Top 20 Best Sports Moments of the 2000s

From 2000-09, there were some incredible sports moments—some moments that made us cheer, or gasp in shock or even cry with emotion. 

Yes, the New England Patriots had an undefeated regular season and George Mason University had an unbelievable NCAA tournament run, but this countdown is about moments in time. 

Certainly there were many moments that were memorable, not for their inspirational qualities, but for their negative or tainted consequences—the Malice at the Palace, for example. 

Today we’re going to look at the 20 best, most positive, most inspirational and unbelievable moments from this decade. 

Whether it’s a game-winning home run, a moment of pure sportsmanship or a teammate coming through in the biggest possible way, these moments were some of the decade’s best.  

Honorable Mention: Anything Is Possible!

Kevin Garnett played for 12 years with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and in that time he gained a reputation for one of the greatest NBA big men who would likely never win a title. 

Then in 2007, Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics. 

The very next season he, along with Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo, led the Celtics to their first title since 1986. 

Garnett’s celebration was one of the purest moments of joy you’ll ever see in sports.

Honorable Mention: Sam Hornish Jr. Wins Indy 500

In 2006, Sam Hornish Jr. won the Indianapolis 500, but that's not the incredible part.  

It’s how he did it that was so unbelievable. 

Marco Andretti had the race all but wrapped up, leading in the final lap. 

But Hornish overtook him literally in the final straightaway to win by 0.635 of a second. The margin of victory was the second smallest in Indy 500 history.

20: Mario Chalmers

Mario Chalmers may have two NBA championship rings, but he’s certainly never had a bigger moment than the one he had on April 7, 2008. 

On that night, his Kansas Jayhawks were facing the Memphis Tigers for the NCAA championship. 

With Memphis leading 62-60 and 10.8 seconds to go in the game, Derrick Rose made just one of two key free throws for the Tigers, putting them up 63-60. 

On the ensuing possession, Chalmers drained a three with 2.1 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.  

Kansas wore them down in the overtime and won the game 75-68. 

Kansas head coach Bill Self said to reporters at the time that Chalmers’ three would “probably be the biggest shot ever made in Kansas history.”

19: Helmet Catch

Eli Manning and David Tyree will be forever linked together by one very famous helmet. 

Going into Super Bowl XLII in 2008, the New England Patriots were sporting an undefeated record, and the New York Giants were heavy underdogs. 

Trailing 14-10 with the game winding down, the Giants faced a 3rd-and 5 in their own territory, Manning hit David Tyree for a 33-yard pass play, one of the signature catches in NFL history. 

The Giants went on to score on the drive and win the game, ending the Patriots' season one win shy of perfection.  

18: Usain Bolt Breaks His Own Records

Usain Bolt had claimed the title of “Fastest Man Alive” before the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. 

In fact, he broke the world records in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

But Bolt was criticized by some, including IOC president Jacques Rogge, for the way he celebrated his accomplishments in Beijing.  

Then in 2009—redemption. Bolt broke his own 200-meter world record, winning the event in a blazing 19.19 seconds. 

He wasn’t done there. In the much-hyped 100-meter-final showdown between Bolt and the American Tyson Gay, Bolt left Gay (and everyone) in the dust. He shattered his own 100-meter record by clocking an incredible 9.58.

17: Music City Miracle

It's hard to believe this one happened in the 2000s, but it did, just barely. 

The Buffalo Bills were facing the Tennessee Titans in an AFC Wild Card Game on January 8, 2000. 

Buffalo led 16-15 with just 16 seconds on the clock, having just taken the lead with a field goal. 

On the ensuing kickoff, the Titans ran what they called “The Home Run Throwback.” Lorenzo Neal fielded the kickoff and promptly handed the ball off to Frank Wycheck, who promptly lateraled to Kevin Dyson, who promptly took it to the house for six. 

There was later much controversy over whether the lateral to Dyson was actually a lateral, but it was called as such on that day, and the Titans won the game 22-16.

16: Mario Lemieux’s Comeback

Mario Lemieux is a 12-time All-Star and a three-time Hart Trophy award winner. 

He was forced to retire for three years from 1997-2000 due to back problems—an earlier battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma had also taken a toll on his body. 

But that wasn’t the last the NHL had seen of Lemieux. At age 35, he mounted a comeback. He played for five more years, scored 229 points in that time and led the Canadian national team to an Olympic gold medal in 2002. 

