Warriors and the greatest sporting seasons in history
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Updated 14/04/2016 at 14:52 GMT
After the Warriors completed the greatest NBA season in history, what achievements in other sports have stood the test of time?
Stephen Curry reacts after making a half court shot after the first-quarter buzzer against the Indiana Pacers January 22, 2016
Image credit: Reuters
Golden State Warriors made NBA history last night when they beat Memphis Grizzlies 125-104.
It was their 73rd win of the season, surpassing the record of 72 set by a Michael Jordon inspired Chicago Bulls in 1995-96.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr played for that Bulls team and said after the game, ‘I never thought anyone would break it.’
It took their overall record for the season to 73-9, with Steph Curry becoming the first to net more than 400-three pointers in a campaign.
In this spirit we look back at other sports and their greatest, era-defining seasons…
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Belgian Eddy Merckx rides uphill in the Col de l'Aubisque during the 17th stage of the Tour de France between Luchon and Mourenx on July 15, 1969
Image credit: AFP
Cycling
While the Triple Crown of grand tours has never been achieved, and probably never will be, the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and World Championship treble has been done twice.
Eddy Merckx became the first to do so in 1974 before Stephen Roche followed him in 1987, but it’s the Belgian’s achievements around it that set him apart from the Irishman.
Merckx won four grand tours in a row between 1972 and 1973: the Giro, the Tour, the Vuelta and then the Giro again. Though he did not claim the triple crown in a calendar year it remains a record that has stood the test of time.
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Steffi Graf holds the US Open in 1988
Image credit: SID
Tennis
The Grand Slam, winning the Australian, French, Wimbledon and US Open, remains the pinnacle of the sport and its illusiveness has accelerated its mythology. In men’s and women’s singles no-one has done it since Steffi Graff in 1988.
The German won five consecutive titles including an Olympic gold in arguably the most stellar year tennis has ever seen.
In the men’s game no-one has done it since Rod Laver in 1969, who is the only player to have completed the feat twice.
For all the talk of a golden age of men’s tennis it is a feat that has thus far alluded Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, with the Serb’s inexplicable defeat to Stan Wawrinka at Roland Garros last year preventing a clean-sweep.
That unlikely loss was the main blemish on a superlative year for Djokovic, who won three Grand Slams and finished with an incredible season record of 82-6.
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Tiger Woods after winning the Open in 2000
Image credit: Imago
Golf
No man has ever achieved a modern Grand Slam, with only Bobby Jones in the pre-Masters era completing the feat back in 1930.
Tiger Wood has come closest, winning all four consecutively but over two calendar years. The American’s impressive 2000 paved for way where he won the US Open by 15 shots, The Open by eight and the US PGA in a play-off.
Ben Hogan’s 1953 heroics have stood the test of time, though. Following a car crash four years earlier his schedule had to be heavily restricted but he went undefeated.
The American won all five PGA Tour events he entered including the Masters, US and The Open. Scheduling conflict prevented him from entering the PGA Championship.
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Arsenal won the Premier League unbeaten in 2004
Image credit: Reuters
Football
Going an entire season unbeaten has become the holy grail in football. It has been achieved only twice in England, with Arsenal’s famous 2003-04 Invincibles following on from Preston North End’s feat in 1888-89.
Winning the treble – league, cup and European trophy – has often been the mark of a great side with Celtic, Ajax, PSV and Manchester United the only teams to achieve it in the twentieth century.
Since the turn of the year 2000 it has been achieved by Barcelona (twice), Inter Milan and Bayern Munich, rendering the achievement slightly more hollow in modern times.
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