Greatest Athletic Performance Ever?

[quote]buffbills69 wrote:
WhiteFlash wrote:
Sorry, but anything involving golf or horses has to be taken out of consideration.

Kobe Bryant’s 81 is the greatest offensive performance in sports history. It blows Wilt’s 100 outta the water.

Usain Bolt’s 100m in the Olympics.

Phelps dominating everybody for 738 golds.

Michael Jordan’s 63 on Boston in the garden.

Let me guess you’ve never played golf.[/quote]

I have. I hit a stationary ball while no one tried to defend me and everyone had to be quiet while I shot. And, when I finished I had some guy carry my bag while I took a little car to my next attempt. Golf is tough, and Tiger is an unbelievable golfer, but those dudes ARE NOT athletes.

[quote]Brooklyyyn wrote:
Some great names mentioned. But to bring some more recent games up how about…

Dwayne wade putting the team on his back in the finals vs. Dallas

Lebron James scoring 25 of the last 26 pts for his team vs. the pistons

Kobe- 81 pts [/quote]

I’m sorry, but the Wade claim is ridiculous. Dallas got fucked by the powers that be. The NBA wanted Miami to win, and the refs gave Wade calls that would make Michael Jordan blush. Dallas was the better team and should’ve won that series. This is not debatable.

[quote]Con@n wrote:
Impressive, but he would never get my vote. How many people do you know that even thought of competing in ultramarathons?

TooHuman wrote:
silverblood wrote:
Pick one.
Dean Karnazes ran 50 marathons in 50 days. After the last one in N.Y. he ran back to the site of the first one in St. Louis.
Ran a 200 mile relay in California solo.
Won the Badwater 135 through Death Valley.
Ran over 350 miles at 80+hrs.
Won the 4 Deserts Crown.

This makes him exactly the worst athlete in my mind.

[/quote]
I’ve met a few ultra runners.
http://www.ws100.com/lotteryresults.htm
Western States 100
430 Runners selected as of 10:51pm, 11/29/08
http://www.badwater.com/
Badwater 135
The selection process begins on January 5, 2009 and ends on January 19, 2009 (with extensions for competitors in 2009 Badwater World Cup events). A committee of five race staff members, one of whom is the race director, will review and rank each application on a scale of 0 to 10. The ranks will be tallied on February 15 and the top 80 applicants with the highest scores will be invited. At that time, or later, up to ten more applicants may be invited at the race director’s discretion.

List of ultras
http://www.ultrarunning.com/ultra/calendar/index.shtml
Sun, May 24, 2009
Comrades Ultra Marathon
Pietermaritzburg to Durban, South Africa 5:30am
“World’s greatest race,”( Runners World,), a “down run” this year, 89kms, 5 big hills, picturous, historic land of the Zulus, 12000 runners & 45 nations. Time limit (hours):12 hours. Field limit: none
Sat, Mar 28, 2009
Annapurna 100k
Nepal 6.00 a.m.
Probably the toughest 100k race in the World - Himalayan mountain trails in a stunning rhodadendron forest with snow capped peaks of the Annapurnas. Time limit (hours):24. Field limit: 500
Some have field limits some don’t but there are a lot of ultra runners out there.

As for basketball:In Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s first NBA post-season, the Lakers met the 76ers in the NBA Finals. As had been true throughout the season, Abdul-Jabbar was the key to the Lakers’ success. However, in a game five victory, the Laker center suffered a severely sprained ankle. The Lakers led the best-of-seven series three-games-to-two, but were traveling to Philadelphia for game six without their best player and that year’s league MVP (the sixth time Kareem had won the award). In a move that shocked and delighted fans outside of Philadelphia, point guard Magic Johnson, still not yet age 21, started the game as center in Abdul-Jabbar’s place, and eventually played every position on the floor, delivering arguably the finest game of his NBA career, scoring 42 points, pulling down 15 rebounds, and passing out 7 assists. The Lakers won game six and with it the NBA championship. Johnson was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, being the only rookie to have ever won the award. Johnson is also one of only four players to win NCAA and NBA championships in consecutive years.

[quote]silverblood wrote:

http://www.badwater.com/
Badwater 135
The selection process begins on January 5, 2009 and ends on January 19, 2009 (with extensions for competitors in 2009 Badwater World Cup events). A committee of five race staff members, one of whom is the race director, will review and rank each application on a scale of 0 to 10. The ranks will be tallied on February 15 and the top 80 applicants with the highest scores will be invited. At that time, or later, up to ten more applicants may be invited at the race director’s discretion.

[/quote]

Cool!

Did a little digging and found myself and the rest of our crew from 2000 on that site.

http://www.badwater.com/2000web/shows/finish5/pages/MVC-014S.htm

Memories. Ultra runners are a different breed.

[quote]BradTGIF wrote:
silverblood wrote:

http://www.badwater.com/
Badwater 135
The selection process begins on January 5, 2009 and ends on January 19, 2009 (with extensions for competitors in 2009 Badwater World Cup events). A committee of five race staff members, one of whom is the race director, will review and rank each application on a scale of 0 to 10. The ranks will be tallied on February 15 and the top 80 applicants with the highest scores will be invited. At that time, or later, up to ten more applicants may be invited at the race director’s discretion.

Cool!

Did a little digging and found myself and the rest of our crew from 2000 on that site.

http://www.badwater.com/2000web/shows/finish5/pages/MVC-014S.htm

Memories. Ultra runners are a different breed.

[/quote]
Must of been great to be there. The runners I’ve met are really nice and didn’t have that “Look at me I’m wonderful” attitude, but they did have a certain presence and intensity about them you couldn’t miss.

That was effin’ AWESOME!