As 2024 involves an in depth, now’s nearly as good a time as ever to replicate upon the final 12 months in sports activities. Between the Olympics, a back-to-back Tremendous Bowl champion, an unforgettable rookie season and way more, we cannot quickly neglect the most important sports activities tales from this previous 12 months.
Early within the 12 months, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs cemented their place on this listing by turning into simply the eighth workforce all-time to win back-to-back Tremendous Bowl titles. The truth that it got here in such dramatic style, profitable simply the second extra time sport in Tremendous Bowl historical past, made it much more memorable.
In the summertime, the world bought collectively in Paris to compete within the 2024 Olympics. The US fared properly and produced some inspiring performances with none higher than Simone Biles finishing her comeback to win all-round gold in gymnastics. In all places from the monitor to the basketball courtroom, the U.S. managed to make worldwide headlines.
Even in a summer season that contained a deluge of Olympic moments, Caitlin Clark dominated the entrance web page of stories retailers in every single place whereas the WNBA continued its explosion of recognition. Clark led an thrilling rookie class into the league and followers responded by flocking to ladies’s basketball sport in document numbers.
Whereas these tales have been among the many very largest from 2024, there have been nonetheless a lot extra. Shohei Ohtani had an eventful first season in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform, the Boston Celtics raised their 18th banner and LeBron James turned one-half of the primary father-son duo to play collectively within the NBA.
With none additional ado, let’s bounce into the 24 most impactful sports activities tales of 2024.
24. Geno Auriemma takes wins document
Geno Auriemma already had the resume to make a case for himself as the best faculty basketball coach of all-time, however now he has the win whole to show it. Simply final month, Auriemma notched his 1,217th profession victory to develop into the winningest basketball coach within the historical past of Division I basketball.
Auriemma bought that historic win with an 85-41 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson, and it propelled him previous longtime Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer. Since taking on at UConn in 1985, Auriemma has turned this system right into a perennial powerhouse. Along with his freshly damaged all-time wins document, listed below are just a few extra eye-popping numbers from his tenure.
- 111 straight wins from 2014-2017
- 29 regular-season convention championships
- 28 convention match titles
- 11 nationwide championships
- 8 Naismith Coach of the Yr awards
Auriemma will solely proceed including to his win whole — and presumably extra — all through the 2024-25 season, and past. Led by celebrity Paige Bueckers, the Huskies are the No. 4 workforce in America with their sights set on one other banner. And final summer season the 70-year-old coach signed a five-year extension. Good luck making an attempt to catch him.
23. Cody Rhodes wins undisputed WWE title at WrestleMania XL
The match for the undisputed WWE championship was a real spectacle that delivered on a number of fronts. It accomplished a comeback arc that started years in the past, and it featured a few of the largest names from the WWE’s previous and current.
The title match started merely, with Cody Rhodes and defending champion Roman Reigns squaring off within the ring, nevertheless it definitely did not finish that means. The chaos started with Reigns getting assist from the likes of Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa and ended with superstars like John Cena and Seth Rollins lending Rhodes a hand.
One of many largest pops of the night time got here when The Rock entered the ring one night time after his first match in 11 years. The Rock was even choke-slammed in a quick cameo look by The Undertaker.
The match ended with Rhodes hitting a trio of Cross Rhodes on Reigns to get a three-count and the win. That victory for Rhodes was particular on quite a few ranges. For starters, it accomplished a narrative arc that started in 2022, when he returned to the WWE after serving to construct AEW. On prime of that, Rhodes was capable of earn the title that eluded his father, Dusty Rhodes, all through his wrestling profession.
22. Athletics, Coyotes discover new houses
This 12 months, two completely different Massive 4 franchises introduced relocation. The Oakland A’s, led by proprietor John Fisher, revealed plans to maneuver to Las Vegas through Sacramento. The opposite workforce, the Arizona Coyotes, have been bought and moved to Salt Lake Metropolis after years of turmoil within the Phoenix space.
The A’s formally introduced their relocation plans after rejecting a five-year lease to stay on the Oakland Coliseum. After 56 years in Oakland, the workforce performed its closing sport within the Bay Space on Sept. 26, a 3-2 win towards the Texas Rangers that wrapped up with many tears within the stands and on the sphere because the workforce stated goodbye. That sport marked the tip of major-league sports activities in Oakland, with the Warriors leaving for San Francisco in 2019 and the Raiders heading for Sin Metropolis in early 2020.
