The 25 most inspirational sports moments of 2018

After spending a decade in the NBA’s various developmental leagues — most recently the G League — Andre Ingram finally made an appearance in an official NBA game. On April 9 and at age 32, the G League’s fifth all-time leading scorer debuted with the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring 19 points.

After previously becoming the first female assistant coach in any of the major North American pro sports leagues in 2014, Hammon became the first woman to interview for a head coaching position, which she did with the Milwaukee Bucks over the summer.

Despite being born with retinoblastoma, a form of eye cancer that robbed him of his vision at age 12, Jake Olson was unbowed in seeing his dreams through. Olson was still able to join the USC Trojans, where he served as long snapper for the team late in 2017. This year, in his redshirt senior season, Olson took to the field as a Trojan for the final time, alongside his father and guide dog, shortly after winning the Walter Camp Perseverance Award in recognition of his determined and inspiring journey.

Wallace proved to be a trailblazer in stock car racing in 2018. At the Daytona 500 in February, Wallace's second-place finish was the best by an African-American driver in the 59-year history of the event. None other than Hank Aaron and Lewis Hamilton have put their support behind Wallace, whose finish at the "Great American Race" was the highest by a rookie driver in history.

Despite enjoying several productive seasons since being a first-round selection by the San Francisco 49ers in 2013 — including a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie — Reid curiously drew little interest as a free agent over the winter. Much of this was due to his tight support of Colin Kaepernick’s much-debated protests; he kneeled both during and after Kaepernick’s departure from the team. However, the Carolina Panthers crossed the proverbial picket line, signing Reid despite his involvement in the collusion lawsuit being filed against the league. The move represented a turning point in the ongoing fight between league management, ownership and player expression.

After being away from the ring for two years due to medical issues related to concussions, Bryan received a clean bill of health and surprisingly announced a return to in-ring just ahead of WrestleMania34, which came on the heels of being cleared by three neurologists and concussion experts. One of the WWE’s greatest fan favorites of all time, Bryan’s return was a triumphant one as he partnered with Shane McMahon to defeat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a no-disqualification tag team match and is currently the WWE Heavyweight Champion. 

An incessant string of injuries had seemingly buried the dynamic athlete that Rose once was, as he had spent the last few years as a role player with the Knicks, Cavaliers and Timberwolves. But the 2011 NBA MVP dialed back the clock in October, scoring a career-best 50 points in leading Minnesota to victory over the Utah Jazz. It was a performance that brought tears to Rose as he exhaled the relief of, if just for a moment, flashing the greatness that once defined the career of the former No. 1 overall pick.

Few, if any, NBA players have made more of a habit of popping up and spreading goodwill to his fans than Donovan Mitchell has. His random acts of kindness have included surprising Salt Lake City-area high schoolers at an assembly, where he gave out pairs of shoes, bookbags and T-shirts, and stopping in at a holiday BBQ a fan was having simply because he asked him to come by on Twitter. Mitchell’s most touching gesture, however, may have been when he was in an Apple Store and paid for the phone repairs of a customer who could not afford them.

Despite sharing a roster with the National Player of the Year (Jalen Brunson) and two first-round picks (Mikal Bridges and Omari Spellman), it was Donte DiVincenzo who emerged from Jay Wright’s bench to become the hero for the Villanova Wildcats in the Men’s College Basketball National Championship. DiVincenzo scored 31 points while shooting 10-of-15 from the floor to lead Villanova to a second title in the past three years. His outburst set a new record for most points off the bench in a championship game and helped him to become the third Wildcat selected in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft.

Few cities have embraced an athlete to the extent that New Orleans has Drew Brees, who has gone from underdog upgrade to adopted son to arguably the most beloved athlete in the city’s history. Brees’ play helped the city rally from the horrors of Hurricane Katrina, as he brought New Orleans the only Super Bowl title in franchise history in 2010. Since then, Brees has remained the constant for the organization and community. That is why it was such a shared celebration for player and fan base alike when he connected on a 62-yard touchdown to Tre’Quan Smith to pass Peyton Manning (a New Orleans native, no less) and take over atop the NFL’s all-time passing yardage list.

One of the dominant topics of 2018 has been increased awareness and understanding of mental health conditions. The sports world was not exempt from this, especially following Love's testimonial in a Players' Tribune article. The Cleveland Cavaliers forward outlined his battles with anxiety and panic attacks, issues that led to him being hospitalized, which he revealed in an intimate yet relatable article. It was a brave and bold showing of honesty and openness that touched many.

Hurts went through the struggles and pressure of being demoted behind underclassman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who took over for Hurts and led the Crimson Tide to victory in January’s National Championship Game. After living through the constant discussion about whether he would stay at or leave Alabama, Hurts was ready for the call to duty when Tagovailoa went down with an injury in this season's SEC Championship Game. Hurts led the Crimson Tide back to beat the Georgia Bulldogs, sending the Tide back to the College Football Playoff.

