From the gym to the track: Top 10 sports moments of 2023 

As 2023 comes to a close, the AFRO takes a look at the Black athletes who gave it their all on the basketball court, the football field, in the gym, on the track and beyond. 

  1. Georgia Bulldogs defeat Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frogs 65-7 in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Football championship (NCAAF) game on Jan. 9 

The Georgia State Bulldogs crushed the TCU Horned Frogs by 58-points in the NCAAF championship game. The final score in the matchup marked the biggest blowout in NCAAF history.

Georgia players celebrate a win over TCU after the national championship NCAA College Football Playoff game, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. Georgia won 65-7. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
  1. LeBron James becomes NBA’s all-time scoring leader on Feb. 7

LeBron James became all-time scoring leader for the National Basketball Association (NBA), breaking the record of the former all-time scoring leader, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 

The record was held by Abdul-Jabbar for 39 years with 38,387 points until James broke it with 38,390 points and counting. Abdul-Jabbar played 1,560 games while James played (at the time) 1,410 when he broke the record. 

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) scores against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, Dec. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
  1. Chiefs defeat Eagles in Super Bowl LVIII; first battle between two Black quarterbacks in the Super Bowl, Mahomes wins second SB and MVP on Feb. 12

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in a 38-35 thriller to win their third Super Bowl in franchise history.

Patrick Mahomes, of the Kansas City Chiefs, and Jalen Hurts, quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, dueled in the first Super Bowl to feature two Black starting quarterbacks. Ultimately, Mahomes came out on top, winning his second Super Bowl in five seasons as a starter. 

FILE – Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, left, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the NFL Super Bowl 57 football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. The NFL says there are millions of German fans who are looking for a team to support. The Chiefs go first — they’ll play the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. A week later, the Patriots face the Indianapolis Colts. Both games are at Deutsche Bank Park. (AP Photo/Marcio J. Sanchez, File)
  1. Angel Reese leads LSU championship victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes on April 2 

Angel Reese helped the Louisiana State University Tigers women’s basketball win the NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship over the Iowa Hawkeyes 102-85 in April 2023.

The victory made head coach Kim Mulkey the first women’s coach to win national titles at two different schools—Baylor and LSU. 

LSU forward Angel Reese (10) dribbles during the first half of an NCAA basketball game against Mississippi Valley State on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023 in Baton Rouge, La. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
  1. No. 8 seeded Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler make NBA Finals; Heat falls to No.1 seeded Denver Nuggets 4-1 on June 12

Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat lost to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals, giving the Nuggets their first NBA Finals championship in franchise history. 

The Heat are the second team in NBA history to make the finals as a No. 8 seed, with the first being the New York Knicks back during the 1999 NBA playoffs. 

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, and forward Michael Porter Jr. touch the NBA championship trophy during a ceremony to mark the team’s title, before an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
  1. Sha’Carri Richardson wins 100-meter title at Worlds Championships on Aug. 21

Track star Sha’Carri Richardson took home her first major world championship title, outrunning Jamaican sprinters Shericka Jackson and  Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

Sha’Carri Richardson, of the United States, celebrates after winning the gold medal in the final of the Women’s 100-meters during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
  1. Coco Gauff wins her first Grand Slam title on Sept. 9

The 19-year-old prodigy defeated the second seeded Aryna Sabalenka in three sets, winning her first ever Grand Slam title.

Coco Gauff of the United States celebrates after defeating Marketa Vondrousova, of the Czech Republic, during a women’s singles match at the WTA Finals tennis championships, in Cancun , Mexico, Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
  1. Simone Biles wins her 21st gold medal at the Worlds Gymnastics Championships on Oct. 6

After a two-year hiatus, Simone Biles continued her success, winning her 21st world title with gold in the Worlds Gymnastics Championships. The world class gymnast married Jonathan Owens in April of this year.

Simone Biles, a seven-time Olympic medalist and the 2016 Olympic champion, practices on the uneven bars at the U.S. Classic gymnastics competition Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, in Hoffman Estates, Ill. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
  1. Las Vegas Aces add to legacy with back-to-back WNBA championships 

A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces defeated the New York Liberty 3-1 to win back-to-back WNBA championships. 

The Aces are the first WNBA team to become repeat champions since the Los Angeles Sparks won their championship titles for the 2001 and 2002 seasons.

Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson celebrates during a rally to celebrate the team’s WNBA championship Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
  1.  Deion Sanders serves first season as head coach at University of Colorado on Nov. 25 

Deion “Prime Time” Sanders closed out his first season as head coach at University of Colorado with a 4-8 record.

Sanders switched his coaching position from Jackson State University to University of Colorado in late 2022.

FILE – Colorado head coach Deion Sanders gestures during the first half of the team’s spring NCAA college football game Saturday, April 22, 2023, in Boulder, Colo. Luke Eckardt was understandably excited when he found out Deion Sanders would be his new head coach at Colorado. After all, who wouldn’t want to play for the charismatic Pro Football Hall of Fame member and ex-major leaguer known as “Prime Time” during his playing days and now just “Coach Prime?”(AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)