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Sports in December include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL teams pushing for the playoffs, the end of the college football season, F1 auto racing, UFC Fight Nights, and college basketball tournaments. Over the years, Dec. 23 has witnessed many notable moments and stories involving sporting legends. Here are some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history from Dec. 23 included:
- 1923: The Yankees sold pitcher Carl Mays to the Reds for $85,000.
- 1933: The Montreal Canadiens’ Howie Morenz scored his 249th career goal in the NHL.
- 1951: The Los Angeles Rams beat the Cleveland Browns 24-17 to win the NFL Championship.
- 1953: Dodgers second baseman Jim Gilliam won the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
- 1962: The Dallas Texans defeated the Houston Oilers 20-17 in double overtime to win the AFL Championship.
- 1969: AC Milan’s Gianni Rivera won the Ballon d’Or award.
- 1972: The Steelers turned a 7-6 defeat into a last-second touchdown against the Raiders to win 13-7.
- 1972: Arizona State beat Missouri 49-35 in the second Fiesta Bowl.
- 1972: The New York Islanders ended a 15-game winless streak.
- 1975: MLB free agency was born. An arbitrator ruled that pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally were free agents, thus ending the reserve clause and creating a path for modern free agency.
- 1978: Islanders center Bryan Trottier set an NHL record by scoring six points in the second period of a game against the New York Rangers.
- 1982: NAIA school Chaminade beat top-ranked Virginia 77-72 in one of the greatest upsets in college basketball history.
- 1987: Buffalo goaltender Tom Barrasso picked up his 100th NHL victory.
- 1996: Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders became the first player in NFL history to record three straight seasons with at least 1,500 rushing yards.
- 1997: Brazil’s Ronaldo became the youngest soccer player to win the Ballon d’Or award.
- 1997: Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson became the quickest to reach 500 career wins.
- 1997: The Colorado Avalanche’s Jari Kurri became the eighth NHL player to score 600 career goals.
- 2000: Ledley King scored a goal 10 seconds into a Premier League match, the fastest goal in the league’s history at the time.
- 2007: Kobe Bryant became the youngest player in NBA history to hit 20,000 career points.
- 2008: The Boston Celtics won their 19th consecutive game to set a franchise record.
- 2022: Alexander Ovechkin moved into second place on the all-time NHL goal-scoring list.
Three athletes who stood out on Dec. 23 were Bryan Trottier, Barry Sanders, and Phil Jackson.
Trottier won major awards, such as the Hart (most valuable player) and Art Ross (scoring leader) trophies, and was included as one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players. Sanders was one of the most electrifying NFL running backs during a stunning career with the Detroit Lions, while Jackson won a record 11 NBA championships as a coach and two as a player with the Knicks.
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