After six years out of baseball following a third Tommy John surgery, Jonny Venters returned to the mound for the Tampa Bay Rays in April. Once a dominant part of the Atlanta Braves bullpen, Venters had been largely forgotten before he completed the unlikely — but largely successful — return to the mound. By the end of the year things had come full circle for Venters, who was traded back to the Braves where he completed the year as the no-brainer pick for National League Comeback Player of the Year.

The rookie catcher for the Texas Rangers wasted no time in making an unforgettable impact upon reaching the majors. Two days after his major league debut, Trevino delivered a walk-off hit against the Colorado Rockies, on Father’s Day, no less. The date of the hit fell just a week after he became a father for the first time but also two years after he lost his own father. It was a heartwarming correlation to the full circle nature of generations and fatherhood.

Easily the most unlikely — yet unquestionably inspirational — mascot of all time, Sister Jean provided some divine intervention to help buoy the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers to an unprecedented run through the NCAA Tournament. The team’s 99-year-old chaplain rose to national prominence during the Ramblers’ upset-laden drive through the bracket, which culminated with the team becoming the lowest seed to reach the Final Four in Tournament history. With an infectious personality and over 80 years of service in the faith, Sister Jean remains one of the feel-good stories in NCAA history.

Germany entered the first-round World Cup contest with Mexico as defending champions. In turn, the Mexican team entered as +100 underdogs, which was somehow lost on the Mexicans, who defeated the Germans 1-0. It is one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history and the first time in 36 years the Germans had been sent packing in the first round. Such was the celebration back in Mexico, it registered as a minor earthquake on seismographs. Wow.

The Olympics again showcased the ability to bring together nations that politics have long kept far apart. One of the most drastic examples was early in the Winter Olympics when representatives from North and South Korea came together in a show of unity — months before the leaders of their respective countries would cross each other’s borders for the first time since the Korean War.

Few times in history has the relief of hoisting a championship been as evident as it was for Alexander Ovechkin when he finally was able to embrace Lord Stanley’s Cup. The longtime leader of the Washington Capitals finally brought the first championship in franchise history home and did so while thwarting the perpetual thorn in his side via the Pittsburgh Penguins. And what followed was a celebration for the ages by Ovi that spread well into the summer and was impossible to miss.

A year ago, Pittsburgh Steeler linebacker Ryan Shazier laid motionless on the grass at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, a victim of one of the scariest injuries in NFL history. A year later, after beating 80 percent odds that he would never walk again, Shazier walked onto the stage during the NFL Draft to announce the Steelers' pick, just four months after spinal stabilization surgery. And as of November, it was reported that Shazier had begun jogging again.

The longtime greatest tennis player in the world returned to the courts in full in 2018, after rallying from a pulmonary embolism that interrupted her initial postpregnancy efforts. In suitable fashion, Williams reached the finals of two Grand Slam events: Wimbledon and the US Open. Amid her return, she continued to be a strong advocate for gender equality, as the controversy over the banning of her attire pushed a rebellious advertisement in support of her via Nike.

Norwegian cross-country skier Simen Hegstad Kruger mounted a comeback for the ages during the finals of the skiathlon in Pyeongchang. After being caught in a collision in the early stages of the race that caused him to be last of the 68 competitors, Kruger rallied to take over first place just before the final lap and claimed the gold medal. His victory clinched an all-Norway representation on the medal stand.

The mental and physical resiliency of Biles throughout the year is of a legendary level. After taking 2017 off from competition, Biles’ year began with her issuing a statement she was among those whom were sexual abused by disgraced former U.S. Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar. Biles later won the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs. Her return to competition included claiming all-around titles in both the U.S. Classic and World Championships, where she rallied from an emergency room visit for kidney stones to capture a fourth world all-around title.   

Following the tragic mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in October, the city’s sports teams showed a unified strength on behalf of the victims and their families. Members of the Steelers attended the memorial service held in the city, while both the Penguins and University of Pittsburgh football team wore "Stronger Than Hate" patches on their sweaters and helmets, respectively.

Following his promising runner-up showing at the PGA Championship in August, there was a significant buzz around Woods as his strong play carried over to the Tour Championship the following month. And Woods delivered, shooting a minus-23 to capture his first Tour win in four years. The scene of the gallery following him to the 18^th hole was one of the most awe-inspiring scenes of the year, as Woods’ return to prominence created a buzz unmatchable by any other player — or athlete — in the world.

Hell indeed did freeze over, as the ultimate underdog scenario finally became real. In the history of the NCAA Tournament, 16 seeds were 0-135 — until the Retrievers of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County hit the top overall seeded Virginia Cavaliers with the most stunning blow of all time. Their 74-54 victory was not only history making, but it was also anything but a typical tight Cinderella victory. UMBC nearly reversed the odds of -20.5 spread set in Virginia’s favor.