Top 15 Sports Moments of the Decade

This past year has been an EPIC year in sports. We have seen the USA Women’s Soccer team go straight BEAST MODE in the FIFA World Cup, Ray Allen hit a CLUTCH 3 pointer at the buzzer in the 2013 NBA Finals in Game 6 vs the Spurs, the Patriots and the deflating of the footballs and the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series after 108 years! Let’s take a look at some of the best moments of the last ten years (in no particular order).

1. Odell Beckham's catch with three fingers

In 2014, as a member of the New York Giants, Odell Beckham Jr. caught the football in a way we have never seen before WITH THREE FINGERS! Aftera 50 yard throw from Quarterback Eli Manning with double coverage on the sideline, Beckham somehow found the ball and had one of the best catches we have ever seen in football history!

2, Conor McGregor vs Floyd Mayweather

One of the most controversial sports matchups was the boxing match between MMA fighter Conor McGregor and the ONLY undefeated boxer in boxing history Floyd Mayweather and it was CONTROVERSIAL! There is no secret that Floyd has no problem stirring the pot but it seem like he met his match with Cornor McGregor who likes to stir the pot just as much. And when the MMA fighter called out the boxer, of course he responded. It was the first time an MMA fighter and a boxer met up in the ring but it did not disappoint. To the surprise of many, McGregor actually held his own but the experience of Floyd overpowered him and towards the end you saw the fatigue start to hit the MMA fighter. But nonetheless, the fight was one of the greatest fights of the last ten years.

3, The Cleveland Cavaliers comeback from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Golden State Warriors making NBA history.

The Golden State Warriors were NBA champions and when they went up 3-1in the 2016 NBA Finals, the whole world thought the Finals were over! The Warriors had one of the best seasons basketball has ever seen with a 73-9 record to end the regular season. The Cavs were drama filled. It was no secret that Kyrie Irving and LeBron James were not getting along. They were arguing on and off-court and it was very evident the tension between other teammates. In the year before, Irving was hurt and the Cavs fell short to the Warriors. So when the Warriors went up 3-1, of course everyone thought here we go again BUT Irving and James were able to put their differences aside and complete one of the greatest comebacks in sports history! It was great to see James bring a trophy to his hometown and Irving FINALLY get that ring.

4. The Chicago Cubs win the World Series after 108 years!

The last time the Chicago Cubs won the World Series 1908! Similar to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Cubs came back from a 3-1 deficit and ironically in the same year, 2016. And what made the game even more exciting,the threatics in the final game. The game lasted about five hours long, the rain caused an almost 20 minute delay to start the game and the tenth inning had Cub fans and Indians fans on the edge of their seats. The Cubs blew a lead in the eight inning and many thought, it was great while it lasted but in the tenth inning with back and forth scoring it was great finish to a Cinderella season.

5. Woods wins the Masters!

After an eleven year drought, Tiger Woods made a COMEBACK like no other and won his 15th Masters. His win was even victory was even named The Associated Press sports story of the year. Thanksgiving 2009 was a tough year for the golfer. His personal life was on FULL display, baseball bats were involved, it was just messy! He underwent multiple back surgeries and spent time in rehab after getting arrested on a DUI charge in 2017 and it was revealed that he was addicted to painkillers prescribed to him. But in 2018, he made some great strides at the British Open, PGA Championship, and topped it off with a season ending Tour championship. Seeing Woods make a redemptive comeback was great sports and showed NO MATTER WHAT KEEP GOING!

6. Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka in the US Open Final

The 2018 U.S. Open was a controversial one. It all started with one of the greatest of All-Time, Serena Williams having issues with the umpire Carlos Ramos. She received a violation for coaching from her coach Patrick Mouratogulou. She then proceeded to tell Ramos that would rather “never cheat to win and would rather loose.” Williams also received a pentaly for a racket smash which caused her to loose points. But Naomi Osaka never lost sight was she came for. She showed emuse power and quickness. Osaka became the first Japanesse woman to win a Grand Slam Title. But it was the end of the game that made this match up very memorable. During the trophy ceremony, many fans started to boo the young star but the vet but a stop to that immediately. "I know you guys were rooting and I was rooting too but let’s make this the best moment we can. We’re going to get through this and let’s be positive. So congratulations, Naomi. No more booing.”

7. Linsaity

In 2012, no different than the Knicks struggles today, they couldn’t buy a win. Head coach at the time was desperate for a spark and he called Jeremy Lin’s number. Prior to his surge, he played a total of 55 minutes all season but in February all of that changed. His first game on Feb. 4th, he dropped 25 points, 7 assist and 5 rebounds. The Knicks won another two straight games with Lin leading the way. Then Lin exploded for against Kobe Bryant and Lakers with 38 points in MSG. He topped off the moment with a chilling three point shot against the Toronto Raptors. Although, he hasn’t reached that height of success, it was a great moment in sports history.

