15 Shocking Moments In Sports No One Saw Coming

Sports are capable of bringing people together and there are not many things more stirring than witnessing an improbable moment — from a game-winning shot, to an epic upset, to an unfathomable return to glory. Here are 15 of the most shocking moments in sports history:

Tiger Woods Wins 5th Green Jacket

The greatest golfer of all time has given the world plenty of awe-inspiring moments throughout his career, but no moment was more shocking than his Masters win in 2019. A prodigy from an early age, Tiger Woods dominated the PGA Tour in the late 1990s and well into the 2000s. However, marital problems and a series of devastating injuries resulted in Woods seeing a dip in his performance. By 2008, just 12 years after his professional debut, Woods had won 14 Majors including four Masters. Four back surgeries between 2014-2017 limited the legend to one tournament from 2015 to 2018. Woods won his first tournament in five years at the Tour Championship in September 2018, but the best was yet to come.

In April 2019, 14 years after his previous Masters victory, Woods shocked the world by winning his fifth Green Jacket. A -2 first round was followed by a -4 on Day 2 — leaving Tiger one stroke off the lead heading into the weekend. Tiger entered Sunday two strokes behind Francesco Molinari after shooting a -5 on Saturday. In classic Tiger fashion, the G.O.A.T overtook Molinari on Sunday and finished -13. Six years later, Tiger is searching for Major #16.

Chris Paul Trade Vetoed

On December 8, 2011, the Los Angeles Lakers appeared to pull off a stunning trade for star guard Chris Paul. The trade was set to pair a 26-year-old Paul with Kobe Bryant in an attempt to extend LA’s championship window. Despite the Lakers needing to give up Pau Gasol to the New Orleans Hornets and Lamar Odom to the Houston Rockets, Commissioner David Stern decided to kill the trade after numerous complaints from other owners.

The Lakers would eventually move Odom and make big deals to acquire Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, respectively, the following offseason. Teamed with Bryant, Howard and Nash battled injuries and never gelled with the Hall of Famer. Los Angeles wouldn’t field a contender for nearly 10 years following the vetoed trade, and CP3 ended up with the Clippers and never advanced to the Conference Finals.

Wayne Gretzky Joins Kings

While there have been huge stars traded to teams in Los Angeles over the past few decades, Wayne Gretzky’s trade to the Los Angeles Kings is arguably the biggest move of all. Before the Kings acquired Gretzky on August 9, 1988, in exchange for three first-round picks, $15 million and multiple players, ‘The Great One’ had led the Edmonton Oilers to four Stanley Cup triumphs in the previous five seasons. Gretzky had won the Hart Trophy — the NHL’s MVP — eight times with Edmonton, as well. Gretzky changed the course of the Kings’ franchise and helped grow the game on the West Coast in general. While Gretzky was a King, the NHL added two franchises in California — the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the San Jose Sharks. Los Angeles reached its first Stanley Cup in Gretzky’s fifth season (1992-93).

Mike Tyson KO’d

Mike Tyson didn’t become known as “The Baddest Man on the Planet” by accident. The iconic heavyweight started his career with 19 consecutive knockouts — 12 of which occurred in the first round. As a 20-year-old, Tyson became the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title. From 1987-1990, Iron Mike was the undisputed heavyweight champ. After a 37-0 start to his career, Tyson lost his undisputed championship in boxing’s biggest upset of all time.

On February 11, 1990, Tyson took on Buster Douglas in Tokyo, Japan. Douglas entered the bout with a 29-4-1 record, but Tyson was an overwhelming favorite (42/1). Shocking everyone, Douglas controlled a majority of the fight before Tyson sent him to the canvas at the end of the 8th round. However, it was Douglas who eventually landed a KO in Round 10. It would be six years — a prison stint — before Tyson regained his heavyweight title.

Michael Jordan Retires

More than 30 years ago, Michael Jordan shocked the sporting world with his decision to walk away from the NBA. The Chicago Bulls had won three NBA Championships in a row, and a 30-year-old Jordan had three MVPs to his name and was showing zero signs of slowing down. Instead of going for a fourth title, Jordan briefly retired and spent one and a half seasons pursuing an MLB career. Without Jordan standing in the way, the Houston Rockets won the title in 1994 over the New York Knicks. Ahead of Chicago’s playoff push in ’95, on March 18, 1995, Jordan announced his comeback to the NBA in a two-word press release: “I’m back.” The Bulls ultimately lost to Shaquille O’Neal and the Orlando Magic in the second round. Houston would go on to win its second title in a row.

Following the loss to Orlando, Jordan and the Bulls returned the following season and restored their dominance. Chicago won the next three NBA Championships and Jordan claimed two more MVPs. In Jordan’s final six full seasons with the franchise, the Bulls won it all. Following the sixth title, Jordan retired for a second time. After a three-year retirement, MJ returned once again — ultimately spending two seasons with the Washington Wizards.

