The unpredictable. The unfathomable. The impossible.
1. Miracle on Ice
The daunting, seemingly unbeatable USSR hockey team had won gold in each of the last four Olympics leading up to the 1980 tournament. The United States Olympic hockey team was made up of a bunch of talented college players, but they were going to need a miracle to pull off the upset. And that's exactly what happened. In the ultimate David vs Goliath moment of sports history, the US shocked the world with their 4-3 win over the Soviets.
2. Michael Jordan's Final Shot
To cap off the greatest basketball career ever, Michael Jordan performs this epic sequence of a quick layup, steal, and iconic snatch-back jumper. This greatness sealed his second three-peat and the ability to retire a six-time champion. And yes, we're ignoring the Wizards years.
3. Michael Phelps' Gold Medal Record
In the greatest Olympic performance ever, Michael Phelps earns an unimaginable eight gold medals to break Mark Spitz’s previous record that held for 36 years. Will anybody ever catch the most decorated Olympian of all time? Probably not considering that most athletes don't even compete in eight categories, let alone win them all.
4. Kirk Gibson's Pinch Hit Homer
After being named the National League MVP, Kirk Gibson was unable to start game one of the World Series due to multiple leg injuries. He then limped off the bench to pinch-hit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. After a long, laboring at-bat, Gibson hooked a game-ending, two-run home run off relief pitcher Dennis Eckersley, a future Hall of Famer. The Dodgers would ride that win to a championship, but to this day, the ball he sent into the right-field stands has never been found.
5. Iron Bowl Kick Six
The Iron Bowl between Auburn and Alabama challenges the most iconic rivalries seen in any sport. The 2013 edition, however, was extra special as Chris Davis broke the 28-28 tie with zero seconds on the clock. He fielded the short field goal in the back of the endzone and raced 109 yards down the left sideline to give Auburn the Iron Bowl title and a date with Florida State in the championship game.
6. Hank Aaron's Record-Breaking Homer
Hammerin' Hank Aaron didn't just clobber home run No. 715 in 1974 to capture one of the most meaningful records in all of sports. He didn't just seize that record from an all-time legend and sports icon in Babe Ruth. He earned the respect of the nation and a standing ovation from fans all while playing baseball as a black man in the deep south.
7. Music City Miracle
This Titans team was an unexpected participant in the 2000 AFC Wildcard game, and when they were trailing the Bills by a point with 16 seconds left, this cinderella story seemed to be spoiled. Kevin Dyson had other plans, however, as he caught the second of two laterals and raced 75 yards to take the kick-off back for a touchdown. The Titans would then get to the Super Bowl just to, quite literally, fall short to the Rams by a few inches.
8. David Tyree's Helmet Catch
Despite the lack-luster call from Joe Buck, this play is still the most famous in Super Bowl history. Eli Manning avoids a sack, slings the ball downfield, and watches as David Tyree snags the pass over three Patriot defenders. Tyree miraculously pinned the ball to his helmet and the crucial yardage set up a Giants victory. A victory which, of course, spoiled the Patriot's perfect season.
9. Damian Lillard's Series Winner
This series-ending shot by Damian Lillard is the definition of immaculate. All hope for a Blazer victory seemed lost as Chandler Parsons grabbed a Harden miss and put it in with 0.9 seconds left. Then Damian jumped around a screen, clapped for the inbounds pass, rose up, and dropped in a perfect swish as time expired. Simply immaculate.
10. Derek Jeter's Walk-off in Final Home Game
Nobody could script a more perfect ending for the Yankee Captain in his last game at Yankee Stadium. To cap his illustrious career, No. 2 came through with a walk-off single in an otherwise meaningless game. He and his inside-out swing shined one last time and Michael Kay said it best when he exclaimed, "Did you have any doubt?" No, of course not. It's Derek Jeter.
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