As a part of their transfer, the A’s will play in Sutter Well being Park, which holds roughly 14,000 followers, from 2025-27 whereas their new Las Vegas stadium is constructed. Their future residence shall be constructed on the previous web site of the Tropicana on line casino. As soon as the transfer is full, it can mark the fourth major-league sports activities workforce in Las Vegas with the NFL, NHL and WNBA already there.
The Coyotes’ transfer was one which had been within the works for some time. Former proprietor Alex Meruelo did not get approval for a everlasting residence in Phoenix, Tempe or Tucson, and the workforce had spent two seasons sharing an area with Arizona State’s hockey workforce.
The Coyotes’ time in Arizona was marred by instability and monetary troubles, however the franchise bought a recent begin when Utah Jazz proprietor Ryan Smith stepped in to purchase the workforce. Smith moved the workforce to Salt Lake Metropolis and renamed it the Utah Hockey Membership, with everlasting title but to be introduced.
The Coyotes have been the primary NHL workforce to relocate because the Atlanta Thrashers moved as much as Winnipeg in 2011, and the A’s are the primary MLB workforce to relocate because the Montreal Expos moved to Washington, D.C. in 2004.
21. Jake Paul defeats Mike Tyson
Maybe the most important fight spectacle of the 12 months was the boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. The legendary boxer and the social media-star-turned boxer squared off in entrance of a large crowd at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, however the battle went the way in which you’d anticipate when one of many combatants is nearer to 60 than 40.
These hoping to see some model of prime Tyson, even a diminished model, have been disillusioned. It has been 19 years since Tyson’s final skilled bout, and it confirmed. (Some even questioned the bout’s legitimacy.)
Paul, 31 years youthful than the 58-year-old Tyson, merely had extra fuel within the tank. The battle did go all eight rounds, nevertheless it largely consisted of Paul working round Tyson and touchdown jabs whereas the growing older legend struggled to maintain up. Ultimately, Paul received by unanimous resolution as Tyson merely wasn’t capable of land any devastating blows on his a lot youthful opponent, touchdown 18 punches by way of the whole battle.
After his victory, Paul tipped his cap to Tyson, referring to him because the “G.O.A.T.,” however what’s the subsequent step for Paul is in his boxing profession? Will he attempt to battle extra lively boxers and work his option to a world title? As for Tyson, he prompt his time within the ring will not be over, nevertheless it stays to be seen whether or not he’ll get one other bout on the books.
20. U.S. basketball groups take down France to win gold
The US had a very good exhibiting on the Paris Video games, and the basketball groups have been no exception. The women and men each flexed some muscle towards the remainder of the world on the courtroom, and so they each earned the gold-medal with hard-fought video games towards the host nation.
Within the preliminary spherical, the lads rolled to a 3-0 document with out a lot resistance, posting a plus-64 level differential within the course of. The primary knockout spherical sport towards Brazil wasn’t very aggressive both because the People erupted for a 122-87 win. The remainder of the match was a little bit harder. Within the semifinal, Nikola Jokic and Serbia led the U.S. by 11 factors at halftime. That is when Steph Curry stepped up and hit some huge pictures to ignite a comeback. He completed the sport with 36 factors and shot 64.3% from past the 3-point line.
Within the gold medal sport towards France, Curry got here up clutch once more. Within the closing three minutes, Curry knocked down 4 3-point makes an attempt to place France to sleep and ship a gold medal in his first Olympic look.
Equally, the ladies cruised by way of spherical robin play, however they did not actually get pushed till the ultimate. Like the lads, the ladies confronted the host nation, and France gave them every little thing they might deal with. That sport was a back-and-forth affair all through because the U.S. struggled to hit pictures, particularly from deep. An American squad that didn’t have Caitlin Clark was capable of intestine out a win because of late free throws from Kelsey Plum and Kaleah Copper — and a little bit luck. France’s Gabby Williams thought she tied the sport with a 3-pointer as time expired, however her foot was on the road, giving Staff USA a 67-66 win.
19. JJ Redick goes from podcast host to Lakers coach
Following a 15-year profession within the NBA, which included 4,704 profession 3-pointers, JJ Redick went into media and launched the excessive profitable podcast, “The Previous Man and the Three.” It appeared like Redick was destined to be a rockstar within the basketball media world, after which the Los Angeles Lakers got here calling.
The Lakers fired former coach Darvin Ham in Might, and the workforce went by way of a training search that prolonged far and broad. One of many locations the Lakers appeared was Redick’s podcast studio. On June 20, after getting turned down by UConn coach Dan Hurley, the Lakers employed Redick to be the twenty ninth coach in franchise historical past.
