Here's a few I'll start with.

Portland Trailblazers miracle minute (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C0iK_3FgAY)

Death of Hank Gathers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUwwKVNbyyQ)

Kobe scores 81 points (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLuYS3huMeY&feature=fvst)

For me it was those two and a half years watching " The greatest show on turf "

When Bo Jackson went all the way to the left field wall to catch the fly ball--and then threw out the runner trying to score from 3rd.

Here's a few I'll start with.

Portland Trailblazers miracle minute (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C0iK_3FgAY)...

Ah, that's nothing...

Feb 4, 1987 - Kings vs Lakers at the forum...

Lakers jump out to a 29-0 lead. Then the Kings hit 2 free throws... then the Lakers go on an 8-0 run to make it 37-2. The Kings hit two more FTs with under a minute to play in the first quarter, and a Laker (I think it was Michael Cooper) hits a 3 pointer as time runs out... end of the first quarter, Lakers 40, Kings 4.

Here's the box score from that game...

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198702040LAL.html

Final was 128-92.

I turned on my VCR when the score was about 14-0, just to see what would happen the rest of the way.

I haven't watched that in years, I think that Reggie Theus and Otis Thorpe hit the free throws for the Kings in the first quarter, Thorpe with under a minute to play. The Kings did not hit a FG in the entire 1st quarter.

Here's a few I'll start with.

Death of Hank Gathers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUwwKVNbyyQ)


If we're talking the deaths of players, I would probably list Roberto Clemente, Len Bias and Thurman Munson.

...Kobe scores 81 points (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLuYS3huMeY&feature=fvst)


I probably have posted this before here somewhere, but here is a story of a guy who, as a college student in 1962, gave away his ticket to a Warriors/Knicks game in Hershey PA.... that was the game in which Wilt scored 100, in 1962.

Then, 44 years later, in 2006, the SAME GUY is now living in LA, he's a successful businessman, and a Laker season-ticket holder.

He has tickets to attend a Lakers/Raptors game, but decides not to go in order to attend a party given in honor of a friend of his. Sure enough, that's the game in which Kobe scores 81.

The guy gave away tickets to the two highest individual scoring games in NBA history (the league's only 80-point performances)... 44 years and 3,000 miles apart.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/basketball/nba/01/27/kobe.wilt.tickets/

"... little roller up along first... BEHIND THE BAG.... IT GETS THROUGH BUCKNER!! HERE COMES KNIGHT AND THE METS WIN IT!!!" - Vin Scully, at about 12:30 am EST, Sunday morning October 26, 1986.

Well, heck, here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVrC2gwsJAI

They added an unnecessary music soundtrack but oh well

I probably have posted this before here somewhere, but here is a story of a guy who, as a college student in 1962, gave away his ticket to a Warriors/Knicks game in Hershey PA.... that was the game in which Wilt scored 100, in 1962.

Then, 44 years later, in 2006, the SAME GUY is now living in LA, he's a successful businessman, and a Laker season-ticket holder.

He has tickets to attend a Lakers/Raptors game, but decides not to go in order to attend a party given in honor of a friend of his. Sure enough, that's the game in which Kobe scores 81.

The guy gave away tickets to the two highest individual scoring games in NBA history (the league's only 80-point performances)... 44 years and 3,000 miles apart.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/basketball/nba/01/27/kobe.wilt.tickets/

Yes, I remember you posting that. I feel so sorry for that guy. The odds of that happening would have to be like one in a billion atleast. That Lakers Kings game you wrote about is absolutely amazing. I would have loved to have seen that game! Thanks for sharing Tweety. Now I'm going to go see if I can find any of those moments on youtube. :)

I can see that the Trailblazer one isn't really at the level of amazing as the other ones are. Im biased though. I think it's so memorable for me, since I'm from Portland. Had it been another team, I doubt I would have put that up. I love me my Blazers! ;)

I can see that the Trailblazer one isn't really at the level of amazing as the other ones are. Im biased though. I think it's so memorable for me, since I'm from Portland. Had it been another team, I doubt I would have put that up. I love me my Blazers! ;)

Well, heck, that's what sports is really about... what's "memorable" for one fan wouldn't necessarily be so for another fan.