But that first night when he made his return, December 27, 2000—that was electric. The reception in Pittsburgh was thunderous. 

For one of the greatest of all time to come back from such adversity was truly an emotional and inspiring moment.

15: Adam Vinatieri and the Snow Bowl

ELISE AMENDOLA/Associated Press

Former New England Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri will forever be remembered in conjunction with one very snowy play. 

In the 2002 divisional playoff matchup with the Oakland Raiders, also known as the “Snow Bowl,” Vinatieri nailed a 45-yard, game-tying field goal in treacherous conditions with just 27 seconds to play. 

Voters in an ESPN poll later voted this play as the best in Patriots history. 

The game went to overtime, where he also hit he game-winner.

14: Kelly Slater and a Perfect 20

KAREN WILSON/Associated Press

Chances are, if you’ve only heard of one professional surfer, you’ve heard of Kelly Slater. 

Slater is the all-time leader in event wins and has been crowned the ASP World Tour champion a record 11 times. 

But perhaps his most impressive performance came in 2005 at the Billabong Pro Tahiti.

Slater became the first surfer ever to record two perfect scores. His combined score of 20 beat his own previous record of 19.93, set at the previous year’s event.

13: Boise State Trick Plays

The 2007 Fiesta Bowl featured two of the coolest plays you’ll see in college football—so this is really like two moments in one. 

No. 9 Boise State trailed No. 7 Oklahoma 35-28 with 18 seconds left to play. It was 4th-and-long. 

Boise State quarterback Jared Zabransky tossed a gem to Drisan James, who lateraled the pass back to Jerard Rabb, who took it to the house—a beautiful hook and ladder. 

As a result, the game went to overtime. Seemingly attempting to outdo himself on the decisive (and ballsy) last play of the game, a two-point conversion, Broncos head coach Chris Petersen called a Statue of Liberty play. 

Guess what? It worked. The Broncos won, 43-42.

12: Pat Summitt’s 880th Victory

SUSAN WALSH/Associated Press

Pat Summitt has more wins than any other NCAA head basketball coach. 

Summitt coached the University of Tennessee Lady Vols for 38 years and amassed 1,098 wins, a record in NCAA basketball, men’s and women’s included. 

Her 880th was the win that broke Dean Smith’s old record of 879 wins, and it came in 2005 against Purdue. 

In the second round of the NCAA tournament, the Lady Vols knocked off the Boilermakers by a score of 75-54. 

To commemorate her massive accomplishment, NCAA officials announced after the game that the court at Tennessee’s basketball arena would be named “The Summitt.”

11: Appalachian State Upsets Michigan

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

On September 1, 2007, Appalachian State University beat the University of Michigan 34-32 to pull off one of the greatest upsets in college football history. 

Appalachian State, while a powerhouse in Division I-AA at the time, wasn’t given a chance by anyone to beat the No. 5-ranked Wolverines in their own house. 

But in the final seconds of a close game, Michigan’s attempt at a game-winning field goal was blocked, cementing forever one of the great moments for the little guy.

10. Serena Williams Wins Australian Open

MARK BAKER/Associated Press

Serena Williams has won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, but perhaps no moment was more impressive than her victory at the 2007 Australian Open. 

In the two years leading up to the tournament, Williams battled depression and spent some time away from the sport. She came into the tournament ranked just 81st in the world and a far cry from her top form. 

Still, she defeated Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2 in the final, proving that she still had what it took to be a champion. 

Sharapova told a crowd after the match (via The New York Times), “You can never underestimate her as an opponent, and I don't think many of you expected her to be in the final, but I definitely did.”

9: Dos a Cero, 2002 World Cup

Both of Team USA’s goals in their 2002 World Cup match against rival Mexico were incredible. 

But the second—Landon Donovan’s header that put the U.S. on top 2-0 in the 65th minute—all but iced the game for the Americans. 

The victory launched the U.S. into the quarterfinals, and more importantly, was the first single-elimination victory for the U.S. in World Cup history.

8: Vince Young Rose Bowl

Vince Young’s NFL career sputtered, but he is still the face of one of the great moments in Texas football’s storied history. 

The 2006 Rose Bowl Game was for all the marbles—No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 USC for the national championship. 