Redick’s hiring was considerably controversial as a result of, whereas he had loads of enjoying expertise on the NBA degree, he’d by no means spent any time teaching on the collegiate or professional ranges. That meant Redick could be compelled to be taught on the job whereas making an attempt to get essentially the most out of roster that features superstars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
By means of his first 26 video games as coach, Redick has skilled blended outcomes. The Lakers are 14-12, which tasks out to have them within the combine for a spot in Western Convention play-in match.
18. U.S. Monitor and Subject leaves competitors within the mud
The United States had an important exhibiting in monitor and discipline on the 2024 Paris Olympics, piling up medals and making some historical past within the course of. The headliners have been sprinters Noah Lyles being topped the quickest man on this planet by profitable a photograph end within the males’s 100m occasion, and a redemption of kinds for Sha’Carri Richardson, who earned two medals, together with gold within the 4x100m relay.
Lyles did not get off to the most effective of begins within the 100 meters, however he closed the hole at a fast tempo and beat Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by a nostril. That wasn’t the one medal Lyles received in Paris. He took residence bronze within the 200 meters, which is often his specialty, however the world-class sprinter had been coping with COVID-19 previous to the race and was administered oxygen and rolled off in a wheelchair after the race.
Whereas Lyles had some notable performances, the remainder of the Monitor and Subject workforce have been equally good. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone set a world document within the ladies’s 400m hurdles. The boys’s and ladies’s 4x400m relay groups each took residence gold with the ladies actually working means from the remainder of the world.
Within the 10,000m race, Grant Fisher turned simply the second American within the final 56 years to medal within the occasion, profitable bronze by simply 0.33 seconds.
In whole, the US received 34 monitor and discipline medals in Paris. That was greater than 3 times the second-place nation, Kenya (11). Seven of these medals have been gold, and no different nation received greater than two.
17. Travis Hunter wins Heisman Trophy as two-way participant
For simply the second time in faculty soccer historical past — and the primary since Charles Woodson in 1997 — a defensive participant received the Heisman Trophy when Travis Hunter took residence the award. Hunter, a two-way participant, did every little thing for Colorado whereas placing collectively a season for the ages.
As a cornerback, Hunter made opposing quarterbacks suppose twice about throwing his means this fall. His 11 passes defended led the Massive 12, and he recorded 4 interceptions. On offense, Hunter additionally led the convention with 92 receptions and 14 receiving touchdowns, and his 1,152 receiving yards ranked third within the Massive 12.
Probably the most spectacular a part of Hunter’s marketing campaign, and what may need put him excessive, is that he managed to play at such a excessive degree regardless of the bodily toll it took. Hunter performed 1,487 snaps, way over the opposite Heisman Trophy finalists. Simply making it by way of a full season, not to mention enjoying at a Heisman-caliber degree, was a testomony to Hunter’s health and athletic capability. (And it was additionally revealed that he poured a few of his endorsement a reimbursement into the NIL collective in order that different teammates may gain advantage.)
The No. 1 general participant within the 2022 signing class, per 247Sports, is now anticipated to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft. Following a extremely productive faculty profession on each side of the ball, Hunter is anticipated to be one of many first gamers off the board, and two of our CBS Sports activities consultants have him going to the New England Patriots at No. 3 general within the newest mock draft.
16. USWNT redeems itself with gold at 2024 Olympics
Coming off a Spherical of 16 exit on the 2023 Ladies’s World Cup, the USWNT wanted a very good exhibiting on the Paris Olympics. Within the face of all that strain, the U.S. ladies completed the match atop the rostrum.
The USWNT rolled by way of the group stage, going 3-0-0 and posting a plus-7 aim differential within the course of. Nevertheless, issues bought a little bit extra tense within the knockout stage. The quarterfinal sport towards Japan and the semifinal sport towards Germany each went to further time, however the USWNT got here up with clutch objectives.
Trinity Rodman scored the game-winner within the one hundred and fifth minute towards Japan, and Sophia Smith tallied the deciding aim within the ninety fifth minute towards Germany.
The gold medal match towards Brazil was simply as shut, with the groups locked at 0-0 by way of 56 minutes. Then, within the 57th minute, Mallory Swanson bought behind the Brazilians and positioned a shot into the lower-right nook to get the sport’s solely aim.
From there, the USWNT was capable of fend off Brazil’s efforts to degree the match, and it captured its first aim medial in 12 years. After an embarrassing exit on the World Cup, the USWNT discovered redemption on the worldwide stage simply months later.