Giants End Patriots Undefeated Season

By 2007, the duo of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick had won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. The Pats won three titles in a four-year stretch, but had failed to reach the Super Bowl in back-to-back seasons ahead of the ’07 campaign. In an effort to get back to the top of the mountain, New England acquired star wideout Randy Moss from the Oakland Raiders for a fourth-round pick (talk about value). Moss and Brady subsequently produced the greatest QB-WR in NFL history. Brady won his first MVP after leading the league with 4,806 yards and 50 TDs. Moss hauled in 98 passes for 1,493 yards and a mind-boggling 23 TDs.

With the league’s No. 1 offense and No. 4 defense, New England went 16-0 in the regular season and won the AFC after knocking off Jacksonville and San Diego, respectively. Standing between the Pats and an undefeated season were the 10-6 New York Giants. New England entered the Super Bowl a 12.5 favorite. New York’s defense shocked the world by limiting the Pats to 14 points, but a Moss TD with 2:42 remaining put New England on the precipice of history. Instead, David Tyree made a miraculous catch and Eli Manning soon found Plaxico Burress for the game-winning score. After scoring 27+ points in 15-of-18 games, the Pats were held to 14.

Vikings Acquire Herschel Walker

Herschel Walker enjoyed one of the greatest collegiate careers of all time, but his time in the NFL did not come close to his days at Georgia. The 1982 Heisman Trophy winner didn’t make his NFL debut until 1986. In his second and third seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Walker was a Pro Bowler and finished fifth for the MVP Award in 1988. Then, after finishing 1-15, the Cowboys made arguably the biggest trade in NFL history. Walker was sent to the Super Bowl-hopeful Minnesota Vikings along with four draft picks (three from the Cowboys and one from the Chargers). In return, Dallas received four players and eight draft picks including Minnesota’s first and second round selections in 1990-92. Who did Dallas draft with those picks? Emmitt Smith, Darren Woodson, and Russell Maryland. Five of the players drafted with those picks from Minnesota won three Super Bowls in Dallas. Walker spent 2.5 seasons in Minnesota and didn’t top 825 rushing yards.

Luka/AD Shocker

We are only days removed from one of the most shocking trades ever. Last Saturday, the Los Angeles Lakers traded Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris. Davis is a bonafide star and one of the best players in the NBA. A 10-time All-Star, the former No. 1 overall pick is averaged 24.7 points, 11.6 rebounds and over two blocks per game this season. What makes this trade shocking is Doncic’s age. While Davis recently turned 32, Doncic is just days removed from his 26th birthday. After winning Rookie of the Year as a 19-year-old, Doncic has made five All-NBA First-Teams in a row. Last season, the star led Dallas to the NBA Finals and averaged 33.9 points, 9.8 assists and 9.2 rebounds per game in the regular season. Davis is a great player, but Doncic is a perennial MVP candidate who should only get better.

Red Sox Ship Mookie Out of Boston

In February 2020, the Boston Red Sox traded their best player to the Los Angeles Dodgers in what amounted to a salary dump for the historic franchise. Mookie Betts spent the first six years of his career in Boston and solidified himself as one of the all-time greats in franchise history. A perennial MVP candidate, Betts won the award in 2018 and led a juggernaut group to a World Series title over the Dodgers. Incredibly, instead of working out a deal to keep Betts in Boston for the rest of his career, the Sox traded Betts, pitcher David Price, and roughly $48 million to the Dodgers in exchange for Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs, and Connor Wong. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, the start signed a 12-year, $365 million deal. In his first five years with the Dodgers, Betts has won two World Series and has three top-5 MVP finishes — including finishing runner-up twice. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have finished above .500 once since shipping out their star.

Malcolm Butler Ends Seattle’s Dominance

After winning three Super Bowls in four years at the beginning of the 2000s, Tom Brady and the Patriots appeared destined for five or more Super Bowl victories in short order. Instead, the Pats wouldn’t secure their fourth ring for another decade. After their third SB win in 2004, the Pats lost to the New York Giants in 2007 and 2011. In 2014, Brady was one play away from falling to 3-3 in the Super Bow. Facing the defending champion Seattle Seahawks, New England entered the fourth quarter trailing 24-14. Brady then led two touchdown drives within a six-minute stretch to give the Pats a 28-24 lead.

