Athletes With Records So Impressive They Can’t Be Broken
You could try to beat these incredible sports records, but we reckon that it's going to be a long time before anybody touches these numbers. These people have managed to make history by getting the fastest times, the most goals, and the highest jumps. Nobody has been able to replicate their success.
Here are the top sports records that likely won't be eclipsed anytime in the near future. Keep reading to find out who holds the record for most NHL goals scored in one game.
Roger Federer
Roger Federer might just be the greatest male tennis player of all time. This man has played against some greats. He went head to head with Rafael Nadal. Still, nobody has been able to accomplish what Federer did. He spent 237 consecutive weeks as the Association of Tennis Professionals'top player and 310 as the world's number one.
Say what you will about Federer, but the numbers don't lie. This man is talented beyond belief.
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky is called "The Great One" for a reason. When you think of all-time great hockey players, and even all-time great athletes, Wayne Gretzky comes to mind. This man has almost been mythologized in recent years.
He is one of the best athletes to play professionally and managed to hold 61 records at the time of retiring in 1999. The record that sticks out above the rest of them is his 2,857 career points.
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain holds several basketball records. He scored 100 in a game and also grabbed the most rebounds with 55 back in 1960. There's a reason why they call him Wilt the Stilt.
No one since 1973 has passed even 37 rebounds in an NBA game. The next closest to the record is Bill Russell with 51. It doesn't look like anybody is going to break Wilt's record in the near future. There just hasn't ever been anybody like him.
Daryl Sittler
Hockey player Darl Sittler got a sport in the Hockey Hall of Fame for being the only person to ever score six NHL goals in a single game. That game was against the Boston Bruins in 1976. The Leafs could use another Daryl Sittler right about now.
Getting a hattrick (which is three goals in a game) is already hard. Imagine being so good at hockey that you could actually score five goals in a game.
Joe DiMaggio
If you know anything about Joe DiMaggio it's that he was a baseball legend. This man was truly in love with the sport. In baseball, you're considered a good hitter if you get on base 25 percent of the time you come up to bat. For Joe DiMaggio that was unacceptable, and he proved it with his 56 game hitting streak.
No other player has ever hit safely in more than 44 consecutive games. The closest any other player has ever come is 38.
Steph Curry
Steph Curry currently holds the record for the most three-pointers made in a single season. He also holds the second and third place spots for that same record. In once season, Curry made 402 three-pointers. Next in line is Klay Thomson who made 276. That's a big difference.
Even being the deadly shooter that Thompson is, he still is 100+ away from even tying the record. Maybe Steph Curry will break his own record again.
Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt is a true champion. The Jamaican native entered the track and field world and completely took over after the 2008 Olympics. After breaking the world record that year in the 100-meter dash, he continued to impress.
One year later, he pushed the envelope even further and set a new fastest 100-meter time ever -- clocking in at 9.58 during the World Championships. To add perspective, former American Olympic champion, Justin Gatlin won the 2004 Olympics with a time of 9.85 but was accused of doping.
The Longest Tennis Match
Tennis matches usually last for 45 minutes or so. At Wimbledon in 2010, a tennis game went on for a record-breaking 11 hours. The two players who wouldn't let up were John Isner and Nicolas Mahut.
Isner ended up winning the match, but clearly Mahut put up a really great fight. We're not sure how these two managed to keep going for so long. These two must have slept for days after this game was over.
Drew Brees
Wondering who holds the record for all-time passing yards? As of October 19, 2018, that would be Drew Brees. He has achieved 72,103 passing yards over the course of his career. Before Brees, it was Peyton Manning who held this record. Brees broke Manning's record on a 62-yard touchdown against the Washington Redskins.
Brees said he a tried to rehearse the moment but was too caught up in emotions. "The two people that are most responsible for my football career, early on, my mom and my grandpa, are up in heaven," Brees said. "There were a lot of people I wanted to prove right tonight, but none more so than them. I know they are watching down on me."
Michael Phelps
Winning one Olympic medal is a huge accomplishment. We can't even imagine what it must be like to win 28. Over the course of five different Olympic Games, Phelps dominated the swimming pool like nobody else before or since.
