The Most Iconic Sports Moments in History

Today, in celebration of all things athletic, we’re taking a moment to look at some of the most iconic sports photographs of all time. They are incredible works of art that were captured at just the right time by talented (and lucky) photographers. So, grab your favorite snack, relax, and enjoy the most iconic sporting pictures ever captured.

It’s fascinating how someone can become a household name all over the world, but with Michael Jordan, it seems he was just born for greatness. This photo was taken from an All-Star Weekend in 1988. In the Slam Dunk Contest finals, he took off from the free-throw line and soared to a perfect score of 50, defeating Dominique Wilkins. What can we say? The Air Jordan strikes again.

This photo was taken during the Beijing Olympics on August 20, 2008. We can see how amazed Bolt was when he finished the competition. That look represents how it feels to have just broken the world record for the men’s 200-meter final in a time of 19.30 seconds. Given that he also broke the world record for the 100-meter dash, the reaction seems warranted!

Woods became the first golfer to win five PGA Tour events – an achievement most golfers want to earn. This picture was captured at the Masters 2001 finals. He beat David Duval by two strokes in the last game. He completed a “Tiger Slam” of four straight major championship titles with this victory.

This shot was taken inside the Houston Astrodome in November of 1966, during Ali’s boxing match against Cleveland’s ‘Big Cat’ Williams. Big Cat had hoped to wrest the championship from Ali that day, but he was unsuccessful. In three rounds, he was knocked out. The fight drew a crowd of 35,460 people, and as you can see, they all got plenty of value for money!

Mays announced his retirement after a legendary 22-year career. But before he stepped off the field, he hit his final (660th) home run – a track record most players would be thrilled to achieve. Known as the “The Say Hey Kid” by his fans, Mays retired at 42.

Dwight Clark was never projected to be a star in the NFL, much less make one of the most outstanding catches in league history. Many people were surprised that Clark was picked and made it onto an NFL team’s roster. Nonetheless, his exceptional abilities helped his team reach the Super Bowl, beating the Bengals.

Phelps, who participated at the Beijing Olympics on August 16, 2008, can be seen in this picture, having beaten Serbian swimmer Milorad Cavic by 0.01 seconds in the 100-meter butterfly final. This was his seventh gold medal in the Olympics.

He is indeed an inspirational human. Nothing can hold him back, not even his condition. This photograph was taken on September 24, 2005, at Colonel White High School, Belmont, Tennessee, where he played as a backup varsity nose guard for Dayton’s Colonel White High.

This photo was taken at Spring Training in 1965. In it, we see Marichal of the San Francisco Giants preparing to throw a pitch during a spring training game in Casa Grande, Arizona. Marichal was recognized for his unique windup, which included one of the highest leg kicks ever seen in a major league game. Clearly, the technique worked! 

In the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup final, she scored the game-winning penalty shootout goal against China. Look how happy she was in the picture – undeniably one of the most memorable events in her life. Due to her impressive career, she was honored with induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame the following year.

During the Super Bowl XXIII, Montana took his team in the final minutes against the Cincinnati Bengals. With 3:10 left on the clock, the 49ers grabbed the ball on their own 8-yard line and marched 92 yards down the field in under three minutes. With just 34 seconds left, they scored the game-winning touchdown on a Joe Montana throw to John Taylor.

In 2004, Torres placed second in the 150-meter solo medley and third in the 4 × 50-meter 20-point medley relay. He retired from competitive swimming after the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. Given his great success, he opted to concentrate on coaching.

As we can see in the photo, players from the Green Bay Packers carried Lombardi, their head coach, after winning 33-14 over the Oakland Raiders. This was their second consecutive Super Bowl victory. We can see how great a coach Lombardi was by looking at how his players appreciate him.

Bill Russel and Wilt Chamberlain were eye-to-eye during an NBA game between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. Bill was positioned to box out Chamberlain, preventing him from getting the ball. Anyone else would have been intimidated, but Chamberlain just kept his eye on the ball. 

During the 1980 Olympics, the US Hockey team faced the Soviet Union – an unstoppable squad. The Soviet Union’s winning streak ended as the United States Hockey team surged to an unexpected victory. As seen in the photo, the US team didn’t hold back when celebrating Mike Eruzione’s game-winning goal.