15. Panthers win Stanley Cup in return to Ultimate
The Florida Panthers have been agonizingly near lifting the Stanley Cup in 2023, however they ran out of fuel and wholesome our bodies, dropping to the Vegas Golden Knights in 5 video games. One 12 months later, the Panthers bought their first Stanley Cup as they held off a dramatic comeback by the Edmonton Oilers within the Stanley Cup Ultimate.
The Panthers received the primary three video games, holding the Oilers’ offense to only 4 objectives because of excellent workforce protection and stellar goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky, who boasted a .953 save share in these contests.
Backed right into a nook, Connor McDavid and the Oilers fought again to win three straight video games, outscoring the Panthers 18-5 in that span. Edmonton was seeking to develop into simply the fourth workforce in NHL historical past to win a sequence after falling behind 3-0 and the second to do it in a Stanley Cup Ultimate.
In Sport 7, the groups exchanged objectives within the first interval, however Sam Reinhart broke the tie within the second interval. His tally proved to be the game-winner as Florida would maintain off Edmonton for the ultimate 24:49 of sport time.
Probably the most spectacular a part of Florida’s victory was its balanced assault. Evan Rodrigues had 4 objectives within the closing, and 4 extra Panthers had two. Anton Lundell notched 5 assists, an indication of issues to return in 2024-25.
Whereas he fell in need of hockey’s final prize, McDavid nonetheless had a historic postseason. His 34 assists have been most all-time in a single playoff run. His 42 factors have been fourth all-time, behind simply Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Due to that, McDavid turned the sixth participant ever to win the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP whereas not being on the workforce that received the Stanley Cup.
14. Liberty win first WNBA title in thrilling sequence vs. Lynx
The New York Liberty have been on a revenge tour in 2024, and so they ended it with the primary WNBA title in franchise historical past. After ending the common season atop the standings, the Liberty rolled by way of the primary couple rounds earlier than assembly the Minnesota Lynx for an epic WNBA Finals.
In Sport 1, the Lynx drew first blood in The Massive Apple. Napheesa Collier knocked down a bounce shot with 8.1 seconds left in extra time to ship a win for Minnesota, however New York responded with back-to-back wins in Video games 2 and three.
Breanna Stewart totaled 51 factors in these two contests as she put the Liberty on her again to present them a 2-1 sequence lead.
Sport 4 was one other back-and-forth battle for all 4 quarters, however the Lynx have been capable of preserve their season alive with a pair of free throws from Bridget Carleton to present them an 82-80 victory. Kayla McBride knocked down three of her six 3-point makes an attempt and led the workforce with 19 factors.
The fifth and deciding sport was a slugfest that went to extra time. The Lynx did a wonderful job of limiting Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, holding them to 18 mixed factors on 5 of 34 from the sphere. That defensive effort was for naught as Jonquel Jones and Leonie Fiebich picked up the slack.
Defensively, the Liberty have been excellent, permitting simply two factors in extra time for a 67-62 win. Jones took residence the WNBA Finals MVP after averaging 17.8 factors and seven.6 rebounds per sport.
That Sport 5 win for the Liberty capped off an thrilling WNBA Playoffs that displayed the rising reputation of the game. Postseason video games averaged 1.1 million viewers, which was a 139% improve over the 2023 playoffs.
13. Alabama disregarded of first 12-team School Soccer Playoff
School soccer continued to evolve this 12 months, and the most important change got here within the postseason. The School Soccer Playoff expanded to 12 groups, and the brand new format created some intense debate down the stretch within the common season.
Maybe essentially the most fascinating facet of the expanded discipline was the battle for the final playoff spot, which basically got here right down to Alabama (9-3) and SMU (11-2). The Crimson Tide’s resume had some spectacular wins, together with an exciting victory over No. 2 Georgia and a blowout of LSU in Loss of life Valley. Nevertheless, Alabama additionally suffered two brutal losses, one to Vanderbilt and one other one to Oklahoma.
The Mustangs did not have Alabama’s power of schedule, however the devastating losses weren’t there. SMU’s two losses, which have been towards BYU and Clemson, got here by a mixed six factors. The second of these two losses was within the ACC Championship Sport, which was determined by a last-second discipline aim.
When it got here time for the choice committee to make its closing resolution, SMU bought the nod over Alabama, and the Tide have been disregarded of the sphere for simply the third time.