It's really not possible to pin down one "moment" in each sport for me... I've been watching sports since the late 60s. Way too many things have gone on over that time. Besides, what's a "moment"? Is it truly one single play? Or one game? Or one series? Or one season?

Football: Miami completing a perfect season. That was a moment. Or the Immaculate Reception by Franco Harris. As a Steeler fan,that was a great moment. Even non-Steeler fans might pick that as the #1 moment in NFL history.

Basketball: Willis Reed limping out for game 7 in 1970... that was an amazing moment for Knick fans, probably the #1 moment in team history. I was a Knick fan in the early-mid 70s, although I liked the Lakers at that time too, and the Lakers eventually became my favorite team (which they still are). Certainly nothing Michael Jordan ever did can compare to Willis Reed's heroics.

Baseball: Fans recently "voted" Cal Ripken's 2,131 game as the most memorable moment in MLB history. No offense to Cal, but to me,that's just absurd. Has anyone ever heard of (for example) Bobby Thompson? What about Babe Ruth's called shot in 1932?

Can a "memorable" moment exist before the creation of TV (or more specifically, ESPN)? Apparently not, according to a lot of people.

Yes, I remember you posting that. I feel so sorry for that guy. The odds of that happening would have to be like one in a billion atleast. That Lakers Kings game you wrote about is absolutely amazing. I would have loved to have seen that game! Thanks for sharing Tweety. Now I'm going to go see if I can find any of those moments on youtube. :)

Yeah, when I first heard about that poor guy, I thought the same thing... billion to one shot!

On that Lakers/Kings game... I had a satellite dish during the 80s and 90s, and I could watch about 60-70 Laker games a year (starting about 1985, when I got the dish). I probably have that 29-0 run on an old VHS tape somewhere. It's certainly nothing that I would have knowingly erased.

I'm in the (very slow) process of going through several hundred VHS tapes that I have and transferring things that I want to keep on to DVDs. If and when I find that sequence, I will definitely post it on youtube. However, that might be a few years down the road, even if I do find it.

I've only posted a couple of things on youtube, really just to see how it works. Both items involve Magic's Lakers and Bird's Celtics. You might enjoy them...



Lakers 115 Celtics 114 Dec 11 1987 final minute (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDqX5oRpnt4)

Magic vs. Bird - Who's "Bad"?? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0WfSFGamkQ)


The first video is the final minute or so of a LA @ Boston game played in December of 1987. The video itself is just over 7 minutes in length, it includes some stoppages of play and time outs. Video from this game is posted elsewhere on youtube, but I like my version because it contains the play by play call as made by the great Laker announcer Chick Hearn, the best play by play broadcaster in the history of ANY sport. The Lakers win this game in unforgettable fashion.

The second video "Who's Bad?" was actually TBS's opening intro to the game that night. It's a highlight compilation of Bird and Magic set to Michael Jackson's "Bad". That one's just under 1 and 1/2 minutes in length.

If it involves Cleveland...it usually is a Bad Memory.

I even wrote an article about it awhile ago....

http://www.retrojunk.com/details_articles/6306/

The ball going through Billy Buckner's legs in 1986, during the World Series game.

Bobby Orr scoring the winning goal in 1972, flying through the air.

Curt Schilling playing with a bloody sock in the World Series game.

The Patriots - in what we call, "the snowgame", the two great field goal kicks that Adam Viniterri made to tie, then win the game.

Two of the saddest moments in sports history. Antonio Puerta, and Miklos Feher die from a heart attack during a soccer game. These videos still haunt me to this day. Warning, this is incredibly difficult to watch. RIP :(

Antonio Puerta tribute (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC4zRuxjZYY&feature=view_all&list=PL888F6FB723FC3926&index=20)

Miklos Feher death (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZhRNMX7sOU)

Yeah, when I first heard about that poor guy, I thought the same thing... billion to one shot!