This photograph was captured during the AFC Wild Card playoffs on January 5, 2003. The Pittsburgh Steelers took on the Cleveland Browns, and Chris Akins, who was wearing number 36 for the Browns, was called out for “face masking.” You can clearly see his fingers wrapped around Antwaan Randle El’s mask. In the end, the Stealers still beat the Browns.

After a clumsy landing from the vault, Strug seriously hurt her ankle. But that didn’t stop her. She persevered in doing a second vault – on her damaged ankle – and achieved the landing on one foot. The United States gold medal dreams were riding on her shoulders, and despite her injuries, she kept going and claimed the title for the US. Now that’s a true champion.

Basilio and DeMarco fought on Nov. 30, 1955, in what was dubbed the “Fight of the Year”. In the end, DeMarco lost. As you can see, Basilio was enjoying himself while DeMarco lay in the ring with his coach. Both fighters were valiant, giving the crowd a great night out.

Dubbed the most outstanding hockey player of all time, Gretzky retired at 38, just before the 1998-99 NHL season ended. He retired when he was on top, leading the league in assists for two of the last three seasons and leading the Rangers in coming out on top for the third straight season.

We can tell how much people adored and appreciated Ruth in this shot. He was spotted socializing with a crowd of his supporters. One of his most highlighted years came in the 1926 season. He hit .372 with 47 home runs and 146 RBI.

This game played out between the Nittany Lions and Notre Dame, but the Fighting Irish went down by 31-10. Oh no! For Penn State, this game was a massive win, representing the second-largest attendance in Beaver Stadium history.

This photo was taken at Wimbledon in 1981, where he faced Bjorn Borg. His reaction after beating Borg was indeed one that we cannot forget. After this, McEnroe went on to win two more tournaments in 1983 and 1984.

Vasily Alexeyev is known to be the greatest heavyweight weightlifter of all time. He set 80 world records between 1970 and 1977. This photo was taken during a competition held in 1969. Vasily was the first weightlifter to lift 500 pounds. He is really something, don’t you think?

Following the 1976 season, Aaron retired from baseball and returned to the Braves as an executive. When Braves owner Ted Turner appointed him vice president of player development, he became one of the first Black Americans in upper-level administration in Major League Baseball.

During this game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Denver Nuggets, Julius Erving got full extension on a one-handed slam. Slam-dunks will always make the crowd go wild because they show off a player’s power and athleticism. Sometimes, when you’re slammed on, all you can do is watch in astonishment.

Bill Mazeroski hit the game-winning ninth-inning home run in Game 7 of the World Series. This was the only time a winner-take-all World Series game concluded with a home run. It remains the only walk-off home run in Game 7 history to this day.

Can we also talk about the audience for a second? They look so serious! It’s exciting to see people play hockey, but this audience kept their cool. Perhaps the lack of players face protection made people a little more serious during hockey games of the past.

The game ended with Havlicek earning 26 points and 11 assists. Let’s not forget the legendary steal that help solidify their win in the 1965 Eastern Conference. With this win, the Celtics went on to play the Lakers in the NBA finals. Boston ended up beating out the Lakers in five games.

We were amazed to discover that Mickelson lived his whole life as a righty and only played golf with his left hand. We’re sure he can play either way if he wants, but why would a right-hand-dominant person make such a choice? We’re still curious about what drove him to play with his left hand, but it appears to be working for him!

Although he was a great player, Rose’s career had a sad ending. In 20004, he finally acknowledged having placed bets on games that he shouldn’t have bet on as a player. Due to his gambling problems, he was suspended from Major League Baseball for the rest of his life.

Banister was an English neurologist. If you’re wondering how he became such a great athlete, his background in science actually played a part. He conducted extensive research into running mechanics, proving that a great mind is just as crucial to athletic success as a strong body.

On August 2, 1976, Nadia Comaneci of Romania somersaulted during the Montreal Summer Olympics. She won three gold medals and of course that historic perfect Olympic score. She bagged multiple awards over her career, but in 1984, Comaneci finally retired.