8. The USA Women’s Soccer Teams

This summer, the USA Women’s Soccer Team was a hot topic during the World Cup and it was well-deserved. They broke so many records while also fighting for equal pay rights. Let’s just start with them beating Thailand 13-0! And of course they were HATERS! Many commentators thought they should’ve eased up BUT they are playing in a competition and Thailand just wasn’t a match. In total they scored 26 goals in tournament beating the previously held 25 goals held by none other than the USA Women’s Team in 1991. MEGAN RAPINOE and ALEX MORGAN were the STARS on and off the field. Rapinoe won the Golden Boot which also could’ve went to Alex Morgan. The duo was one of THE BEST in sports and the team racked up PLENTY awards over the summer and into the fall. And making Trump upset while doing it. What a great group!

9. Simone Biles, the Female Athlete of the Year!

This past decade was the decade of Black Girl Magic and we witnessed greatness in Simone Biles. The world was introduced to the young star during the 2016 Summer Olympics. The American gynast turned the indivual all-around gynastics competition into her playground. Biles scored 62.198 and won the gold medal and was UNTOUCHABLE. When she performed on the beams, it was pretty clear, she was THE star, forcing many commentators and followers of the sport to call her “one of the gynast the world has ever seen.” At the time, she was only 17/18 year old! Today she has a stricking 26 world championships and the most decorated gynast, male or female. In December of 2019, Associated Press nammed her the Female Athlete of the Year and the world is excited to see what they 22 year old does in 2020 Olympic games.

10. Mo’ne Davis becomes the 1st Black woman to play in the Little League World Series.

The Summer of 2014 was a great year for sports but the headlines were dominated by a 13 year old Black girl named Mo’ne Davis, a pitcher in the Little Leagues. Never in it’s history had a woman of color ever played and she was GOOD! She also became the first girl to pitch a shutout and and earn a win. In that same game, she pitched a fast ball 70 mph fastball that were followed by off-speed pitches. Davis also graced the cover of Sports Illustrated- the 1st Little Leager male or female to ever be placed on the cover. When it came for the star-studded athlete to make her decision for college, she went with one of the most prominet HBCUs in the country, Hampton University!

11. Lebron James and the Decision

On July 8th, 2010, LeBron James shifted the NBA’s makeup. He was a free agent and everyone was glued to the TV to figure out where he was going next. Was he going to stay in Cleveland? Was he going to the Heat and team up with longtime friend Dwayne Wade? It was an intense free agency. James was drafted by the Cavs in his hometown and won two MVPS and finals appearances but he couldn’t pull a championship. The Decision aired on ESPN and James let the world know “I'm taking my talents to South Beach and join Miami Heat.” James, Wade, along with Chris Bosh formed a super team, something the NBA had never seen before. But the decision didn’t sit well with Cavs fans. Video footage was released of Cavs fans during his jersey and even team owner, Dan Gilbert released a distasteful message about the MVP. Many were upset about how he handled the situation and felt like he shouldn’t have made a show about it. Others felt it was the Gilbert and the front office fault that he left. But in 2014 he came back and brought a championship to his hometown.

12. Patriots ball deflating Scandal

Tom Brady and the New England Patroits are considered “America’s Favorite Football team.” Now which part of America there are talking about is a different story but that’s a different conversation. In 2015, there were apart of a HUGE scandal and one of the biggest of the decade, DeflateGate! After a throughou investigastion, the NFL reported the Patroits debliberatly deflated footballs below the legal levels during the AFC Championship game. After reviewing footage, looking through text messages and interviews, there was no question Patroits employee’s tampered with the footballs. Video footage showed 20 minutes before kickoff, McNally leaves the locker room with the balls, walks towards the field, goes into a bathroom, locks the door, and stayed in there for almost two minutes. He got caught up in so many lies, he was drowning. It was no secret that the man finessed the system.

13. Kobe Bryant goes for 60 in his last game in the NBA

MAMBA left the NBA in 2016 but in classic Mamba style. Finishing with 60 points, Bryant brought out EVERYONE literally EVERYONE from celebrities to politians, to artist, it was a great event. Kobe scored the 2nd most point ever in a game with 81 points, won 5 NBA championships, 17x All Star, 1997 Slam Dunk Champion and let’s not forget the man has even won an Academy Award. One of the greatest athletes of ALL-TIME !

14. Usain Bolt, the Fastest Man Alive

Jamacian sensation and track and field star Usain Bolt is arguably the fastest man alive.He has dominated the last 3 Olympic games and set many World Records. He became the first man in Olympic history to win both the 100 meter and 200 meter in record times. He also won 3 gold medals at the 2012 Olympics in London. Bolt ran the men’s 100 meter race in 9.63 seconds, a new Olympic record making him the first man to set three records in a single Olympic competiton. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, he won gold in the 100 meter, 200 meter race and the 4x100 meter relay, competing a “triple-triple” earning 3 gold medals at 3 consecutive Olympic hitting the 9 mark. And his comeptition...not even close.

15. Gabby Douglass run in the Olympics

Gabby Douglass PUT On for the 757. And DOMINATED the 2012 London Olympics. She became the first American to claim gold medals in the team and individual all-around events. Douglass also became the First African American to win all-around title. But at the height of her success, the black community was more focused on her hair rather than her accomplishments. Many felt like she should've put effort on her looks but she handled the criticism with grace and continued to dominate.