On that Lakers/Kings game... I had a satellite dish during the 80s and 90s, and I could watch about 60-70 Laker games a year (starting about 1985, when I got the dish). I probably have that 29-0 run on an old VHS tape somewhere. It's certainly nothing that I would have knowingly erased.

I'm in the (very slow) process of going through several hundred VHS tapes that I have and transferring things that I want to keep on to DVDs. If and when I find that sequence, I will definitely post it on youtube. However, that might be a few years down the road, even if I do find it.

I've only posted a couple of things on youtube, really just to see how it works. Both items involve Magic's Lakers and Bird's Celtics. You might enjoy them...



Lakers 115 Celtics 114 Dec 11 1987 final minute (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDqX5oRpnt4)

Magic vs. Bird - Who's "Bad"?? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0WfSFGamkQ)


The first video is the final minute or so of a LA @ Boston game played in December of 1987. The video itself is just over 7 minutes in length, it includes some stoppages of play and time outs. Video from this game is posted elsewhere on youtube, but I like my version because it contains the play by play call as made by the great Laker announcer Chick Hearn, the best play by play broadcaster in the history of ANY sport. The Lakers win this game in unforgettable fashion.

The second video "Who's Bad?" was actually TBS's opening intro to the game that night. It's a highlight compilation of Bird and Magic set to Michael Jackson's "Bad". That one's just under 1 and 1/2 minutes in length.

Great videos Tweety, I enjoyed both. That Celtics Lakers game just shows why this is the greatest rivalry in basketball history. The finish to that game was amazing. Sort of reminiscent of Derek Fisher's great shot to beat the Kings in the NBA semifinals in the early 2000's. I kind of wish I were older during the Magic Johnson, Larry Bird days. I think I would have been able to appreciate that rivalry more had I been older. Thanks again for posting. If you ever put up new videos, please let me know!

Great videos Tweety, I enjoyed both. That Celtics Lakers game just shows why this is the greatest rivalry in basketball history. The finish to that game was amazing. Sort of reminiscent of Derek Fisher's great shot to beat the Kings in the NBA semifinals in the early 2000's. I kind of wish I were older during the Magic Johnson, Larry Bird days. I think I would have been able to appreciate that rivalry more had I been older. Thanks again for posting. If you ever put up new videos, please let me know!


Thanks, will do!

Yeah, it's really not possible to describe what it was like anticipating a Laker/Celtic game during the Magic/Bird era. Both teams were just so incredibly smart, in addition to being incredibly talented. They'd only play 2x during the regular season, usually in December or January at Boston and in Feb in L.A.

From the moment they entered the NBA, we all waited for them to meet in the finals... it took 5 years for it to happen, but once they started...wow!

1980: Bird Rookie of the year, Magic wins NBA title and Finals MVP against 76ers, although Kareem was really the playoff MVP that year.

1981: Bird wins NBA title, as well as leading a a comeback win for the Celtics in the E.C.F vs the 76ers, after trailing 3 games to 1. Magic's Lakers were upset in first round 2-1 miniseries loss to the Rockets. It was Magic himself who threw up an air ball in the lane in the final seconds of the deciding game with the Lakers down by a point at home.

1982: Magic wins his second title and second finals MVP award vs the 76ers. Bird's Celtics again trailed 3 games to 1 to Philly in the E.C.F, won 2 in a row but then lost game 7 in Boston.

1983: Magic's injury-riddled Lakers get steamrolled by the 76ers and Moses Malone in the finals, Celtics were upset in round 2 by the Bucks. Sixers probably would have won even if the Lakers were healthy, but with James Worthy, Norm Nixon and Bob McAdoo basically out for the finals, it was no contest.

1984: Finally! Celtics beat Lakers in a brutal 7 game final... after the Lakers should have swept them in four straight. Bird wins first reg season MVP and is also finals MVP.