The primary 12-team discipline was as follows:
1. Oregon
2. Georgia
3. Boise State
4. Arizona State
5. Texas
6. Penn State
7. Notre Dame
8. Ohio State
9. Tennessee
11. SMU
12. Clemson
The opposite notable change to the playoff format is that followers will get to see on-campus playoff video games this weekend. Texas will host Clemson, Penn State will host SMU, Notre Dame will host Indiana and Ohio State will host Tennessee. These ought to present raucous atmospheres and convey a brand new power to the faculty soccer postseason.
12. Juan Soto indicators document contract with Mets
Juan Soto was the most popular title on the MLB free agent market this offseason, and he parlayed that right into a historic contract with the New York Mets. Soto agreed to a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets, which is the richest deal in baseball historical past.
Shohei Ohtani’s mammoth $700 million take care of the Los Angeles Dodgers held the document for all of 1 12 months earlier than Soto’s signing. It is not arduous to see why Soto, 26, commanded such an eye-popping price ticket on the open market. He is already put collectively a prolonged listing of accolades and accomplishments at a younger age.
- 5 Silver Slugger Awards
- 4-time MLB All-Star
- 3-time All-MLB First Staff
- 2020 NL Batting title
- World Collection champion
Making this even sweeter for the Mets is the truth that they poached Soto from the New York Yankees after he smashed 41 residence runs and racked up 109 RBI for his lone season in pinstripes. Soto solely bought higher within the postseason, hitting .327 with 4 homers and 9 RBI whereas main the Yankees to the World Collection.
Heading into 2025, the Mets shall be one of many favorites to win the World Collection after reaching the NLCS final fall. It is going to be a really enjoyable summer season for baseball in New York.
11. LeBron, Bronny James take the courtroom as teammates
LeBron James has completed quite a bit in his NBA profession, however he completed a primary in his twenty second NBA season. On opening night time, James and his son, Bronny James, made historical past as the primary father-son duo to play in a sport collectively.
Popping out of USC, Bronny was the No. 55 general decide in final summer season’s draft, and he did not have to attend lengthy to take the courtroom along with his dad. In the course of the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ season-opener towards the Minnesota Timberwolves, Bronny checked in and made NBA historical past along with his father.
LeBron all the time stated he needed to play lengthy sufficient to play along with his son, and he bought that chance on Oct. 22. As soon as that second occurred, LeBron and Bronny posed for photos with Ken Griffey — Jr. and Sr.
Bronny did not stay within the sport, a 110-103 win, for very lengthy. He performed three minutes and didn’t register a degree, however LeBron notched 16 factors to go together with 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 25 minutes of enjoying time.
Since that debut, Bronny has break up time between the NBA and G League. He logged his first factors with the Lakers in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 30.
10. UConn goes back-to-back in March Insanity
For the primary time since Florida received consecutive titles in 2006 and 2007, the NCAA Match noticed a back-to-back champion when UConn lower down the nets in Glendale, Arizona. The Huskies rolled by way of March Insanity, and so they appeared to take action whereas barely breaking a sweat.
UConn entered the NCAA Match with a 31-3 document, and it by some means discovered a option to elevate its sport much more. The Huskies throttled Stetson, 91-52, within the first spherical. That outcome was a poor omen for any workforce unfortunate sufficient to face UConn the remainder of the way in which.
The closest sport the Huskies performed within the match was a 14-point win over Alabama within the Ultimate 4. UConn’s common margin of victory in March Insanity was 23.3 factors, and the workforce’s dominant run ended with a 75-60 win over Purdue within the nationwide championship.
In that nationwide title sport, Tristen Newton notched 20 factors, seven assists and 5 rebounds. Newton was named the NCAA Match’s Most Excellent Participant, averaging 14.5 factors and seven.2 rebounds over the Huskies’ six video games.
UConn coach Dan Hurley returned to pursue a 3rd consecutive nationwide championship in 2024-25, however his future with this system appeared in query for at the very least a part of the offseason. That is as a result of the Los Angeles Lakers tried to lure Hurley away from faculty basketball, however he selected to stay with the Huskies.
9. Michigan wins first nationwide title in 26 years
Because the 1997 season, when Michigan completed atop the AP Ballot, this system had been desperately trying to find its subsequent nationwide championship. Simply over 26 years later, the Wolverines lastly broke by way of with an undefeated 15-0 marketing campaign that culminated with a win over Washington within the nationwide championship.
