The 10 Most Impressive Times Players Carried Their Teams to Titles
In team sports, winning a championship usually requires a total and collective effort from a group of vastly skilled and wholly like-minded individuals. Every so often, though, a single heroic athlete is asked to carry the burdensome load and deliver his team to the promised land.
In the 2006 Rose Bowl, for example, Vince Young took on the vaunted USC Trojans nearly all by himself, accounting for a mind-numbing 467 yards—84 percent of his team's total offense—in the 41-38 championship victory.
And more recently, on the diamond Madison Bumgarner propelled the San Francisco Giants to their second World Series title in three seasons, winning in dominant fashion twice before delivering a record-breaking five-inning save—on two days' rest—in an all-important Game 7.
Finally, on the hardwood in 2006, Dwyane Wade showed fans what heavy lifting really looks like when he lifted a struggling Shaquille O'Neal and the Miami Heat from a 0-2 deficit all the way to a championship, averaging a gaudy 39.3 points and 8.3 rebounds along the way.
With these athletic saviors in mind, we've created our very own honorary list, specifically highlighting the 10 most impressive times players carried their teams to titles.
To make our list, athletes not only had to be a part of a championship squad, but also mostly responsible for their team's title-winning run, compensating for either underperforming or injured teammates along the way.
That said, we've successfully identified 10 legendary competitors who, even when the odds were stacked against them and the going got tough, found a way to lead their troops out of the fire and into the history books.
LeBron on the Cusp
1 of 10
Regardless of whether LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers manage to beat Golden State in the NBA Finals, the King's 2014-15 postseason run should be remembered as epic nonetheless.
Preseason, Cleveland was expected to be exactly where it is today: competing for an NBA title. After all, with the summer additions of James and Kevin Love, the Cavs created a virtual All-Star team and their very own Big Three, which of course included one of the NBA's top point guards in Kyrie Irving.
But when Love suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Game 4 of the first round and Irving re-aggravated his injured left knee against the Bulls in Round 2, Cleveland's title hopes seemed all but lost.
James, though, had other things in mind.
En route to the NBA Finals, he put his head down and carried the hobbled Cavs, ousting Boston, Chicago and Atlanta along the way. In 14 Eastern Conference playoff battles, the four-time NBA MVP averaged an amazing 27.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, single-handedly delivering the Cavs to glory's doorstep.
Ezekiel Elliot
2 of 10
En route to winning the 2014-15 College Football Playoff National Championship, Ohio State was forced to utilize three starting quarterbacks.
So when Cardale Jones replaced J.T. Barrett—who replaced Braxton Miller—and led the Buckeyes to an improbable title, the third-string signal-caller naturally received the bulk of the credit.
As a result, the remarkable season-altering play of running back Ezekiel Elliott was mostly lost in the shuffle.
And while Jones's fill-in play down the stretch was more than admirable—the junior college transfer threw for a respectable 742 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions in three playoff victories—Elliott was, in truth, the brightest Buckeye of all.
In postseason wins over Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon, the power back bulldozed his way to 696 rushing yards and a ridiculous eight rushing touchdowns.
When the pressure was on, Elliott was at his very best, carrying both the ball and the Buckeyes with an average of 232 yards and 2.7 touchdowns per postseason battle.
Joe Flacco
3 of 10
At the start of the 2012 NFL playoffs, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Ray Rice were the marquee, most frequently mentioned members of the Baltimore Ravens.
Yet by the end, Joe Flacco was the only Raven anyone could talk about.
Lewis and Reed did their things and Rice was decent—rushing for 306 yards and two touchdowns in four games—but Flacco stole the show while leading Baltimore to a second championship.
In four playoff victories, the severely underappreciated and often overlooked signal-caller was nearly perfect, torching the Colts, Broncos, Patriots and Niners for 1,140 yards, 11 touchdowns and—most important of all—zero interceptions, tying Joe Montana's postseason record for TDs thrown without an interception.
And for his heroic postseason efforts, Flacco was deservedly named Super Bowl MVP and rewarded with a six-year contract worth more than $120 million.
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Dirk Nowitzki
4 of 10
In 2011, Dirk Nowitzki captured his first and only NBA title, leading a relatively average version of the Dallas Mavericks past LeBron James and the Miami Heat in a competitive six-game series.