1985: After a 148-114 loss in game 1 of the finals ("The Memorial Day Massacre"), the Lakers win 4 of the next 5 to defeat the Celtics for the first time in the finals (losing all 8 previous finals matchups). Kareem is finals MVP at age 38. Bird won 2nd straight reg season MVP


1986: Celtics win another title, Bird wins 3rd straight MVP and is also finals MVP for the 2nd time. Lakers are upset in W.C.F. by Houston.

1987: Lakers beat an injury plagued Celtics team. Magic wins first reg season MVP, and is also finals MVP. Game 4 was the Magic junior skyhook game, and gave Lakers a 3-1 lead.

1988: End of the Cetlics run, they lose to Detroit in ECF Lakers become first team in 19 years to repeat as champs, winning an amazing 7 game series. James Worthy is finals MVP, and picked a great time to get his first career triple double... game 7 of the finals... 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists.

1989: Lakers try for a 3 peat, but lose Byron Scott and Magic for most of the finals. Pistons sweep in Kareem's final season.


Every NBA final of the 80s featured Bird, Magic or both. The Lakers won 8 Western Conference Titles, Houston was the only WC team to beat the Lakers in the playoffs during the decade (1981 and 1986).

I have all of the Laker/Celtic finals games on video

1984: Celtics in 7
1985: Lakers in 6
1987: Lakers in 6

I also have several regular season games on video between the two teams (from 85-89 mostly).

1/16/85: Celtics win in Boston on a buzzer beater by Kevin McHale 104-102
2/17/85 Lakers came back to win in LA, 117-111

85-86, Celtics win both games

1986-87:
12/12/86: Lakers erase a 15 pt deficit at Boston, win 117-110 going away

2/15/87: A Sunday national telecast...Lakers acquire Mychal Thompson the previous Friday night at the trade deadline... he scores 10 on Sunday, Magic dominates with 39 pts and 10 assists... also in this game, Kareem had a 600+ game double-figure scoring streak going, and with a minute to go in the 4th quarter, he'd only scored 6 points... he scored a basket with about 50 seconds left and then hit a couple of high-pressure free throws in the final 30 seconds or so. Final, 106-103, Lakers.



12/11/87 - this was the game I posted on youtube, Magic wins it at the buzzer, 115-114.

I have a couple of more games after that, but Magic's buzzer beater was really the last of the great moments between those teams.

There's been nothing close to it since.

The most underrated player in NBA history. Arvydas Sabonis. Any basketball fan who has an appreciation for the great ones, and a fairly good knowledge of the game, know what an amazing player Sabonis was in his prime. I agree with Bill Walton, every bit as talented as Larry Bird, if not moreso, and any NBA Center in NBA history in his prime. To give give you an idea of how good he was, here's some impressive stats to confirm my hype. Here are some of his stats from the 1997-1998 NBA season with the Portland Trailblazers, when both of his knees were blown out, and when he was only a shell of his former self. 16 ppg, 0.9 steals, 1.1 blocks, 3.0 assists, 9.9 rebounds, 80% free throw shooting. (Unheard of for a guy who stands at 7'3' tall.) 50% field goal percentage, and 32 minutes per game. Put these stats up against Shaq, or any other Center in the history of the NBA, in their wanning days, and Sabonis blows them all out of the water. One of the greatest passing big man of all time, and one of the best three point shooting big men of all time. Just happens to be my all time favorite player, and A living LEGEND to boot!! Sabonis greatest moment videos to come soon.

