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It’s no argument that what LeBron James has done in the 2018 NBA Playoffs and first two games of the NBA Finals is unheard of. He is playing on such a stratospheric level that nobody can come close to. But this isn’t the first time that not just LeBron, but any athlete has ascended to legendary status for their performance in a championship round. There have been so many wonderful showings in the four major sports final rounds, but some really stick out and make you think they might never be repeated. Take a look at some of the single greatest performances in sports championship history.
Bob Gibson (1967 and 1968 World Series)
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There have not been many performances in the Fall Classic that come close to the dominance of Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson in the 1967 and 68′ World Series.
Gibson, who was the greatest pitcher of the era, saved his best for last helping the Cardinals win it all in 67′ and come within an inch of repeating the following year. In 1967 against the Boston Red Sox, Gibson went 3-0 with 1.00 ERA. He allowed just three runs, 14 hits, and pitched three complete games in games one, four, and the clincher in game seven. In the following October, Gibson was just as lights out.
Gibson went 2-1 with a 1.67 ERA in three starts against the eventual champion Detroit Tigers that included 35 strikeouts (17 in game one). Even though he got the loss in game seven, the two-year run that Gibson went on went down in the history books as one of the best the game’s ever seen.
Bob Gibson’s performances in back-to-back World Series might never be touched.
Madison Bumgarner (2014 World Series)
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If there was anyone to come close to Gibson’s all-world showing in Fall Classic, it was the Giants’ Madison Bumgarner in 2014.
Bumgarner was the hottest pitcher coming into the 2014 World Series against a great Kansas City Royals club. The Giants turned to him in game one, and he threw an excellent game — seven innings, three hits, one run allowed. San Francisco rolled in game one 7-1, setting up Bumgarner to pitch a pivotal game five. Bumgarner put on a Hall of Fame worthy performance — a complete game, 117-pitch shutout — in the Giants 6-0 win to put them one win away from another World Series win.
After Kansas City forced game seven, Giants manager Bruce Bochy went back to Bumgarner on just three days rest in relief. From the fourth inning on till the final out, Bumgarner stoned the Royals at every turn, securing the Giants their second championship in four years.
Bumgarner’s performance in those late October nights has been considered by some the greatest postseason pitching performance of all time.
Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig (1928 World Series)
Wikimedia Commons
It comes as no surprise that the Yankees somehow end up on this list. After all, with 27 World Series titles since the 1920s, they would have had to have some outstanding performances
But in 1928, their two icons, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig cemented their legacy as two of the greatest ballplayers to ever live. Sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in four games, The Great Bambino went 10-16 with three doubles and nine runs. In the clinching game four, Ruth smacked three home runs.
Ruth’s counterpart, Gehrig, outdid him, hitting four home runs and scoring nine runs in the series. Gehrig’s slugging percentage, 1.727, was the greatest to that point in baseball history, and still is the best ever in World Series history.
Revered in baseball history and the most powerful twosome, Ruth and Gehrig’s 1928 World Series production is still talked about at length to this very day.
Jerry Rice (Super Bowl XXIII)
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The greatest wide receiver in football history always somehow seemed to save the best for last. All of Jerry Rice’s Super Bowl performances are in the history books, but his game is the 23rd edition of the game is rated by many the greatest ever.
While that game is more known for the 49ers 92-yard drive at the end, Rice’s performance played a huge role in San Francisco winning yet another Lombardi Trophy. Rice’s 11 catches and 215 yards receiving set new records. He only scored one touchdown, but his clutch reception on 2nd and 20 to give San Fran the first down on their legendary final drive is still grained in the memories of football fans.
There have been many magnificent performances in the big game, but Jerry Rice’s all-time performance in Super Bowl XXIII will never be re-created.
Terrell Davis (Super Bowl XXXII)
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It was going to take everything for the Denver Broncos to finally break their losing streak in the Super Bowl. And for Terrell Davis, it literally took just that much.
The Broncos running back had a rough start to the game because of a migraine headache. Davis left the game in the second quarter, and it looked like he wouldn’t return. But he fought through the pain and put on a game for the ages. Davis would get 30 carries and rush for 157 yards, helping Denver comeback and defeat the Green Bay Packers for the first Super Bowl win in the franchise’s history.
That type of running performance in a Super Bowl has had its competitors both before and after that, but Davis did it with almost no vision and his head pounding, so it earns a top spot.
Steve Young (Super Bowl XXIX)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BP_d6Sdg2to/
The amount of unbelievable performances by quarterbacks in the Super Bowl is endless. But not many come close to Steve Young finally “getting the monkey off his back” in Super Bowl XXIX.
Young got that monkey off his back by dismantling the San Diego Chargers. The Hall of Fame QB went 24 for 36 passing with a Super Bowl record six touchdown passes. Young’s 325 yards throwing led the 49ers to a 49-26 victory and the franchise’s fifth Lombardi Trophy.
Steve Young’s execution in Super Bowl XXIX was one of redemption and pure perfection.
