10. January 4th, 2006. The BCS National Championship Game: USC vs Texas
USC was attempting to become the first team in college football history to win three straight National Championships. Standing in their way from history was Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns. Young had perhaps the single best performance in a National Championship, as he accounted for 467 total yards, and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 4th and 5 play.
9. March 23rd, 2006. UCLA beats Gonzaga in the Sweet 16
The Bruins trailed the entire game, but then scored the final 11 points of the game to defeat the Zags 73-71. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute scored the go ahead basket with 10 seconds left, as the victory punched the Bruins' ticket to the Elite Eight. This game was memorable because the then Gonzaga star Adam Morrison was sprawled out on the court and was crying after the game.
8. April 14th, 2004. Kobe Bryant beats the Portland Trail Blazers in OT
Kobe Bryant won the Lakers the Pacific Division, as he nailed a three pointer in overtime to give the Lakers a 105-104 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Kobe also hit a three pointer at the buzzer in regulation just to send the game to overtime. The best part of this was that Kobe made the incredible shots over Ruben Patterson, who had dubbed himself "The Kobe Stopper."
7. The 2008-2009 Arizona State Basketball season.
The Sun Devils swept UCLA and Arizona in the same season for the first time in god knows how long, and made it to the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament. It was a pleasure to watch the team in person, as I got to see guys like Jeff Pendergraph and James Harden. Many great memories from my first basketball season as a Sun Devil.
6. December 2nd, 2006. UCLA beats USC.
This was without a doubt the best football game I have ever been to in person. USC was ranked #2 coming into the game, and would have been in the National Championship had they beaten the Bruins. Eric McNeal intercepted a pass from John David Booty with a little over a minute left, to secure the 13-9 upset for the Bruins. This quite possibly could be the greatest upset in the history of the storied rivalry, as no one thought UCLA had a chance to win.
5. May 13th, 2004. Derek Fisher's 0.4 shot.
Game 5 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals between the Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs thought they had the game won after Tim Duncan hit a miraculous shot to put them up 73-72 with 0.4 seconds remaining, but Derek Fisher had plans of his own. As Shaquille O'Neal put it best, "One lucky shot deserves another."
4. June 14th, 2009. The Lakers win their 15th NBA Championship.
This title was special for me because Kobe Bryant is my favorite basketball player, and for years and years I had to put up with all of the Kobe haters saying that he could never win a title without Shaquille O'Neal. It felt great when the Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic in five games, as all the doubts and all the haters of Kobe Bryant were silenced.
3. April 30th, 2006. Kobe Bryant beats the Suns.
In Game 4 of the 2006 Western Conference First Round Series, and the Lakers leading the series 2-1, Kobe made a looping runner with seven-tenths of a second left to send the game into overtime. In the extra period, Kobe hit a 17 footer that gave the Lakers a 99-98 victory. Unfortunately the Lakers blew the 3-1 series lead, as Phoenix won the next three games. This probably would have been the #1 moment had the Lakers won the series.
2. October 2nd, 2004. The Dodgers win the NL West
The best moment I've had as a Dodger fan came on this day. The Dodgers were down 3-0 going into the bottom of the ninth against the San Francisco Giants. It was the final Saturday of the regular season, and the two bitter rivals were fighting for a spot in the playoffs. Dodger Stadium was packed, and in the Dodgers last chance to win the game, they scored seven runs, capped off by Steve Finley's grand slam. The Dodgers won the NL West for the first time in 16 years, and in doing so, eliminated the Giants. Unfortunately there is no youtube video, however if you click here, then you can scroll down and watch the video.
Ladies and gentlemen, my personal #1 moment of the decade
1. May 26th, 2002. "The Shot That Finished The Queens"
Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and the Sacramento Kings in a series that the Kings led 2-1 at the time. The Kings led by as many as 24 points, and led by eight points with under four minutes to play. But the Lakers were resilient and never gave up, as Robert Horry's three pointer at the buzzer shot capped off the miraculous comeback. The Lakers went on to win the series and the 2002 NBA Championship. This shot has become known simply as "The Shot That Finished The Queens".
So there you have it, my top 10 moments of this decade. Here's to plenty more to come in the next.