Following a 3rd straight win over Ohio State and a 3rd straight Massive Ten title, the Wolverines squared off towards Alabama within the School Soccer Playoff semifinal, and it was an instantaneous basic. J.J. McCarthy engineered a clutch game-tying drive late within the fourth quarter, which included a vital fourth-down conversion, and it ended with a landing go to Roman Wilson with 1:34 remaining in regulation.
In extra time, working again Blake Corum did all of the work, speeding for 25 yards and a landing. On the following Alabama possession, the Wolverines bought a goal-line stand for the win.
The Nationwide Championship Sport was much less thrilling, because of the Michigan protection, which restricted the Huskies’ high-powered offense to 301 whole yards and intercepted Michel Penix Jr. twice. The Wolverines’ offense, then again, bought no matter it needed on the bottom with 303 speeding yards and 4 touchdowns in a 34-13 win.
All of this was taking place within the fallout from the Connor Stalions scandal, by which the previous Michigan staffer was accused of stealing different groups’ indicators. That saga continued this 12 months when the NCAA handed down its discover of allegations and Netflix launched a documentary on Stalions.
Within the wake of Michigan’s nationwide championship, Jim Harbaugh selected to leap again to the NFL, taking on the Los Angeles Chargers. In his place, Sherrone Moore took over because the Wolverines’ coach and led the workforce to a fourth straight win over Ohio State.
8. Celtics roll by way of playoffs to seize 18th NBA title
Frankly, the Boston Celtics did every little thing they might to make the 2024 NBA Playoffs as boring as doable. They rolled by way of all 4 rounds en path to a record-setting 18th NBA championship.
After going 64-18 within the common season and profitable the Jap Convention by a whopping 14 video games, the Celtics proved they have been actually simply that a lot better than everybody else. Boston went 16-3 within the postseason, together with a sweep of the Indiana Pacers within the Jap Convention finals, and it by no means allowed a sequence to succeed in Sport 6.
Within the NBA Finals, the Celtics dealt with enterprise towards the Dallas Mavericks with relative ease, solely dropping Sport 4. Within the Sport 5 sequence clincher, Boston roared out to a 67-46 lead at halftime and slammed the door the remainder of the way in which for a decisive 106-88 victory.
Lastly, after seven seasons collectively, the star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown bought their first championship. Brown, whose choice within the 2016 NBA Draft was booed by followers on the time, took residence the Invoice Russell Finals MVP Trophy. Along with averaging 20.8 factors per sport, Brown was accountable for placing a lid on Luka Doncic.
After 17 years within the NBA, veteran Al Horford was lastly capable of name himself a world champion. His 186 playoff video games with out a ring have been the second-most behind solely Karl Malone.
With the Celtics capable of recover from the playoff hump final season, they’re off and working once more in 2024-25. Boston is 17-4, only one sport again of the Cleveland Cavaliers for first within the convention, and it appears to be like banner No. 19 could be on the horizon.
7. Shohei Ohtani’s eventful first season with the Dodgers
In his first 12 months as a Dodger, Shohei Ohtani spent all his time within the limelight, however not all the time for a very good motive. Alongside the way in which, there was some controversy and one of many biggest feats in baseball historical past.
With Ohtani coming to the Dodgers on a $700 million contract, a lot was anticipated of him, however he hardly bought out of the gates earlier than controversy struck. Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s then interpreter, was alleged to have stolen virtually $17 million from the MLB celebrity and used it to put unlawful wagers.
Mizuhara would later plead responsible to financial institution and tax fraud costs, and he is at the moment dealing with the chance 33 years in jail and a $1.25 million wonderful.
As that saga was enjoying out, Ohtani was hitting the quilt off the baseball and screaming throughout the bottom paths. That every one led to Sept. 19, when Ohtani performed his means into the MLB document books. With a legendary single-game efficiency, Ohtani created the 50-50 membership. The Dodgers’ slugger hit his forty ninth, fiftieth and 51st residence runs of the season whereas additionally stealing his fiftieth and 51st bases.
That historic season sealed one other MVP award, making him simply the twelfth participant ever to win the award 3 times. Ohtani proved he was well worth the cruise liner of cash the Dodgers spent on him, and he wasn’t even capable of take mound, which he’ll do in 2025.
6. Scottie Scheffler’s season for the ages
Scottie Scheffler dominated his sport as a lot as another athlete in 2024, lapping his opponents on the course each weekend. Scheffler was in his personal stratosphere, and he turned in among the finest seasons of all-time along with his unimaginable run spanning from Augusta, Georgia, to Paris.