Elgin Baylor (1962 NBA Finals)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BheOWfpBWG7/
Go down the list of mythical performances in the NBA Finals, and Elgin Baylor’s stint in 62′ sits right up on its own perch. And even though Baylor and the Lakers lost to their hated rival the Boston Celtics, his showing in that series was the stuff of legends.
Baylor turned in to a scoring machine for Los Angeles beginning in game one and continued it through game seven, amassing an astounding 284 points. Those 284 buckets still stand to this day as the all-time NBA record for most points in a Finals. Baylor’s numbers in that remarkable run — 35 in game one, 39 in game three, 38 in game four, 61 (the all-time record) in game five, 41 in game seven — was simply epic.
Not many chat about Baylor because that Finals was so long ago, but what he did and how he did it, will always be remembered.
Wilt Chamberlain (1967 NBA Finals)
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bjh4qyPhpgn/
No one player was recognized more for his performance in the 1967 NBA Finals than Wilt Chamberlain. His team, the Philadephia 76ers, were already one of the greatest NBA teams of all time, but Chamberlain put them way over the top.
Against an inferior San Francisco Warriors squad, Chamberlain was a force all-series long. His best game came in the clinching sixth game wherein the fourth quarter he pulled down eight rebounds and blocked six shots leading Philly to victory. Overall his performance was exceptional — 171 rebounds, and averaging 28.5 points per game through six contests.
Chamberlain was known for owning the spotlight on the court, and his 1967 Finals was no different.
LeBron James (2016 NBA Finals)
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd-jQD8hLSZ/
LeBron James had one goal in mind when he returned to Cleveland in 2015: Win a championship for the city. But no one could have foretold what he would do to make that dream possible in the 2016 Finals.
King James and the Cavs were looking for redemption after losing to the Golden State Warriors the year prior. Facing the Warriors for a second consecutive year, it seemed as if they couldn’t beat them. The Cavs went down 3-1 before LeBron put on a three-game show that solidified his greatness.
In game five, James was fantastic scoring 41 points, grabbing 16 rebounds, and making seven assists keeping the Cavs title hopes alive with a 112-97 win on the road. A few nights later, he again scored 41 points — and totaled eight boards and 11 assists — sending the series to a seventh game out in Oakland. Completing the comeback in game seven, James notched 27 points, 11 rebounds, and assists, and made a game-winning block to give the Cavaliers their first championship.
For this generation, LeBron’s three-game performance in the 2016 Finals marked the greatest probably ever seen, and a rightfully-deserved spot in NBA Finals lore.
Wikimedia Commons
It’s no argument that what LeBron James has done in the 2018 NBA Playoffs and first two games of the NBA Finals is unheard of. He is playing on such a stratospheric level that nobody can come close to. But this isn’t the first time that not just LeBron, but any athlete has ascended to legendary status for their performance in a championship round. There have been so many wonderful showings in the four major sports final rounds, but some really stick out and make you think they might never be repeated. Take a look at some of the single greatest performances in sports championship history.
Bob Gibson (1967 and 1968 World Series)
Wikimedia Commons
There have not been many performances in the Fall Classic that come close to the dominance of Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson in the 1967 and 68′ World Series.
Gibson, who was the greatest pitcher of the era, saved his best for last helping the Cardinals win it all in 67′ and come within an inch of repeating the following year. In 1967 against the Boston Red Sox, Gibson went 3-0 with 1.00 ERA. He allowed just three runs, 14 hits, and pitched three complete games in games one, four, and the clincher in game seven. In the following October, Gibson was just as lights out.
Gibson went 2-1 with a 1.67 ERA in three starts against the eventual champion Detroit Tigers that included 35 strikeouts (17 in game one). Even though he got the loss in game seven, the two-year run that Gibson went on went down in the history books as one of the best the game’s ever seen.
Bob Gibson’s performances in back-to-back World Series might never be touched.
Madison Bumgarner (2014 World Series)
Wikimedia Commons
If there was anyone to come close to Gibson’s all-world showing in Fall Classic, it was the Giants’ Madison Bumgarner in 2014.
Bumgarner was the hottest pitcher coming into the 2014 World Series against a very good Kansas City Royals club. The Giants turned to him in game one and he threw an excellent game — seven innings, three hits, one run allowed. San Francisco rolled in game one 7-1, setting up Bumgarner to pitch a pivotal game five. Bumgarner put on a Hall of Fame worthy performance — a complete game, 117-pitch shutout — in the Giants 6-0 win to put them one win away from another World Series win.
After Kansas City forced game seven, Giants manager Bruce Bochy went back to Bumgarner on just three days rest in relief. From the fourth inning on till the final out, Bumgarner stoned the Royals at every turn, securing the Giants their second championship in four years.
Bumgarner’s performance in those late October nights has been considered by some the greatest postseason pitching performance of all time.
Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig (1928 World Series)
Wikimedia Commons
It comes as no surprise that the Yankees somehow end up on this list. After all, with 27 World Series titles since the 1920s, they would have had to have some outstanding performances
But in 1928, their two icons, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig cemented their legacy as two of the greatest ballplayers to ever live. Sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in four games, The Great Bambino went 10-16 with three doubles and nine runs. In the clinching game four, Ruth smacked three home runs.