From 2000 in Sydney to 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Phelps broke 39 world record times. His most incredible achievement, and something we don't see anyone passing, is his collection of 28 medals. The next closest is 18.
Pelé
Some people have only heard about the greatness of Pelé through word of mouth. The iconic soccer player is regarded by many in the sport as the greatest player of all time. We're sure his all-time career goals record has something to do with that.
Now, there are some who dispute how many goals Pele scored exactly, but the fact is that he scored way more than anyone else. After you combine his international tours with the time he spent on other teams, the shocking total comes out to 1,281 goals.
Seffi Graf
Right now, the world of women's tennis revolves around Serena Williams -- and rightfully so. But rewind the clock a few decades, and Seffi Graf ruled tennis for women. Her claim to fame was that she spent more weeks at number one than any other tennis player in history.
No one has come close to matching her record of 377 weeks on top. Graf was in her prime in the late '80s; however, her reign spanned from August of 1987 to March 1991.
Johnny Vander Meer
Many people only know Johnny Vander Meer's name thanks to the ridiculous record he broke. If it weren't for that, his career otherwise wasn't Hall-of-Fame worthy. Vander Meer just happened to pull off pitching perfection back-to-back in a single week.
In 1938 on June 11, Vander Meer no-hit the Boston Bees. In four days' time, he completed the same feat against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Now let's put this in perspective. Most pitchers will go their whole careers without pitching a single no-hitter. For him to perform two consecutive no-hitters is one of the best feats in baseball history.
The Celtics
Sure, your favorite basketball team might have won three titles in five years or even three back-to-back. Does that make them a true dynasty? In some corners, yes, but they will never compare to what the Boston Celtics accomplished from 1959 to 1966.
The Celtics went on and won eight consecutive championships in those years. With Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, and head coach Red Auerbach, they were a tough team to beat. The Lakers of 2000-2002 were the closest to this record with three titles.
Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice had a work ethic that surpassed his talent. He was already good, and he worked incredibly hard to remain great. He became the all-time leader in several categories during his playing time. The record of his with the most cushion is forhis 1,549 career receptions.
Rice played for 20 years and turned out to be one the best to lace up at the wide receiver position. Tony Gonzalez came close at 1,325, but no cigar. Whoever has the hands to surpass Rice deserves endless praise.
Byron Nelson
Dominating in golf is a big deal. Not many players throughout history have maintained a torrid pace of consistent winning. Sure, we can name the obvious culprits, but Byron Nelson deserves all this spotlight. At sixth on the PGA tour wins list, Nelson did something astonishing in 1945.
That year, he managed to win 18 tournaments. That isn't the best part, though. At one point, he won 11 straight. The closest to that streak is seven (Tiger Woods). 1945 was one of the best years the sport has seen.
Pete Rose
Pete Rose spent 24 years of his life playing in the MLB. During that time, he became the record holder for most MLB records. Of those records, there is one that shouldn't be touched for years to come. That one is his 4,256 career hits.
The next closest to him is Ty Cobb with 4,19. No one currently active in the MLB is even 1,000 away from matching that feat. Major kudos to Rose for smacking the ball as many times as he could before retiring.
Wilt Again
One of the most well-known sports records is this one here. Wilt Chamberlain's crazy point output led to him scoring 100 points in a single game. This was before the three-point line was introduced, so Wilt earned those points two at a time.
The closest to that is 81, scored by Kobe Bryant. Basketball fans are aware that Bryant was one of the best scorers to play and even when he nailed 81, it wasn't that easy. Maybe the NBA will never have a player surpass 100 ever again.
Floyd Mayweather
Before Floyd Mayweather reached 50-0, the legendary boxer Rocky Marciano had the best win-loss record with 49-0. Mayweather entered his bout against Conor McGregor at 49-0, but that all changed after his victory over the MMA fighter.
Mayweather is notorious for taking his time during his fights and slowly picking apart his opponents. His "stick and move," highly defensive style is what led him to hold the best professional boxing record in history. Many tried, but Mayweather will let you know they all failed.
The Huskies
With a maximum of 31 games played per college basketball season, what the women Huskies pulled off for UConn merely is breathtaking. With four consecutive national championships, UConn managed to win 111 straight games. They surpassed their old record of 91 with ease.