On the year, Dallas finished with an impressive 57-25 record, but it sported an unremarkable, aging starting five that included a past-their-prime Jason Kidd-Shawn Marion duo, a one-dimensional Tyson Chandler and a nothing-more-than-average DeShawn Stevenson. And even though Jason Terry proved to be an invaluable asset off the bench, Nowitzki was the team's lone All-Star on the year.
Still, thanks to exceptional postseason play from the German sharpshooter, the Mavericks managed to sneak their way into the NBA Finals.
Not so surprisingly, though, Dallas suffered a disappointing defeat in Game 1, which culminated with Nowitzki tearing a tendon in the middle finger on his left hand.
Then, in ultra-dramatic fashion, the Mavs stole Game 2, as an injured Nowitzki helped Dallas overcome a huge 15-point fourth-quarter deficit before putting his team ahead for good on a game-winning layup with just 3.6 seconds remaining.
And even though James and company rebounded to win by two points in a hard-fought Game 3, the Nowitzki-led Mavericks took things over from there, winning Games 4, 5 and 6 to close out the series.
In the six-game war, Dallas received solid defense and rebounding from Chandler and timely scoring from Terry, while Marion was average and Kidd mostly struggled. Thankfully, though, Nowitzki was magical, averaging 26 points, 9.7 rebounds and two assists per game en route to running away with Finals MVP honors.
Tim Tebow
5 of 10
Though he had a statistically more impressive season as a sophomore in 2007, Tim Tebow was his "clutchest" self in the final weeks of 2008.
In order to capture his very first national title as a full-time starter, Tebow had to lead Florida past FSU, Alabama and Oklahoma in successive weeks.
Against the Seminoles in Tallahassee, the do-it-all quarterback lost his most explosive playmaker—Percy Harvin—to an injured ankle in the second quarter, but never missed a beat, throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for a fourth while setting a Gator record for points scored (45) at Doak Campbell Stadium.
In the second game of the three-battle gauntlet, Tebow again compensated for an injured and missing Harvin, this time carrying Florida past the No. 1 Crimson Tide with three timely touchdown passes. The unshakable Gator captain first led his team back from a 23-20 fourth-quarter deficit and then sealed the deal with a memorable game-icing drive, hitting a tightly covered Riley Cooper with a perfect five-yard strike to make the score 31-20 with just 2:50 to play.
Finally, even after a hobbled Harvin returned to take on the Sooners in the BCS national title game, it was again Tebow who stole the show. With just 3:07 to play in the most important game of his career, the Gator legend put Florida ahead for good, capturing the school's second championship in three years with a perfectly executed four-yard jump pass, this time to David Nelson.
In three successive games, a more-than-motivated Tebow managed to embarrass the Seminoles and devastate both the Tide and Sooners with two contest-clinching drives, ultimately carrying a short-handed Florida to yet another national title.
Ray Lewis
6 of 10
During the 2000 NFL season, legendary linebacker Ray Lewis played the role of leader and best player on arguably the greatest defense ever assembled. The Lewis-led unit set an NFL record for fewest points allowed during a 16-game season (165) and carried Baltimore to its first Super Bowl title in franchise history.
Along the way, an average offense, paced by Jamal Lewis but hindered by a subpar Trent Dilfer, made a dominant Ravens defense more of a must than a luxury.
And in the postseason, Lewis in particular delivered for sure.
In four playoff battles, the Baltimore D allowed just 23 combined points, smothering Denver, Tennessee and Oakland before baffling the Giants, 34-7, in the season's final showdown.
Naturally, Lewis was a star during the historic postseason run, racking up 31 tackles in addition to two interceptions, nine pass deflections, a fumble recovery and a touchdown.
For his inspirational work, the unanimous All-Pro was named Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP.
Dwyane Wade
7 of 10
Even though Shaquille O'Neal was the one with title experience and three championship rings to his name, when it came time for Miami to face Dallas in the 2006 NBA Finals, Dwyane Wade was the one who was prepared to carry the Heat.
In the three series prior to Miami's championship grudge match with Dallas, Wade was consistently and efficiently dominant, averaging 26.2 points, 6.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 42.3 percent from three and 51 percent from the field.