On the PGA Tour, Scheffler turned simply the third golfer since 1983 to win seven occasions. Tiger Woods did it 4 instances, and Vijay Singh did it as soon as. Amongst these seven have been wins at The Masters, The Gamers Championship and the Tour Championship. All that profitable resulted in Scheffler incomes $62 million, which was roughly seven instances greater than Jack Nicklaus made in his complete profession.
Not even a temporary jail stint throughout the PGA Championship may decelerate Scheffler. Shortly after he was launched, Scheffler shot 5-under within the second spherical.
After all, all these PGA Tour wins do not even embody the rarest gem in Scheffler’s assortment, a gold medal on the 2024 Paris Olympics. Scheffler got here from behind to beat Tommy Fleetwood and stand atop the rostrum, capturing a 62 within the closing spherical to make it occur.
Scheffler went wire-to-wire because the No. 1 golfer on this planet this 12 months, however nobody wanted the rating to inform them that. Scheffler merely outclassed everybody else within the sport.
5. Invoice Belichick, Nick Saban finish prolific runs
This soccer season has featured a pair of notable absences on the sidelines. That is as a result of Nick Saban and Invoice Belichick took gigs in media after ending their legendary tenures with Alabama and the New England Patriots, respectively.
The Patriots employed Belichick all the way in which again in 1999, and in simply his second 12 months on the job, they received Tremendous Bowl XXXVI with Tom Brady below heart. That was the primary of six Tremendous Bowls that Belichick would win with the Patriots, and Belichick left New England simply 26 wins shy of Don Shula for the all-time document.
Between the Patriots and the Cleveland Browns, Belichick was an NFL head coach for 29 years, which is a kind of longevity hardly ever seen anymore. Like Saban, Belichick’s trophy case is overflowing.
- 302 wins
- 17 division titles
- 9 AFC championships
- 6 Tremendous Bowls
These questioning whether or not Belichick would take one other teaching job did not have to attend lengthy for his or her reply. North Carolina employed him earlier this month because the NFL legend will enter the ever-changing panorama of recent faculty soccer. All eyes shall be on Belichick to see if he can construct one other dynasty, this time on the faculty degree.
Following his seventeenth season at Alabama, Saban selected to retire, ending among the finest tenures in faculty soccer historical past. In 2007, Saban took over the Crimson Tide at a time when this system was mired in mediocrity. Simply two years later, Saban led the workforce to its first nationwide title in 17 years. That kicked off a dynasty in Tuscaloosa, and Saban left because the winningest coach in Alabama historical past with 206 victories below his belt.
In whole, Saban spent 28 years as a head coach in faculty soccer. All through that point, he constructed a resume that offers him a powerful argument for the best of all-time.
- 292 wins
- 12 convention championships
- 7 nationwide championships
Since Saban went out on his personal phrases, its appears much less possible he’ll be rejoining Belichick among the many teaching ranks. I assume everybody can dream of a world by which one other outstanding ACC program makes a change and goes after Saban so we are able to see the 2 teaching giants go head-to-head.
4. Freddie Freeman rises to the event in World Collection
The World Collection matchup between the Dodgers and Yankees was the most anticipated in current reminiscence, and it delivered some jaw-dropping moments. A type of moments got here in Sport 1 when Freddie Freeman delivered a dramatic win for the Dodgers.
Within the backside of the tenth inning, the Yankees have been one out away from taking a 1-0 sequence lead in Los Angeles. With two runners on, Mookie Betts got here to the plate for the Dodgers, and the Yankees elected to stroll the bases loaded so as to face Freeman as an alternative. That proved to be a poor resolution.
Freeman took the primary pitch he noticed from Nestor Cortes and deposited it into the best discipline seats at Dodger Stadium. It was the primary walk-off grand slam in World Collection historical past and simply the second all-time within the MLB playoffs.
That hit proved to be a spark for the Dodgers as they received the subsequent two video games and completed off the Yankees in 5 video games to win their eighth World Collection title. Freeman went on to win the World Collection MVP with a .250 batting common, 4 residence runs and 13 RBI.
These three video games within the Bronx produced some unforgettable moments, too. A Yankees fan ripped a fly ball out of Mookie Betts’ glove in foul floor, and an inexplicable error by Aaron Choose allowed the Dodgers to come again from down 5-0 in what proved to be a series-clinching Sport 5.
3. Simone Biles’ comeback ends with all-round gold medal
Three years after bowing out of the Tokyo Olympics as a result of “twisties,” Simone Biles accomplished her comeback in dominant style on the 2024 Paris Olympics. After posting the very best scores within the vault, stability beam and ground train, Biles stood atop the rostrum with a gold medal round her neck.
