23 numbers that defined sports in 2023

The 2023 sports calendar flew past like a whirlwind, but not before solidifying a place in our hearts as a year fans will never forget. 

That is especially true if you were there to see LeBron James become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, witness Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts make history in the Super Bowl, or enjoy watching one of the first-time title-winning teams collect their franchise’s first trophy. 

But even if you missed those — or simply don’t support those teams — there were plenty of other notable events and numbers that stood out from a wild and unforgettable year.

Here are our 23 favorite numbers that will define 2023. 

The inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament delivered mixed results for some, but it was a great experience for Lakers fans as they collected the first-ever title in the event. Another line on the LeBron James résumé will now be filled out when Springfield eventually calls.

In the four major sports, three of the four winners in 2023 were first-timers, with the Texas Rangers, Vegas Golden Knights and Denver Nuggets capturing their first championships. That marks just the second time since 1989 that three of the four major professional sports leagues had first-time champs. The only other time was in 1999 when the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Stars and St. Louis Rams all captured their first titles.

The 2023 Final Four was the first tournament since 1979 when seeding began in which none of the four remaining teams were top-three seeds. The eventual champion, UConn, was the highest seed at No. 4.

Manchester City dominated in 2023, delivering success after success and ultimately landing five separate trophies, making them the first English team to hold the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Super Cup and Club World Cup trophies simultaneously.

The Golden Knights won a championship in their sixth year of existence, becoming the fastest team to win a title in modern NHL history. That topped the mark held by the Philadelphia Flyers, who captured their first Stanley Cup in 1974, seven years after their franchise began.

Is there anything Lionel Messi can’t do? The star once again reigned supreme over the soccer world when he collected his record-extending eighth Ballon D’Or award, three more than any other player. Just for reference, he also has five second-place finishes for the award, the second-most of any player in the history of the award.

Wrexham AFC, famously owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, finally broke through and was promoted to the Football League after being relegated 15 years ago.

The 2023 March Madness tournament gave us a 16-seed (Fairleigh Dickinson) and a 15-seed (Princeton) winning over the one and two seeds, respectively, in the first round. That is the first time both of those seeds have won games in the same tournament.

In a true feat of durability, the Penguins set a North American sports record when the trio of Kris Letang, Sydney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin began their 18th season together in October. That broke a tie with Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada, who spent 17 seasons together with the Yankees, for the longest-tenured trio.

The Las Vegas Aces responded to the increased competition following their title-winning campaign in 2022 and captured a second straight WNBA title in 2023. It was the first time in 21 years a WNBA team has won back-to-back championships.

Adolis García was a key piece in the World Series run by the Rangers, breaking the record for most RBIs in a single playoff run, with 22. The previous record was held by David Freese of the Cardinals during their 2011 title-winning run.

Perhaps the greatest athlete ever to compete showed what makes her an all-time competitor when Simone Biles captured what would be her 23rd world title in October. That is the most in men’s or women’s gymnastics history.

Not to be outdone by others, Novak Djokovic continued his domination, setting the record for the most grand slam singles titles with 24, passing Rafael Nadal, who had 22 titles.

In Game 3 of the 2023 NBA Finals, Nikola Jokić delivered an unforgettable performance, becoming the first player in NBA Finals history to post 30 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in a Finals game.

Ronald Acuna Jr. delivered a season for the ages, connecting for 41 homers and 73 steals, the first 40/70 campaign in MLB history. He also is the first National League player in the 40/40 club to have his team make the playoffs. His 73 steals are a modern record for the Braves.

Caitlin Clark continued to add her name to the record book when she became the all-time leader in 30-point games in BOTH men’s and women’s basketball over at least the last 25 years, passing Antoine Davis (39) of Detroit. Clark has added to her total and now has a staggering 44 such games.

During the 2023 season, the Orioles had a staggering 49-win improvement over two years. That is the greatest improvement over two years in MLB history. 

The Rangers won the franchise’s first title in their 62-year history, snapping the longest drought in MLB history for a team before their first championship. Their 11-0 road record was also a record as the longest postseason road win streak in MLB history, even over multiple playoff runs!

Shohei Ohtani has dominated on the field over the past few seasons, so it makes sense that he would dominate off the field. After lots of guessing and estimates, Ohtani officially landed the biggest contract in North American sports history with a $700 million deal with the Dodgers. That is $197 million more than Patrick Mahomes’ $503 million contract and significantly more than Mike Trout’s $426.5 million, which was previously the most in MLB history.

In what was truly an offensive explosion, the Dolphins let loose against the Broncos in Denver during a Week 3 battle. Miami put up a mind-boggling 726 total yards on offense, an NFL record. It was the first time since 1951 that a team has accumulated 700 or more yards on offense.

Against Iowa State this season, Caitlin Clark became the only player in Division I men’s or women’s basketball history with 3,000 points, 750 rebounds and 750 assists. To put those numbers in perspective, just six NBA players since 1975 have done that in a 110-game stretch like Clark has done at Iowa: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, James Harden, Luka Dončić, Russell Westbrook and Larry Bird.

 

As many anticipated over the last few years, LeBron James, finally passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. James has since added to his tally and currently sits at 39,363 points.

In one of the most amazing spectacles of 2023, the Nebraska women’s volleyball team had all eyes on them when they hosted Omaha at Lincoln Memorial Stadium with 92,003 fans watching. That 92,003 set a record for the largest crowd to watch a women’s sporting event in the United States.

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