5 NBA players with the most wins in season opener games
The NBA season has been graced by some of the most exciting matchups on opening night. With some of the biggest teams facing off against each other, rivalries from previous seasons are given a chance to rekindle on this day.
The season opener game itself is a momentous occasion, being as it represents the start of the new season. With teams looking to improve upon their records from the previous season or repeating their successes, the first game plays a role in establishing the momentum going forward.
The 2021-22 season tips off on October 19th and features the matchups of Milwaukee Bucks vs Brooklyn Nets and the LA Lakers vs Golden State Warriors.
With tensions mounting as the season opener for 2021-22 nears, we take a look at the five NBA players with the most wins in season opener games.
Players with the most NBA season opener wins
#5 Horace Grant
Clutch Blocks in Playoffs History…
Horace Grant recovers to stay with the play and swat the shot attempt away at the buzzer, helping the Bulls win their 3rd straight title in 1993! https://t.co/R8SMIGXXTq
Horace Grant was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the 1988 NBA draft as the 10th overall pick. Over the course of his career, Grant went on to win four NBA titles. Being a key player in the Bulls' first three-peat, Grant was also part of the LA Lakers' 2000-01 championship squad.
After having played in the NBA for 17 seasons, Horace Grant has featured in every one of his team's season opening games. In the course of those 17 games, Grant recorded 12 wins. He averaged 11.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for season openers.
Horace Grant had a great career with four All-NBA Defensive team selections and as a one-time All-Star. He also spent a large part of his career with the Orlando Magic playing alongside Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway.
He is tied for fifth place with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. However, by virtue of having a longer career and more season openers played, Horace Grant has had a better win percentage.
#4 Robert Parish
This Date in @NBAHistory (Dec. 13, 1991) Boston's Robert Parish became the fifth player in @NBAHistory to appear in 1,200 career games (joining @kaj33 , Elvin Hayes, John Havlicek and Paul Silas) during the Celtics' 117-97 win over Seattle at Boston Garden. https://t.co/OSMBjABM11
Robert Parish had one of the longest careers in NBA history. Holding the record for most NBA games played, Parish recorded 1,611 games over the course of his 21 seasons in the NBA.
Parish was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the 1976 NBA Draft. After playing four seasons with the Warriors, he left the West Coast to join the Boston Celtics where he would enjoy much success in the coming years.
With 21 season openers played, Parish recorded 13 wins in those games. He averaged 15.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game for season openers. Over the course of his career, Robert Parish won three NBA titles and was a nine-time All-Star with the Boston Celtics.
He won his fourth title in 1997 with the Chicago Bulls, and retired after the 1996-97 season. At the time of his retirement, Parish was 43 and had been playing in the NBA for over two decades.