Phil Kessel Breaks NHL Record for Consecutive Games Played

Ripken’s record chase in 1995 was followed closely by fans and covered fastidiously by the news media. When he broke the record, he circled Camden Yards, high-fiving fans in a moment often cited as one of the most memorable in sports of the decade, or even the century. It seemed to tell fans that baseball was back after a demoralizing player strike which had ended earlier that season.

President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore were on hand, along with a host of baseball greats, and the news made the front page of The New York Times.

Ripken’s streak was particularly memorable because it broke that of the legendary Lou Gehrig, whose own string of 2,130 games ended only because he was dying of A.L.S., which would come to be known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

N.B.A.: A.C. Green

A.C. Green holds the record, playing in 1,192 straight N.B.A. games. He broke the previous mark of 906 in 1997, surpassing Randy Smith. An A.B.A. player, Ron Boone, played in 1,041 straight, and eventually Green passed that one too.

Green is most remembered for his titles as a role player for the Showtime Lakers alongside Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He moved on to the Suns, where the streak was in the biggest jeopardy. J.R. Reid of the Knicks elbowed Green in the mouth, knocking out two teeth. Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons kept the streak alive by playing Green in a face mask for just a few minutes in a dozen or so games.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/26/sports/hockey/phil-kessel-nhl-record.html