Better yet, while his running mate struggled mightily against the Mavericks in the NBA Finals—Diesel averaged just 13.7 points and 10.2 rebounds in the six-game series—Wade found a way to take his game to an even higher level.
After Miami got off to a slow start and fell behind 0-2 in the series, Wade morphed into an unstoppable man on a mission, picking up the Heat and dragging them to four straight victories and an NBA title.
During the heroic stretch, D-Wade gave new meaning to the expression "he's on fire," averaging an absurd 39.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals per championship contest.
Tom Brady
8 of 10
Even though Tom Brady already had three championships under his belt, in recent years people started to question whether the veteran signal-caller could still get it done on the biggest of stages. After all, heading into the 2014-15 season, Brady and the Pats were a solid nine seasons removed from their last Super Bowl victory.
In his 15th year in the league, however, Brady answered the bell louder than ever.
After leading the Pats to a 12-4 record and a first-round bye, Brady elevated his game even further and took the postseason by storm.
In New England's first playoff outing, Brady dug deep and pulled the Pats out of a 14-point hole not once, but twice, ultimately willing his group past Baltimore, 35-31. On a day when his ground game provided a measly 14 rushing yards, Brady more than picked up the slack, throwing 50 balls for 367 yards and three scores.
Next, the New England legend outdueled Indy and Andrew Luck in the AFC title game, augmenting LeGarrette Blount's 148-yard rushing effort with 226 passing yards and another three touchdowns as the Patriots cruised, 45-7.
Fittingly, Brady saved his best effort for last, again helping the Patriots overcome an underwhelming ground game. In his team's 28-24 Super Bowl win over the Seattle Seahawks, the quarterback threw for 328 yards and four more scores, including the game's winning touchdown pass to Julian Edelman.
During the three-game span, the 2015 Super Bowl MVP totally carried the eventual champs, completing nearly 70 percent of his passes for 921 yards and 10 all-important touchdowns.
Madison Bumgarner
9 of 10
When it came time for the Giants to take on the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 World Series, the San Francisco batters arrived healthy and ready to go. And it mostly appeared in their performance, as Giants hitters scored a more-than-respectable 26 runs in the four games they won.
But in baseball, a team is only as good as its starting pitcher, and San Francisco's staff—aside, of course, from Madison Bumgarner—left plenty to be desired.
In five Bumgarner-less starts, San Francisco starters won a grand total of zero games. Fortunately for them, though, Bumgarner was magic when the Giants put the ball in his hand.
First, in Game 1, the ace nearly blanked the Royals, allowing just three hits and one run in seven beautiful innings of work. Then in Game 5, he somehow turned things up a notch, this time throwing nine brilliant innings of four-hit, shutout baseball.
Finally, with everything on the line in a do-or-die Game 7 setting, Bumgarner turned superhero and put forth an effort for the ages.
While miraculously performing on just two days of rest, the 6’5”, 235-pound beast came out of the bullpen and proceeded to throw five more innings of two-hit, shutout baseball, registering the longest save in World Series history while delivering his Giants yet another championship.
Vince Young
10 of 10
Upon entering the 2006 Rose Bowl, the USC Trojans were heavy seven-point favorites—the star-studded cast was a perfect 12-0 and in search of their third consecutive national championship.
The Longhorns, however, were also a perfect 12-0 and, more importantly, armed with a freakishly dynamic quarterback by the name of Vince Young.
As expected, the Texas defense had no answers for Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and company, giving up 574 yards—365 passing and another 209 yards on the ground—a Rose Bowl record 30 first downs and a discouraging 38 points.
Of course, the Trojans had even less success stopping an unleashed Young.
Of Texas' 556 yards on the night, the All-American quarterback unbelievably accounted for 467 of them, another Rose Bowl record. To be exact, the do-it-all signal-caller rushed for a record 200 yards and threw for another 267 through the air. Most importantly, he scored three times, finishing the Trojans off with an eight-yard game-icing touchdown scamper just 19 seconds before the final whistle.
Not surprisingly, for his dramatic efforts in the 41-38 Texas victory, Young was justifiably rewarded with the game's MVP trophy.
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