This is a reign that lasted from 2014 to 2017. The tally would have continued but thanks to a buzzer beater from Mississippi State in the Final Four, they were sent packing and getting ready to start a new record.
Cy Young
If you're a fan of baseball today, then you are well aware that pitchers don't play the whole game, nor do they play in every game. A man by the name of Cy Young played in an era that saw pitchers throwing entire games, and every other day, regularly.
As a result, Young ended up winning 511 of the 749 games he played in. In his 22 years of playing, he toppled other records as well, but his games-to-win ratio is otherworldly.
LeBron James
LeBron James is widely considered to be the best basketball player in the NBA today. For 866 consecutive games in his career, Michael Jordan scored at least ten points. It looked like that record was going to stand until James came in and beat it in March 2018. This man isn't just good, he's consistent.
Let's hope LeBron can hold onto his title for a while before another younger player comes in and takes it away from him.
John Stockton
The NBA doesn't believe in assists anymore. Aside from Russell Westbrook, players rarely focus on passing and assists. That makes John Stockton's record 15,000 assists even more unbreakable. The next closest to Stockton is Jason Kidd with 12,000.
To set his monstrous record, Stockton averaged ten assists a game over he career. He also lead the league is assist from 1987 until 1996 and had over 1,000 assists in seven separate seasons. Chris Paul is the league's active assists leaders with just under 9,000.
Rickey Henderson
Stealing bases in baseball is an art form. Pitchers are all aware of every runner's movement, and the catcher makes sure to keep his eyes on those who like to creep away from their base. Rickey Henderson didn't care about any of that.
With 1,406 career stolen bases, Henderson has 468 more than the next person on the list, Lou Brock. Any currently active players who are considering breaking that record haven't even met 800 stolen bases. This record is safe with Henderson.
Brett Farve
Brett Farve is one of the best ever to sling a football in the quarterback position. Between 1992 and 2010, Farve completed the unfathomable and played in a staggering 297 consecutive games. That's not even including playoffs, which would boost that number to 321.
This is even more impressive considering how often quarterbacks sustain injuries. Farve also played the night his father passed away and threw for 399 passing yards that game. Peyton Manning is the closest to this record with 208 starts.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers arrived in the NFL in the '70s in disastrous fashion. They lost every game their first year, then another 12 to start their second year. The 26 game losing streaking is the longest in NFL history. It's hard enough to lose 16 games, so 26 might never happen again.
The Buccaneers were so bad that when they did win their first game, that team's coach was immediately fired. Two years later the team turned it around and made it to the NFC Championship game where they lost to the Rams.
Nolan Ryan
There was a time in MLB when it would have been conceivable for another pitcher to throw seven no-hitters. The greats used to not worry about pitch counts or inning limits. These days, its incredibly unlikely any pitcher will match Nolan Ryan's career record of seven.
With the way the game is managed now, we might never see a no-hitter again. Managers routinely take starting pitcher out in the middle of historic nights just to save their elbows. Some teams are considering doing away with starting pitchers entirely and just having every game be a bullpen game!
Anotonio Cromartie
This record is unbreakable by default. In 2007, Antonio Cromarties returned a missed field goal from the exact back of the endzone, then ran the ball the entire length of the field to score a touchdown. The distance was 109 yards. That distance can be matched, but it can never be broken.
The record was set during Cromartie's second season in the league. After the 2017 season ended, the former return all-star retired. He may be gone, but he definitely won't be forgotten thanks to his record setting legs.
36 Red Cards In One Soccer Game
Technically, the act of handing out 36 red cards in a match should be impossible. In 2010, however, an Argentinian referee very much found a way to make it possible after a brawl broke out between both teams in the second half.
To punish the teams, referee Damian Rubino issued Red Cards to every player, as well as 14 coaches. After the match, reaction was mixed. One coach thought the other team was trying to kill him. Another said the ref overreacted and that most players were trying to stop the fight.
Henri Richard
During his 21 year NHL career, Henri Richard was lovably known as the "Pocket Rocket." He did not set the record for goals scored though. He set perhaps a more incredible record, winning 11 Stanley Cup titles. Take that, Tom Brady!
