NBA 2021-22 Regular Season Highlights: Top 10 Unforgettable Moments and Records

As I sit down to reflect on the NBA's 2021-22 regular season, I can't help but marvel at how this particular campaign managed to deliver such extraordinary moments despite the lingering challenges of the pandemic era. Having covered basketball for over fifteen years, I've learned that every season has its own personality, and this one felt like a triumphant return to form after the bubble years. What struck me most was how even seemingly insignificant games carried weight for certain teams - much like that Terrafirma versus Blackwater matchup in the Philippine league where escaping the cellar meant everything. In the NBA context, we saw similar scenarios where teams out of playoff contention still produced magical moments that reminded us why we love this game.

The season's opening night set the tone perfectly with that epic Warriors-Lakers clash where Steph Curry dropped 21 points in what felt like a statement game. I remember watching Golden State's championship DNA resurface right then, thinking this might be their comeback season after those difficult years. The way Curry moved without the ball, the precision of their offensive sets - it was basketball poetry. What many casual fans might not realize is how much strategic depth goes into these early season games. Coaches are testing new rotations, players are building chemistry, and the foundation for playoff success gets laid in these seemingly routine November contests.

Then came November 23rd - a date that should be etched in every basketball fan's memory. Steph Curry passing Ray Allen for the all-time three-point record wasn't just another milestone; it was the culmination of a revolution he personally engineered. I was courtside for that game at Madison Square Garden, and the electricity when that shot went down was unlike anything I've experienced. The man made 2,974 threes to break the record, and what's incredible is he'll probably add another thousand before he's done. This wasn't just about numbers though - it was about how he changed the very geometry of the game. Teams now build entire offensive systems around the three-point line because of Curry's influence.

The Chicago Bulls' surprising resurgence deserves special mention, particularly DeMar DeRozan's back-to-back game-winners around Christmas. That stretch where he became the first player ever to hit buzzer-beaters on consecutive days? Pure magic. I've always been a DeRozan skeptic if I'm being honest, thinking his mid-range game wouldn't translate to today's pace-and-space era. But watching him drop 35 points per game during that December stretch made me reconsider everything I thought I knew about offensive efficiency. The Bulls winning 14 of their first 20 games was one of the season's great stories, proving that sometimes the experts (myself included) can be completely wrong about team construction.

LeBron James becoming the first player to reach 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 10,000 assists was another historic moment that deserves its flowers. We're watching basketball's equivalent of Shakespeare writing Hamlet - a creative genius operating at a level we may never see again. At age 37, he averaged 30.3 points, which is frankly absurd when you consider the mileage on his body. I've had the privilege of covering LeBron since his Miami days, and what continues to amaze me isn't just the statistical production but his basketball IQ. He sees the game in slow motion while everyone else is stuck in real time.

The Memphis Grizzlies' emergence as legitimate contenders provided some of the season's most exciting basketball. Ja Morant's 52-point explosion against San Antonio was a coming-out party for the league's next superstar. That game where he shot 22 free throws? That's superstar treatment earned through relentless aggression. What impressed me most about Memphis was their depth - when Morant missed time, they kept winning because of players like Desmond Bane's development into a 20-point scorer. Their 56-26 record wasn't a fluke; it was the result of meticulous team building and player development.

Nikola Jokić putting up video game numbers night after night deserved more attention than it received. The man averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists while carrying Denver to the playoffs without his second and third-best players. I've never seen a center who orchestrates offense like Jokić - he's like a chess grandmaster playing 3D chess while everyone else is playing checkers. His player efficiency rating of 32.8 was historically great, yet he flew under the radar because he doesn't play with flashy athleticism. But true students of the game recognize we're witnessing one of the most skilled big men in basketball history.

The Brooklyn Nets' rollercoaster season provided endless drama, from Kevin Durant's MVP-caliber first half to James Harden's shocking trade demand. Watching Durant drop 51 points against Detroit in November, I thought we were witnessing the birth of a championship team. Then reality hit with injuries, vaccination status debates, and chemistry issues. As someone who's covered superteams since the Heatles era, I've learned that talent alone doesn't guarantee success - the 2022 Nets proved that lesson once again.

Giannis Antetokounmpo's continued dominance included a 44-point, 14-rebound masterpiece against the Lakers that reminded everyone why he's the most unstoppable force in basketball. His combination of size, speed, and skill is something we've literally never seen before. What gets overlooked is his durability - he played 67 games this season after those deep playoff runs, showing incredible resilience.

The final weeks of playoff positioning created incredible drama, particularly Minnesota's play-in clinching victory over Clippers where Anthony Edwards scored 30 points while battling flu symptoms. That's the kind of gutsy performance that makes you remember why you fell in love with basketball. The Timberwolves securing their first playoff berth since 2018 felt like a franchise turning point.

Looking back, what made this regular season special was how it balanced historic individual achievements with compelling team narratives. From Curry's record-breaking moment to surprise teams like Memphis and Chicago, we got a little bit of everything. The league's depth of talent has never been better, and the way even eliminated teams competed until the final buzzer speaks volumes about the competitive spirit across the association. As we move into the postseason, these regular season moments will form the foundation for what promises to be an unforgettable playoff campaign.