Sports

Billie Jean King was 29 when she beat 55-year-old Bobby Riggs in straight sets in 1973, after he said women's tennis was too weak. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school varsity team for being too short. Stephen Curry got only a walk-on offer from Virginia Tech. Serena Williams won the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant and did not yet know. Muhammad Ali lost his boxing title the day he refused Army induction in 1967.

• LeBron JamesLeBron James led Cleveland back from a 3-1 Finals deficit, a first in NBA history. It ended a 52-year title wait.

  18 min
• Kobe BryantKobe Bryant scored 81 points against Toronto in 2006, the second-highest NBA game total ever.

  13 min
• Stephen CurryVirginia Tech offered Stephen Curry only a walk-on spot. He later became the NBA's all-time three-point leader.

  10 min
• Lionel MessiLionel Messi's first Barcelona contract was written on a paper napkin. He was 13 at the time.

  13 min
• Tom BradyTom Brady was once drafted by the Montreal Expos as a catcher. He chose football at Michigan instead.

  10 min
• Muhammad AliMuhammad Ali refused three times to step forward for his Army induction in 1967. He lost his boxing title that same day.

  13 min
• Serena WilliamsSerena Williams won the 2017 Australian Open while already pregnant. She did not yet know it.

  10 min
• Michael JordanMichael Jordan was cut from his high school varsity team as a sophomore for being too short.

  12 min
• Miracle on IceIn 1980, a young US college hockey team beat the Soviet Union at Lake Placid. Mike Eruzione's goal made it 4-3.

  17 min
• Cristiano RonaldoCristiano Ronaldo's mother wanted to abort him, but her doctor refused. He became football's top goalscorer.

  11 min
• SportChess and bridge count as sports to the International Olympic Committee.

  10 min
• FIFA Women's World CupIn 1988, FIFA staged a test tournament in China to see if women's football could fill stadiums.

  9 min
• Women's National Basketball AssociationPlayers wore "Pay Us What You Owe Us" shirts before the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game. A 2026 deal tied pay to revenue.

  13 min
• Simone BilesA day-care field trip first brought six-year-old Simone Biles into a gymnastics gym. She now has 11 Olympic medals.

  16 min
• PeléAt 17, Pelé passed out on the field after scoring twice in the 1958 World Cup final. His teammate Garrincha revived him.

  12 min
• Billie Jean KingBillie Jean King beat 55-year-old Bobby Riggs in straight sets in 1973. He had claimed women's tennis was too weak.

  7 min