The Dream Team
Larry Bird was a legend and has been celebrated as one of the greater Celtic players for the NBA of all time. To complement his 12 All-Star appearances, Bird had three championships and three MVP awards. He even shined on the international stage; in the photo, we see him relaxing alongside the court during the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
Larry Bird was a member of the most extraordinary basketball team ever assembled, also known as the Dream Team. Next to him, we see Charles Barkley. A prominent player himself, Barkley won two Olympic gold medals in 1992 and 1996, but he never reached the summit of NBA success- winning the Finals.
When UCLA Had a Perfect Season
Head Coach John Wooden had a talent for winning. He led his teams to win a record 10 NCAA Championships. Their first undefeated season was in 1964 and was capped off by a 15-point victory against Duke University.
It would be John Wooden's first of many championships and was UCLA's first-ever basketball title. Wooden rightfully earned the title the "Wizard of Westwood," and, to this day, UCLA has been trying to regain its glory from that era. Since he retired, UCLA has only managed to win one NCAA Championship, coming in 1995.
Wilt Chamberlain Sets a Record
Wilt, "The Stilt" Chamberlain, set the record as the only Basketball player to score 100 points in one game! Wilt also possesses the NBA record for most rebounds in a career at 23,924.
Wilt received numerous records and is considered as one of the more impressive players of his generation, but he only won two NBA championships. His teammates often criticized him for being too soft and not focused enough on winning.
UTEP Takes the National Championship in 1966
The University of Texas, El Paso, has not had one of the most recognized athletic departments in NCAA history. But the team does have one of the most impressive victories in the NCAA Tournament. In 1966, UTEP, which was then known as Texas Western, defeated Kentucky 72–65 to claim the university's first title.
Their success made the first time in history that a team starred five African-American players in a single title game, while Kentucky had no black players on their side.
Jim Brown Becoming a Lacrosse Superstar
As we've mentioned before, Jim Brown may be the greatest all-around American athlete. He played professional football for the Browns, but he was also a lacrosse player at Syracuse University. If you were in Jim's way, you better move as he was not only a goal scorer and lightning-fast runner but also a formidable presence.
Brown himself actually preferred lacrosse and believed he was more talented at it, so if playing lacrosse was as popular as football, Brown effortlessly could have had a career scoring goals instead of touchdowns.