The most underrated player in NBA history. Arvydas Sabonis. Any basketball fan who has an appreciation for the great ones, and a fairly good knowledge of the game, know what an amazing player Sabonis was in his prime. I agree with Bill Walton, every bit as talented as Larry Bird, if not moreso, and any NBA Center in NBA history in his prime. To give give you an idea of how good he was, here's some impressive stats to confirm my hype. Here are some of his stats from the 1997-1998 NBA season with the Portland Trailblazers, when both of his knees were blown out, and when he was only a shell of his former self. 16 ppg, 0.9 steals, 1.1 blocks, 3.0 assists, 9.9 rebounds, 80% free throw shooting. (Unheard of for a guy who stands at 7'3' tall.) 50% field goal percentage, and 32 minutes per game. Put these stats up against Shaq, or any other Center in the history of the NBA, in their wanning days, and Sabonis blows them all out of the water. One of the greatest passing big man of all time, and one of the best three point shooting big men of all time. Just happens to be my all time favorite player, and A living LEGEND to boot!! Sabonis greatest moment videos to come soon.


Oh man, when Sabonis was young and healthy, I'm not sure anyone was ever better than that guy... one writer, in describing a young Sabonis, said "imagine a healthy Bill Walton with unlimited shooting range". That guy was unbelievable.

Wilt Chamberlain was not one to be generous with praise for the 80s/90s generations of players... he knew who the great players were, but during that time, the NBA was getting into the area of specialists... guys who could ONLY shoot a 3 pointer (and then only if someone feeds them the ball, they couldn't create their own shot), point guards who were good passers but couldn't shoot, etc... but he couldn't believe the way a broken down Sabonis was, in Wilt's words, "tearing most of our (American) centers apart". Sabonis was able to do that because his play was so fundamentally sound.

If a young Sabonis would have been in the NBA all along, and would have stayed healthy for a normal career length, he'd easily have been a top 10 player of all time.

I think youtube has some video of a young Sabonis, not sure how much of it is out there.

by the way, I've been on record a number of times here about how ESPN has no idea what they're talking about when it comes to sports history....

Well, as if on cue, as if they went out of their way to prove that I'm right about that, ESPN recently released THEIR rankings of the 10 most dramatic moments in the history of American sports (http://nyc.barstoolsports.com/m/random-thoughts/espn-ranks-usa-women-over-brazil-as-more-dramatic-sports-moment-than-kirk-gibson-and-bill-buckner/)... got that? In the HISTORY of American Sports...

The recent women's soccer win over Brazil was ranked... are you ready for this?.... NUMBER FIVE! That's ALL TIME.

In case you're wondering what finished ahead of that game:

No. 1 – Miracle on Ice
No. 2 – NC State with Jimmy V
No. 3 – Bill Mazeroski homer for Pittsburgh to win World Series
No. 4 – Joe Carter homer for Toronto to win World Series
No. 5 – USA Women rally to defeat Brazil.


An obvious sympathy vote for "Jimmy V" there.

In case you're wondering what finished BEHIND the win over Brazil... the answer is... EVERYTHING ELSE!!! Nothing that has EVER happened in the history of sports ranks with a women's soccer win over Brazil in a quarter final match. Not even the 1999 Women's WC team that actually won it all.


For the record, here is the rest of their "Top 10"

No. 6 - Bill Buckner
No. 7 – Immaculate Reception
No. 8 - Kirk Gibson – I don’t believe what I just saw!
No. 9 – Shot Heard Round the World - Giants win the pennant!
No. 10 – Duke over Kentucky – Shot from Laettner


Gibson's HR has to be the most over-rated HR ever hit.
Laettner's shot? Another quarter-final win. And it was the last worthwhile thing Laettner ever did on a basketball court. It was a joke that he was on the Dream Team, and he never amounted to anything in the NBA.


Other college basketball moments that might considered significant... Texas Western over Kentucky in 1966... that was a moment. Houston (Hayes) over UCLA (Alcindor) to snap UCLA's 47 game winning streak... Notre Dame over Walton's UCLA team, ending an 88 game winning streak... a few NCAA title games were won on the final shot, how about those?

NBA moments: Has ESPN ever heard of Willis Reed? Game 7? 1970? Greatest moment in the history of the NBA. ESPN keeps telling us that Michael Jordan was the GOAT... how about a Jordan moment somewhere in there, he had enough of them. Nothing Bird or Magic ever did approaches a soccer win over a Brazil team that doesn't even practice? The '92 Dream Team winning back the gold?