Ruth’s counterpart, Gehrig, outdid him, hitting four home runs and scoring nine runs in the series. Gehrig’s slugging percentage, 1.727, was the greatest to that point in baseball history, and still is the best ever in World Series history.
Revered in baseball history and the most powerful twosome, Ruth and Gehrig’s 1928 World Series production is still talked about at length to this very day.
Jerry Rice (Super Bowl XXIII)
Getty Images
The greatest wide receiver in football history always somehow seemed to save the best for last. All of Jerry Rice’s Super Bowl performances are in the history books, but his game is the 23rd edition of the game is rated by many the greatest ever.
While that game is more known for the 49ers 92-yard drive at the end, Rice’s performance played a huge role in San Francisco winning yet another Lombardi Trophy. Rice’s 11 catches and 215 yards receiving set new records. He only scored one touchdown, but his clutch reception on 2nd and 20 to give San Fran the first down on their legendary final drive is still grained in the memories of football fans.
There have been many magnificent performances in the big game, but Jerry Rice’s all-time performance in Super Bowl XXIII will never be re-created.
Terrell Davis (Super Bowl XXXII)
Wikimedia Commons
It was going to take everything for the Denver Broncos to finally break their losing streak in the Super Bowl. And for Terrell Davis, it literally took just that much.
The Broncos running back had a rough start to the game because of a migraine headache. Davis left the game in the second quarter and it looked like he wouldn’t return. But he fought through the pain and put on a game for the ages. Davis would get 30 carries and rush for 157 yards, helping Denver comeback and defeat the Green Bay Packers for the first Super Bowl win in the franchise’s history.
That type of running performance in a Super Bowl has had its competitors both before and after that, but Davis did it with almost no vision and his head pounding, so it earns a top spot.
Steve Young (Super Bowl XXIX)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BP_d6Sdg2to/
The amount of unbelievable performances by quarterbacks in the Super Bowl is endless. But not many come close to Steve Young finally “getting the monkey off his back” in Super Bowl XXIX.
Young got that monkey off his back by dismantling the San Diego Chargers. The Hall of Fame QB went 24 for 36 passing with a Super Bowl record six touchdown passes. Young’s 325 yards throwing led the 49ers to a 49-26 victory and the franchise’s fifth Lombardi Trophy.
Steve Young’s execution in Super Bowl XXIX was one of redemption and pure perfection.
Elgin Baylor (1962 NBA Finals)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BheOWfpBWG7/
Go down the list of mythical performances in the NBA Finals, and Elgin Baylor’s stint in 62′ sits right up on its own perch. And even though Baylor and the Lakers lost to their hated rival the Boston Celtics, his showing in that series was the stuff of legends.
Baylor turned in to a scoring machine for Los Angeles beginning in game one and continued it through game seven, amassing an astounding 284 points. Those 284 buckets still stand to this day as the all-time NBA record for most points in a Finals. Baylor’s numbers in that remarkable run — 35 in game one, 39 in game three, 38 in game four, 61 (the all-time record) in game five, 41 in game seven — was simply epic.
Not many chat about Baylor because that Finals was so long ago, but what he did and how he did it, will always be remembered.
Wilt Chamberlain (1967 NBA Finals)
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bjh4qyPhpgn/
No one player was recognized more for his performance in the 1967 NBA Finals than Wilt Chamberlain. His team, the Philadephia 76ers, were already one of the greatest NBA teams of all time, but Chamberlain put them way over the top.
Against an inferior San Francisco Warriors squad, Chamberlain was a force all-series long. His best game came in the clinching sixth game wherein the fourth quarter he pulled down eight rebounds and blocked six shots leading Philly to victory. Overall his performance was exceptional — 171 rebounds, and averaging 28.5 points per game through six contests.
Chamberlain was known for owning the spotlight on the court, and his 1967 Finals was no different.
LeBron James (2016 NBA Finals)
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd-jQD8hLSZ/
LeBron James had one goal in mind when he returned to Cleveland in 2015: Win a championship for the city. But no one could have foretold what he would do to make that dream possible in the 2016 Finals.
King James and the Cavs were looking for redemption after losing to the Golden State Warriors the year prior. Facing the Warriors for a second consecutive year, it looked as if they couldn’t beat them. The Cavs went down 3-1 before LeBron put on a three-game show that solidified his greatness.
In game five, James was fantastic scoring 41 points, grabbing 16 rebounds, and making seven assists keeping the Cavs title hopes alive with a 112-97 win on the road. A few nights later, he again scored 41 points — and totaled eight boards and 11 assists — sending the series to a seventh game out in Oakland. Completing the comeback in game seven, James notched 27 points, 11 rebounds, and assists, and made a game-winning block to give the Cavaliers their first championship.
For this generation, LeBron’s three-game performance in the 2016 Finals marked the greatest probably ever seen, and a rightfully-deserved spot in NBA Finals lore.