Biles managed to carry off Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, who had an important Olympic exhibiting in her personal proper, to develop into the oldest girl ever to win gold within the all-round on the age of 27. She additionally broke a tie with Shannon Miller, turning into essentially the most embellished feminine gymnast in U.S. Olympic historical past with 11.
The all-round gold wasn’t the one {hardware} Biles received in Paris. She additionally helped the People win gold within the workforce occasion, and he or she added one other gold medal within the vault. Biles fell simply in need of a fourth gold medal when Adrade edged her out for gold within the ground train, however Biles nonetheless received silver in that occasion.
Biles’ comeback story was unimaginable, nevertheless it wasn’t the one one on Staff USA. In 2023, Suni Lee was identified with a uncommon kidney illness that abruptly ended her sophomore season at Auburn and compelled her to overlook the World Championships. Lee was capable of regain her well being, and in Paris she added a gold medal and two bronze medals to her trophy case.
2. Caitlin Clark takes WNBA by storm in rookie season
Few athletes have entered skilled sports activities with extra expectations on their shoulders than Caitlin Clark in her rookie season with the Indiana Fever. Clark not solely delivered on these expectations, however she may need exceeded them.
Clark was thought-about a generational prospect after a dominant faculty profession at Iowa, and he or she was on the forefront of an thrilling rookie class within the 2024 WNBA Draft. With all eyes on her, Clark started her assault on the WNBA document books virtually instantly.
Not solely did Clark rewrite a number of rookie data, however she additionally reset the bar for all gamers in a few classes.
- Factors (rookie): 769
- 3-pointers (rookie): 122
- Assists (single-season): 337
- Assists (single-game): 19
Within the technique of smashing these data, Clark took a Fever workforce that went 13-27 the earlier 12 months and turned it right into a playoff workforce at 20-20. The Fever bowed out towards the Connecticut Solar within the first spherical, nevertheless it was the franchise’s first playoff look since 2017. (And, yeah, spoiler alert, she was the league’s Rookie of the Yr.)
Maybe essentially the most spectacular a part of Clark’s rookie season was the quantity of eyeballs she drew to ladies’s basketball.
The Fever’s highway sport towards the Washington Mystics at Capital One Enviornment on Sept. 19 set a WNBA attendance document at 20,711. That was one in all three Fever video games with an attendance over 20,000. The Fever’s attendance numbers have been up 318% from the earlier season, and so they averaged 17,036 followers per sport.
Clark made her mark in additional methods than one, and now we’ll must see what sort of encore she has in retailer for 2025.
1. Kansas Metropolis Chiefs repeat as Tremendous Bowl champions
When Patrick Mahomes discovered a wide-open Mecole Hardman ultimately zone to win Tremendous Bowl LVIII in extra time, it capped off a completely spectacular postseason run for the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. It additionally made the Chiefs the primary back-to-back Tremendous Bowl winners in 20 years.
It is easy to look again now and say the Chiefs are merely inevitable, however that wasn’t essentially the case in the beginning of the postseason. Kansas Metropolis went 5-5 in its final 10 regular-season video games, and it missed out on a top-two seed within the AFC. That meant the highway to the Tremendous Bowl did not run by way of Arrowhead Stadium for the primary time in Mahomes’ profession.
Earlier than the Chiefs may even take into consideration celebrating in Las Vegas, they needed to make journeys to Buffalo and Baltimore for video games towards two groups hungry to knock them off their AFC throne. In each matchups, Kansas Metropolis turned in gutsy defensive performances to tug out slim wins in hostile environments. That ended any and all questions on whether or not the Chiefs may win a real highway sport within the postseason.
As nice because the Chiefs’ protection was all through the playoffs, Tremendous Bowl LVIII was the Mahomes present. He threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns whereas additionally main the workforce in speeding with 66 yards. Dealing with do-or-die drives on the finish of regulation and in extra time, Mahomes led the offense on scoring drives with one clutch plat after one other. For his efforts, Mahomes was rewarded along with his the third Tremendous Bowl MVP award of his profession.
The sport additionally offered a Hollywood ending for the Taylor Swift saga. Because the confetti was falling at Allegiant Stadium, Swift went down on the sphere to rejoice with Travis Kelce and the remainder of the Chiefs.
Now, the Chiefs have eyes on turning into the primary workforce in historical past to win three straight Tremendous Bowls, and from the appears to be like of their 13-1 begin, they’re properly on their means.