Did boxing ever have a top 10 moment? Do the words "Ali-Frazier" mean anything to the wizards at ESPN?

Tennis: Borg/McEnroe 1980 Wimbledon finals? Even though the American lost, it's still considered to be the greatest match ever played (until a recent Nadal Wimbledon final, I think).

Baseball: Way too many moments to list, but how about Don Larsen pitching a perfect game in the World Series? Babe Ruth's called shot? Lou Gehrig's July 4, 1939 speech at Yankee Stadium? How about Jackie Robinson's debut?

Olympics: Does ESPN know who Jesse Owens was?


Even horse racing has had moments that were more than the equal of this soccer win. You tube has all 3 Triple Crown races between Affirmed and Alydar... if you decide to check them out, they need to be watched in the order they took place (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, then the Belmont Stakes). The year was 1978.


Anyway, it's pretty obvious that no one at ESPN knows anything about the real history of sports.

The reason they placed the game where they did was because ESPN was going to be televising their next game.


btw, I didn't even get into football... but the history of college and pro football is much more than the Immaculate Reception.... What about the Jets win over the Colts in SB 3? Not a great game at all, but hugely significant.

Oh man, when Sabonis was young and healthy, I'm not sure anyone was ever better than that guy... one writer, in describing a young Sabonis, said "imagine a healthy Bill Walton with unlimited shooting range". That guy was unbelievable.

Wilt Chamberlain was not one to be generous with praise for the 80s/90s generations of players... he knew who the great players were, but during that time, the NBA was getting into the area of specialists... guys who could ONLY shoot a 3 pointer (and then only if someone feeds them the ball, they couldn't create their own shot), point guards who were good passers but couldn't shoot, etc... but he couldn't believe the way a broken down Sabonis was, in Wilt's words, "tearing most of our (American) centers apart". Sabonis was able to do that because his play was so fundamentally sound.

If a young Sabonis would have been in the NBA all along, and would have stayed healthy for a normal career length, he'd easily have been a top 10 player of all time.

I think youtube has some video of a young Sabonis, not sure how much of it is out there.

You have no idea how happy I am to finally come across a person who can appreciate the greatness of Sabonis. I mean it when I say that I have never come across anyone who realized his greatness, and even knowing absolutely nothing about him, they still denied that he was one of the all time greats. Can you imagine that, people saying he wasn't one of the greats, and they never even heard of him? :lol: Some people are just stupid quite frankly. Iv'e had the good fortune of seeing Sabonis in his early years, and you're right, he was amazing in his prime. people just don't get it you know, and it's so sad. If a top 10 list was compiled of all the most underrated NBA players of all time, Sabonis most likely wouldn't even make the list. That's absolutely shameful in my opinion. In regards to ESPN's list of the all time greatest sports moments, I really would be posing if I claimed that the list was accurate, or innacurate. I'd have to look into it a little more before I could give an opinion. I will say this though, I can think of many great moments which were far more memorable to me atleast, then some of those moments which were picked by ESPN. I enjoy those kinds of lists, but you can't really put too much into them, considering the fact that it's usually just one person's opinion, so I take it with a grain of salt. Thanks again Tweety for all the great insight that you've brought to this thread. Honestly man, your knowledge in sports amazes me, and I have enjoyed reading your threads and posts both on the politics board, as well as here on the sports board for a long time now. If you hadn't contributed to this thread, it would have been dead in the water, and so I thank you very much for your awesome insight. Have a great weekend my friend! :cool:

Here's one that's really memorable to me. Oliver Mccall having a nervous breakdown in the middle of his Championship fight against Lennox Lewis. Felt so sorry for the poor guy. Having mental issues myself made this very memorable for me. I know exactly how hopeless Mccall felt during this fight. :(

Mccal's nervous breakdown (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtviXOAJuG0&feature=view_all&list=PLC96FCDC5BF30771C&index=25)