During a game in 1955, Bob Cousy can be seen driving past two Pistons defenders. Those players were taller than him, yet he still surpassed them with his playing style. In basketball, height certainly helps, but having a unique and brilliant game plan will save the day.

Along with his natural talent and passion for the game, Butkus’ commitment was evident. With speed, agility, and lightning-fast instincts, he moves from sideline to sideline, intimidating opposing quarterbacks and ball carriers. Butkus had appeared in eight consecutive Pro Bowls by the time he retired in 1973.

During the Summer Olympics of 1992, Carl can be seen celebrating after winning gold and setting a new world record in the 4×100-meter relay. He is undoubtedly the son of the wind. Just look at him in the photo – he appears to be preparing to fly. Until 2007, Lewis’ last leg, which he completed in 8.85 seconds, was the quickest anchor leg on record.

Williams was a true inspiration to many; she was ranked 81st just before the Australian Open finals in 2007 and went on to win against a great player. Williams began playing tennis with her father on public courts in Los Angeles and became pro in 1995, one year after her sister Venus did.

During a game against the Pacers at the United Center in Chicago, as you can see in the photo, Rodman went horizontal for a loose ball. With the Bulls, he went on to win three NBA Championships and establish himself as one of the best defensive players in NBA history.

Roberto Clemente was the first Hispanic player to be named a major league MVP, as well as the first Hispanic athlete to earn a World Series MVP award. He was a delight to watch, whether catching a ball, throwing out a runner on his way to third, or making a catch and spinning around as he tossed it back into play.

In this picture, Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss makes a fingertip catch for a 62-yard pass during the fourth quarter of Minnesota’s 21-16 loss to Pittsburgh. Although Moss was a great player, he retired without achieving any rings.

Unfortunately, when he tested positive for performance-enhancing chemicals three days later, his medals were taken away from him. Prior to this race, Johnson had given a controversial interview in which he hinted at the fact that many athletes were taking performance-enhancing drugs.

McGwire didn’t stop showing his brilliancy as he blasted his 62nd home run the next day, giving him a total of 70 for the season. After the 2001 season, McGwire announced his retirement from baseball. He hit 583 home runs and drove in 1,414 runs in his career.

The celebrated quarterback announced his retirement on June 14, 2014. Following his retirement, Young announced that he hoped to work at the University of Texas in some capacity. He achieved this dream, moving back to Austin to work at the University’s Division of Diversity and Community Engagement.

Bob Beamon entered the season with two former Olympic winners and the joint-world record holders. What’s going on with him in this picture? He looks just as shocked about the history he is about to make once landing.

This picture was taken during the Fog Bowl – a 1988 NFC divisional playoff game between the Eagles and the Bears in Chicago. Referee Jack Vaughn struggled to monitor a field goal attempt by Eagles placekicker Luis Zendejas. Thick fog blanketed Soldier Field, reducing the visibility to 10-20 yards for the game’s duration.

As seen in the picture, shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr. was receiving compliments from Baltimore Orioles supporters just after he surpassed Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played. In 1998, Ripken broke Gehrig’s record by 502 games, ending his own run at 2,632 games.

We understand how Pau felt at the time. Winning the championship in your hometown must be such a wonderful experience. Can we talk about Atest, known as Metta World Peace? He looks so funny here, and we don’t know if he’s about to cry or run at someone for a hug. 

At the Circuit Finals Rodeo in Pocatello, Idaho, Kyle Whitaker of Chambers, Nebraska, lost his boot when bucked from Dump Wagon. His fall looks so painful in the photo. Whitaker came in 22nd out of 24 contestants in the saddle bronco riding. After his retirement, Kyle became a head coach for the Bobcats rodeo team.

Fans of Barry gave him many nicknames, including “The Asterisk”, “The Sultan of Shot”, and many more. In a game against the Washington Nationals, Barry Bonds watched his 756th career home run fly out of AT&T Park. The shot shattered Henry Aaron’s 33-year career home run record. Bonds retired in 2007. 

Sadly, they were both booted out of the Games because of their actions. Both of the athletes just wanted to raise awareness regarding what was truly happening behind the cameras. Smith and Carlos were great athletes, and history eventually bestowed upon them the respect they deserve.