However, Seattle’s Russell Wilson led the Seahawks to the New England 5-yard line with less than one minute to play. Star running back Marshawn Lynch ran off left tackle for four yards to give Seattle a 2nd & Goal at the 1-yard line with less than 30 seconds to play — Seattle appeared to have clinched its second Lombardi Trophy in a row. Then, Malcolm Butler made the most remarkable play in Super Bowl history. A rookie corner, Butler jumped Ricardo Lockette’s route and intercepted Wilson’s pass. The shocking interception effectively ended Seattle’s budding dynasty and kicked off New England’s second reign of terror. The Patriots would go on to win two more titles (2016, 2018) and also won the AFC in 2017.

16-Seed UMBC Dominates No. 1 Virginia

On March 16, 2018, the Virginia Cavaliers suffered one of the most shocking losses in college basketball history. UVA entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed after finishing the season with an ACC Tournament triumph to push its record to 31-2. Virginia’s opponent, the UMBC Retrievers, finished second in the America East and needed to upset Vermont in the conference tournament to earn a bid to the Big Dance. The Cavaliers were a 20.5-point favorite — but they played like the 16-seed. The game was tied at 21 entering halftime, but it was UMBC who opened the second half on a 17-3 run. Virginia didn’t have a lead for the final 24+ minutes of action en route to a humiliating 74-54 loss. After becoming the first 16-seed to knock off a 1-seed, UMBC lost to No. 9 Kansas State, 50-43, in the Round of 32.

The Miracle on Ice

The Miracle on Ice is arguably the most shocking sporting result of all-time. Amid the Cold War, the United States faced the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics for an opportunity to play for a medal. The Soviets entered the Olympics as the four-time defending gold medalist. Facing a team stacked with professionals, Team USA countered with a squad of mostly amateur players. The Soviets held two separate leads in the first period, but the U.S. tied the game at 2-2 with one second left in the period. A dominant second period for the Soviets only resulted in a 3-2 lead heading into the final 20 minutes. Mark Johnson tied the game with a power play goal at the 8:39 mark — setting up a historic moment for captain Mike Eruzione. With 10 minutes on the clock, Eruzione found the back of the net for what ended up being the game-winning goal. A few days after their historic upset, Team USA beat Finland to win gold.

The Malice at the Palace

The Malice at the Palace is a moment in sports history that will never be forgotten. In November 2004, the Detroit Pistons hosted the Indiana Pacers in a battle between two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Just months earlier, Detroit defeated Indiana in the Eastern Conference Finals en route to winning the NBA Championship. In this early season matchup, it was the Pacers who looked like the better team. However, the Pistons weren’t going to be punked. Trailing by double-digits in the closing moments, Ben Wallace was fouled by Indiana’s Ron Artest and subsequently shoved Artest in the face. With Artest laying down on the scorer’s table to calm down, a fan threw a drink from the crowd and hit him in the chest.

Chaos ensued. Artest entered the crowd and was soon followed by teammate Stephen Jackson. Players and team personnel from both sides entered the crowd as Artest and Jackson fought multiple fans. On the court, several fans tried fighting members of the Pacers. Artest was hit with a season-long suspension (86 games including the playoffs) and Jackson received a 30-game ban. Additionally, Indiana’s Jermaine O’Neal (15), Detroit’s Wallace (6) and five other players were suspended. John Green, the fan who threw the cup and later punched Artest, was found guilty on one count of assault and battery for punching Artest in the stands and was sentenced to 30 days in jail.

2004 American League Championship Series

In 2003, the Boston Red Sox were on the precipice of winning the American League Pennant and returning to the World Series for the first time since 1986. Instead, Boston blew a 5-2 lead in the 8th inning of Game 7 and watched the rival Yankees advance. One year later, Boston and New York met again in the ALCS — and the Yankees took a commanding 3-0 lead. Boston won Game 4 in 12 innings and Game 5 in 14 innings, respectively, to send the series back to the Bronx. In Game 6, Boston became the first team to force a Game 7 after trailing 3-0 — thanks to Curt Schilling’s famed “bloody sock” game. The following night with momentum on their side, the Sox jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings and cruised to a 10-3 win. Exactly one week later, Boston swept the St. Louis Cardinals to win its first World Series since 1918.

Kobe’s 60-Point Finale

Kobe Bryant ended his career with a story straight out of a Hollywood script. On April 13, 2016, Bryant took the floor at Staples Center for the final time. At 37 years old, Bryant was ready to step away from the game of basketball after multiple serious injuries bogged down the late stage of his career. The legend averaged 17.6 PPG during his final year — down from 27.3 PPG just three years earlier, the season he tore his Achilles in the final week. Entering the final game of his career, Bryant had scored 30+ points just five times all season. In one of the most remarkable efforts in NBA history, Bryant turned back the clock for one last epic performance. The Black Mamba rallied the Lakers from a 10-point deficit with 2:15 remaining by scoring 13 points in a row. Kobe left the court with a win and 60 points — his seventh game with 60 or more points.