The scene: Texas down 38-33 with 26 seconds to go, 4th-and-5, ball on the 8-yard-line. 

Vince Young miraculously eluded defenders and ran in for the game-winning touchdown. He also rushed in the two-point conversation to put the final score at 41-38.

7: Martin Brodeur Surpasses Patrick Roy

It’s not every day you get to break your idol’s record. 

Goaltender Martin Brodeur looked up to Patrick Roy growing up. Roy played 20 years in the NHL and accumulated 551 wins. 

In a 2009 game against Chicago, Brodeur shut out the Blackhawks for his 552nd career win. 

Fittingly, he made a great save in the final seconds, and the hometown crowd gave him an awesome, and long, celebration.

6: Kobe Drops 81

Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for most points scored in a single NBA game with 100. Wilt posted that record in 1962, and it is not likely to ever be broken. 

But Kobe Bryant came as close as anyone in 2006. 

At home against the Toronto Raptors, Bryant needed just 42 minutes of game time to move into second place on the single-game scoring list with 81 points. 

He scored 55 of those points in the second half. 

After the game, Bryant told reporters (via ESPN.com), “It really hasn't, like, set in for me. It's about the ‘W,’ that's why I turned it on. It turned into something special. To sit here and say I grasp what happened, that would be lying.”

5. Aaron Boone's Home Run

Aaron Boone etched his otherwise forgettable name into the baseball history books with one swing of the bat on October 17, 2003. 

In Game 7 of the ALCS, Boone’s New York Yankees were facing their bitter foes, the Boston Red Sox. 

Boone had just come over to the Bronx in July from the Cincinnati Reds. He only spent a half season with the Yankees over his entire 12-year major league career. In fact, he didn’t even start Game 7—he pinch-ran for Ruben Sierra in the eighth inning. 

With the game tied in the eleventh inning, Boone stepped to the plate to face Tim Wakefield. 

He put the first pitch he saw in to the left-field seats. Game over.

4. Central Washington Sportsmanship

Blake Wolf/Associated Press

In 2008, two softball players from Central Washington moved a nation with their inspiring act of sportsmanship. 

It was the second game of a doubleheader against Western Oregon, and the two teams were vying for a chance to play in the postseason. 

With two on in the second inning of a scoreless game, Western Oregon senior Sara Tucholsky hit one out of the park. 

But as she rounded first, she realized her foot hadn’t touched the bag. As she turned to go back, something in her knee popped and she crumbled to the ground. 

The umpires concluded that Tucholsky’s teammates couldn’t help her around the bases, and that’s when Mallory Holtman of Central Washington decided to step in. 

Holtman and teammate Liz Wallace carried Tucholsky around the bases, and she got credit for the home run she had rightfully earned.

3. Tiger Woods Wins U.S. Open

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Prior to the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, Tiger Woods had won 13 Majors. 

But he was on the mend. Having missed several months recovering from knee surgery, that tournament was his first back, and he wasn’t at 100 percent. 

But in the end, Woods won. And in doing so, he delivered one of his most pure moments of celebration ever, leaving behind a lasting image of joy in victory.

He beat Rocco Mediate after an 18-hole playoff plus one more, a sudden-death hole that would prove to be the difference-maker.

2. Boston Ends Curse

A baseball curse 86 years in the making—finally broken. 

That’s what happened in 2004 when the Boston Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals to win their first World Series in over eight decades. 

When Edgar Renteria grounded out to the pitcher to record the final out of the series, a moment was cemented forever in history, a moment that will always shine brightly in the hearts of Boston fans. 

1. Lezak Keeps the Dream Alive

In 2008, Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympian of all time in Beijing. The swimmer won a gold medal in all eight events in which he competed. 

The entire ride was extraordinary—one of the greatest American sports stories ever. 

But perhaps the best moment of that historic run happened when Phelps wasn’t even in the water. In just his second event of the Olympics, the dream of eight gold medals looked to be crumbling before it really even got started. 

Phelps swam the first leg of the 4x100-meter relay, and going into the final leg, the U.S. trailed France by a seemingly insurmountable margin. 

But anchorman Jason Lezak pulled off the incredible. He came from behind to beat his French counterpart Alain Bernard by just eight one-hundredths of a second. 

The golden dream was still alive for Phelps and well, you know the rest.