NBA Opening Night: Top 5 individual performances of all time

#3 John Stockton - 1989 NBA Opening Night

John Stockton is one of the greatest point guards in NBA history.

John Stockton is the NBA's career leader in assists with 15,806, and second in career assists per game at 10.5. Stockton also holds the record for the most assists on NBA opening night with 19.

In 1989 against the Denver Nuggets at home, Stockton led the Utah Jazz to a 122-113 victory. Besides 19 dimes, the Hall of Fame point guard also scored 23 points. To make things even better on an amazing opening night, Stockton's teammate Karl Malone had 40 points.

Even though Malong exploded in this game, most of his points came from Stockton's assists. Moreover, Stockton's opening night record still stands after 32 years.

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#2 Clyde Drexler - 1996 NBA Opening Night

Clyde Drexler is a Hall of Fame shooting guard.

The quadruple-double is one of the rarest accomplishments in the NBA. It has only been recorded four times - Nate Thurmond in 1974, Alvin Robertson in 1986, Hakeem Olajuwon in 1990 and David Robinson in 1994.

On NBA Opening Night in 1996, Clyde Drexler almost recorded the fifth quadruple-double in history. In the Houston Rockets' 96-85 win over the Sacramento Kings, Drexler tallied 25 points, ten rebounds, ten steals and nine assists.

It was even more impressive because Drexler was playing in his final season in the league. A decade earlier, Drexler almost had his first quadruple-double while a member of the Portland Trail Blazers. He had 26 points, 11 assists, ten steals and nine rebounds.

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#1 Michael Jordan - 1989 NBA Opening Night

Michael Jordan is considered the greatest basketball player of all time.

In 1989, Michael Jordan almost broke Wilt Chamberlain's record for most points scored on NBA Opening Night. Jordan exploded for 54 points against his favorite opponents, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Fresh off of eliminating the Cavaliers with "The Shot" in the 1989 NBA playoffs, Jordan continued to torture Cleveland with the greatest Opening Night performance of all time. In addition to his 54 points, Jordan had 14 rebounds and six assists in a 124-119 overtime win on the night.

Jordan would have tied the record had he not missed two of his 17 free throws. His Airness had an amazing 1989-90 season, as he also scored his career-high 69 points against, you guessed it, the Cavaliers.