Barry Manilow, Julio Iglesias, Faye Dunaway and Dick Clark were involved as soccer teams representing 24 nations were selected for group play in the quadrennial celebration of what Brazilian star Pele called “The Beautiful Game.” Comedian Robin Williams stole the show by calling the draw “the world’s biggest keno game.” 
Canadian football comes to the desert (1994)
Canadian-style football in 110-degree heat? It could only happen in Las Vegas. The Canadian Football League’s Las Vegas experiment lasted only one season — actually less than a season, as the Posse could not meet payroll at season’s end, and wound up moving its last home game to Edmonton. Brrrr! 
Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.