It's hard to win one championship in a career. To spend more than half of a career enjoying victory parades is just ridiculous. If you really think there is anyone who might break this record one day, we won't believe you.
The Golden State Warriors
For years, the NBA world thought the Chicago Bulls 72 win season would stand the test of time. Then the Golden State Warriors won 73 games, setting a new record that is seemingly impossible to break. It's just too bad they lost the NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In the NBA in 2018, it's hard to see a team that will win 74 games.
We guess you can never say never though. The Warriors proved the doubters wrong once, what team will do it next?
Wayne Gretzky Again
You already know that Wayne Gretzky holds the NHL's all-time record for points scored. Did you also know he holds the record for most points in a single season, and it's a doozy! In 1985, Gretzky scored 215 points. It was one of four times he scored more than 200 points in a season.
Most NHL offensive players are ecstatic to score 100 goals in a season. Gretzky wasn't happy unless he had every single defender scared when he came skating down the ice with the puck.
Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds set the single season home run record when he bashed 73 balls over the fence in one season. Playing during the "steroid era" you can argue all you want the record doesn't count, but the books don't agree. Since that season, no one has come close to challenging Bonds for the record.
As MLB moves into a new "power era," it's fair to ask if someone like Giancarlo Stanton might one day break the record. It's possible, but seems highly improbably to us.
Fernando Tatis
This is one of the hardest records to break. In 1999, Fernando Tatis was lucky enough to come to bat twice in the same inning with the bases loaded. Both times, he hit grand slams. To be clear, other teams have hit two grand slams in one inning, but never by the same player.
In order for this record to be broken, a batter would have to come up three times in one inning with the bases loaded. He would then have to hit a home run. Good luck.
Cy Young Again
Cy Young deserves a second slide on this list for one record that no one will break. Over the course of his illustrious career, the legendary pitcher threw 749 complete games. There's a pretty simple reason this record will never be touched; pitch counts.
MLB managers today do everything they can to protect the arms of their young pitchers, including limiting the number of pitches they throw to around 100. Most pitcher are lucky to go more than five inning. To think Young went a full nine 749 times is mind boggling!
Archie Moore
They didn't call Archie Moore the "Old Mongoose" for nothings. From 1938 until 1963 the figher participated in 215 fights. He won 185 of those fights, 131 from knockout. With how long fighters have to wait between bouts now, and how short careers tend to be, we don't see this record going down for the count anytime soon.
In one year, Moore accepted 15 fights! Even more incredibly, he lived until he was 81-years-old. Not too bad for someone who took as much damage as he did!
Pat Summitt
Don't let the headline fool you. Patt Summitt makes this list for being a head coach for 38 years and NEVER having a losing season. Only twice did any of her teams lose more than ten games. It's safe to say that Summitt is one the greatest coaches to ever do her job.
When she finally retired in 2012, the NCAA world, and the sporting world for that matter, lost a true legend. We just wish she had gotten a chance to coach men so she could really prove the doubters wrong.
The Lakers
In 1971, the Los Angeles Lakers did something special by winning 33 consecutive games. This record is breakable, but it's going to take some kind of super team to do it. Not even the 73 win Warriors could. They topped out at 29 wins in a row.
The 2008 Houston Rockets challenged the record once too, but lost after 22 games. During the Lakers incredible run, they beat their opponents by an average of 17 points a game!
Georgia Tech
Legend has it that Georgia Tech's football program set out to avenge a 22-0 loss in baseball handed to them by Cumberland University when the schools met in 1916. Gerogia Tech, coached by John Heisman, was ruthless and scored 220 points. Cumberland scored zero.
We don't even know how this is possible, but it's a record. A truly unbeatable record. Revenge was definitely served cold that day. We don't even think you could put up those point in Madden if you tried!
Cal Ripken
Cal Ripken Jr. was special. For 17 MLB season he never sat on the bench, starting 162 games a record number of times. In total, Ripken Jr. played in 2,632 consecutive games before finally choosing to take a day off. Take that, Brett Favre!
No one is baseball will ever touch this record. Injuries are too common and managers love giving veterans days off every few weeks. Oddly enough, shortly after Ripken ended his streak, he got injured. Go figure!
