June 30 in sports history: A brief glimpse at Magic kingdom

The Magic, who missed the playoffs the previous season with a 41-41 record, were convinced Hardaway was more versatile than Webber. But their fans clearly wanted C-Webb.

"We just fell in love with Anfernee after seeing his workout," Magic GM Pat Williams said over the jeers of Orlando fans at a draft gathering. "The kid can do everything. We have found the player to run the club for the next 12 to 15 years. We asked Golden State for the world, and they gave it to us."

Hardaway actually lasted six years in Orlando, who dealt the impending free agent to the Suns in 1999. C-Webb, who won Rookie of the Year, had no magic connection with Warriors coach Don Nelson. The two infamously feuded, and in November 1994, Golden State dealt him to Washington.

SCANDALOUS!

1994: FIFA booted Argentina star Diego Maradona from the World Cup in the United States for failing a drug test. 

According to an Italian reporter, the stunning move was huge — bigger than the O.J. murder case that had begun consuming Americans. 

"Around the world this is 10 times bigger than O.J. Simpson. Nobody knows Simpson," the reporter said. "Everybody knows Maradona."

1994: For her role in the clubbing of rival Nancy Kerrigan, Tonya Harding was stripped of her national title and banned for life by the U.S. Figure Skating Association. It was the harshest penalty ever handed out by the group.

"Tonya Harding is going on with her life," her attorney said in a statement.

HOME RUN FEATS

1978: Back in the day, Willie McCovey was among the most fearsome sluggers in the game. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound-plus first baseman jacked 521 home runs during his 22-year career in the bigs, mostly for the Giants.

After Big Mac hit his 500th, in a loss in Atlanta to the Braves, he thought of ... the Giants' owner?

"I'm giving the ball to Bob Lurie," he told the San Francisco Examiner. "He's the main reason I'm with the Giants. That's the least I can do to show my appreciation."

Ah, a different era.

1997: In the Rangers' 3-2 interleague game win against the Dodgers, Bobby Witt jacked the first homer by an AL pitcher in nearly 25 years. 

"To be honest, I got up there and swung hard," Witt told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "It's the Mickey Tettleton theory: Swing hard; you might accidentally make contact."

1998: Dueling St. Louis' Mark McGwire in a bid to set the MLB season home run record, Sammy Sosa went yard for the 20th time in June. The homer by the Cubs outfielder in the eighth against Arizona — his 33rd of the season -— extended his record for HRs in a month.

Sosa pooh-poohed his chances to set the season home run record: "The only guy who can break the mark is Mark McGwire," he told the Arizona Republic. "He's the man. I'm just another kid trying to play good."

NO-NO-NO HITTERS

1908: In an 8-0 win over the New York Highlanders, 41-year-old Cy Young pitched a no-hitter — the third of his career. Young did OK in his 22-year big league career, winning 511 games and finishing with a 2.63 ERA.

1948: In a 2-0 win over the Tigers, Cleveland’s Bob Lemon pitched the American League's first night-game gem. Per baseball tradition, teammates kept their mouths shut about the no-hitter during the game.

"Hell, yes," Lemon said when asked if he knew he had a no-no going during the game. "I knew it from the moment those [teammates] stopped talking to me. Why, from the fifth inning on those guys wouldn't even look at me." 

1962: Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax pitched four no-hitters in his career — the first in a 5-0 win over the lowly Mets, who finished the season with a 40-120 record. The lefty threw 138 pitches, struck out 13, walked five and went to a 3-2 count nine times.

"Whoever says there's no pressure when you're working on a no-hitter is crazy," he told the Los Angeles Times.

THE BEAUTIFUL GAME

2002: In a 2-0 win over Germany, superstar Ronaldo scored both goals for Brazil, which won its record fifth World Cup.  "Even in my wildest dreams," he told reporters, "I had never imagined that something like this would happen."

But, geez, about that 2002 haircut, big guy ...

Happy birthday ...

• “Iron Mike” Tyson, undisputed heavyweight champ from 1987-1990 and first heavyweight to hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles. At 20 years old, Tyson became the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title. Eleven years later, he was banned for boxing for more than a year for biting off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear during a rematch. (54)

• Swimmer Michael Phelps, whose 28 medals are the most ever in Olympic competition.  (35)
• Hall of Fame shooting guard Mitch Richmond, picked fifth overall by Golden State in the 1988 NBA draft. Richmond was the 1989 Rookie of the Year and a six-time All-Star as well as an NBA champ with the 2002 Lakers. (55)
• Professional wrestler Cody Rhodes, who has followed in the footsteps of his famous wrestler father, the late Dusty Rhodes. (35)
• Ron Swoboda, outfielder who played most of his nine seasons with the Mets and was a member of the ’69 “Amazins.” (76)

R.I.P.

2002: Former MLB outfielder Pete Gray, known as the "one-armed wonder." Gray, who lost his right arm in a childhood accident, played one season with the St. Louis Browns, batting .218 with 13 RBI. Gray died at 87. (Read more.)

2011: “The Great Imposter” Barry Bremen, who gained fame by posing as everything from a World Series umpire to a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. He died of cancer on his 64th birthday.

June 29: A great day for no-hitters