Events in Sports History in December 1981

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Dec 1 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar passes Oscar Robertson (26,710) to become the NBA’s second all-time leading scorer behind Wilt Chamberlain; scores 14 points in 117-86 Lakers' win over Utah Jazz in Los Angeles

Valenzuela NL Rookie

Dec 2 Pitcher Fernando Valenzuela becomes 3rd consecutive LA Dodgers player to be named National League Rookie of the Year; Rick Sutcliffe 1979, Steve Howe 1980

Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher Fernando Valenzuela

Dec 5 47th Heisman Trophy Award: Marcus Allen, Southern Cal (RB)
Dec 6 Rob de Castella of Australia sets Marathon record at 2:08:18

Barber's 1st Senior PGA Win

Dec 6 Senior PGA Championship, Turnberry Isle CC: Miller Barber wins his first of 5 Champions Tour major titles by 2 strokes from Arnold Palmer

Ali's Last Fight

Dec 11 Former world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali's 61st and last fight; loses to Trevor Berbick by unanimous decision in 10 rounds at Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, Nassau, Bahamas

Dec 11 Wash Capitals biggest margin of victory (9) beating Toronto 11-2
Dec 13 70th Davis Cup: USA beats Argentina in Cincinnati (3-1)
Dec 20 Winnipeg left wing Doug Smail sets NHL record by scoring just 4 seconds into Jets' 5-4 win over the St Louis Blues; fastest goal from opening face-off to back of net in history; later tied by Bryan Trottier and Alex Mogilny
Dec 21 Cincinnati beats Bradley 75-73 in 7 OTs (NCAA record)
Dec 23 Geoffrey Boycott becomes leading run-scorer in Test Cricket with 8033
Dec 26 One of the great day's Test Cricket at the MCG Australia v West Indies

Lille Leading Wicket-taker

Dec 27 Australian Dennis Lillee becomes the leading wicket-taker in test cricket with 310 wickets

Gretzky Fastest to 100

Dec 27 Edmonton Oiler Wayne Gretzky becomes fastest NHLer to get 100 point in a season (his 38th game), with 4 goals and an assist in 10-3 win over visiting Los Angeles Kings

Dec 29 Ballon d'Or: German 1-2-3 with Bayern Munich forward Karl-Heinz Rummenigge taking title of Europe's best football player for the 2nd straight year; beats teammate Paul Breitner and Barcelona midfielder Bernd Schuster
Dec 30 Wayne Gretzky scores 5 goals and an assist in Edmonton's 7-5 win over Philadelphia; gives Gretzky 50 goals in 39 games, the fastest 50 in 50 in NHL history; also sets NHL record with 15-game assist streak