- 7 months ago
One decision can change sports history forever! Join us as we count down the most brilliant strategic moves that transformed teams and athletes into legends. From trading superstars to tactical gambles that paid off spectacularly, these inspired choices rewrote the record books and altered sporting landscapes worldwide.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Hey Mikey, we like it.
00:02Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 most inspired decisions to have ever been made in the world of sports.
00:09It is because I understood the impact of sport. It was a very important sport.
00:21Number 20, Wayne Gretzky traded to the LA Kings. Trading Wayne Gretzky was a controversial move to say the least.
00:26When they traded him from Edmonton to Los Angeles, a whole nation got caught up in this, and people still haven't forgiven Peter Potlington for doing that deed.
00:37Say what you want about the decision-making process for letting him go, but Los Angeles absolutely knocked it out of the park with their decision.
00:43Signing Gretzky changed the perception of hockey in the United States, opening doors that some fans believe to be forever shut.
00:49He was an icon in Canada, of course, but he also brought the sport increased attention globally.
00:52Wayne Gretzky, the great one, transcended accolades achieved on the ice to become a cultural icon with an immeasurable impact on hockey.
01:01Sure, there were more than a few Canadians who were upset to see their national hero depart, but it certainly did a lot of good in the long run.
01:07Number 19, Leicester hire Claudio Ranieri.
01:10There were quite a few people who raised eyebrows at the appointment of Claudio Ranieri at Leicester City.
01:14Did the choice of Ranieri surprise you?
01:17Shot. Absolutely shot. Couldn't believe it.
01:19Little did they know that this team were going to use their momentum from surviving relegation to do the unthinkable the following year.
01:25With the former Chelsea boss Ranieri at the helm, Leicester went on a rampage, somehow finding the consistency across 38 games to win the Premier League.
01:33It was the type of sporting miracle that still baffles people to this day.
01:36Outliers can win leagues in any sport, of course, but a team at 5,000 to 1 odds, who seemed infinitely more likely to finish last than first?
01:43Leicester City! Leicester City! Are the champions of England!
01:49Yeah, this was a wild outcome.
01:51Number 18, Dean Smith calls Michael Jordan shocked.
01:54There are a lot of people who claim to have known that Michael Jordan would eventually be great.
01:57Throughout the 1982 season, the team led by James Worthy, Sam Perkins, and a freshman guard named Michael Jordan had but one mission,
02:06to lift the final burden of criticism from their coach's shoulders.
02:09However, suspecting it and genuinely putting your money where your mouth is are two very different things.
02:14Legendary North Carolina coach Dean Smith could have opted for proven stars in the making like James Worthy and Sam Perkins
02:20when it came to a crucial play to win the NCAA championship in 1982.
02:24He decided to go against the grain and made sure that the ball ended up in the hands of the freshman Michael Jordan.
02:28Michael walked out, I said, if it comes to you, knock it in.
02:31I don't even know whether you heard me, but he sure did.
02:34He made the shot, won the game, and set himself on the path for NBA glory.
02:37Number 17, George Foreman changes to a patient counterpuncher.
02:41Age is a killer when it comes to sports.
02:43Sure, your experience grows and you understand how to approach the game more and more with each passing year.
02:47I knew I wouldn't be able to take up where I left off 10 years ago.
02:51I was not as fast anymore because of the extra weight.
02:55I would have to change my style.
02:57Once your body starts to go downhill, though, it's time to adapt or call it quits.
03:00In boxing, the consequences for getting this balance wrong can be truly brutal.
03:04However, after a period of retirement and soul-searching, George Foreman returned to the ring and quietly found a new way to fight.
03:09Instead of aggressively hunting the KO, he trusted in his power and let it come to him.
03:13Then, two decades after getting embarrassed by Muhammad Ali and Zaire, Big George won the heavyweight title at the age of 45 with a patiently hunted 10th round KO.
03:21And once again, heavyweight champion of the world, Big George Foreman!
03:35Number 16, Clive Lloyd chooses pace.
03:37Traditional ideas of how sports should be played are always there to be broken, usually by renegades who notice the cracks that are there to be exploited.
03:43The bowling attack that he put together, this kind of war machine that he put together after they were beaten in Australia in 1745, he made them into the cricketing force they were.
03:56He used his fast bowlers, he used them ruthlessly.
04:00When West Indies cricket superstar Clive Lloyd did away with traditional spin heavy and went for a fast bowling attack, it changed everything.
04:07This decision managed to set in motion a change of events that led to one of the most dominant cricket dynasties ever.
04:12There are very few sporting figures who can actively claim to have irreparably changed the landscape of their game, but make no mistake, Clive Lloyd is certainly one of them.
04:19I don't think I've ever seen, even today, I've seen anybody hit the ball harder than Clive Lloyd.
04:26I think it was John Arlott who described Clive Lloyd as a great gangling, begoggled supercat, and that pretty much sums him up.
04:35Number 15, UFC Signs Brock Lesnar.
04:37The difference between pro wrestling and mixed martial arts are plentiful, mainly due to one having a premeditated outcome and the other being a legit fight.
04:43Lesnar has always wanted to fight.
04:46Five years ago, he was labeled the next big thing, but in the make-believe world of world wrestling entertainment.
04:52I was a white guy that looked like he was chiseled out of, you know, concrete.
04:58Brock Lesnar was and is one of the biggest wrestling stars of his time, but he also had a stellar collegiate wrestling background.
05:03In other words, he's an athlete and a truly giant human being.
05:07When Dana White and the UFC decided to sign Lesnar to a fight contract, there were more than a few people who rolled their eyes.
05:12It wouldn't have been the first time the UFC went for the easy money.
05:15However, when Brock improved his all-around game and won the heavyweight title before defending it twice, all the doubters were proven wrong.
05:21Lesnar's career transition is now complete.
05:24From fake fighter to feared fighter.
05:27His explosive performance during and after his first title defense proves that Lesnar is the face of the UFC and its first villain.
05:37Number 14, Devin Hester's missed field goal return.
05:40You can see the split-second decision-making process in real time when Devin Hester decided to try and make a push for glory.
05:46Feely's kick. Pressure kick. Not even close. And now Hester, after hesitating, he's going to run it out. And Hester is going to run it out past the 40. In the Giants' territory. He is going to go all the way!
06:01After catching a missed field goal, he briefly thought about playing it safe. However, in a moment of sheer inspiration, he decided to charge at the Giants head-on, running a frankly ridiculous 108 yards for the touchdown.
06:12It just goes to show how easily legendary players can slip away. Thankfully, Hester liked his chances, and when all was said and done, we ended up with one of the most riveting moments imaginable.
06:21Right now, he has turned this into an 11-point advantage.
06:25Number 13, Freddie Roach has Manny Pacquiao jump three weight divisions.
06:28Sometimes boxing coaches see things that other people can't.
06:31You know, what stood out about Manny is that I never saw somebody that had power in speed. I saw guys with power before, I saw guys with speed before, but I never saw a fighter that had both like him.
06:42When it came to Freddie Roach's protege, Manny Pacquiao, the veteran trainer believed that his skills and natural power could carry him further than any fighter had dared to tread outside of their natural weight class.
06:52With his coach's blessing, Manny moved up to welterweight and achieved some of the greatest boxing feats in history.
06:57By the time the dust had settled, Pacquiao had earned belts in eight different divisions, an accomplishment that is staggering under any circumstances.
07:04If he didn't get that push to test his limits, who knows? Maybe he would not be held in the same regard as he is today.
07:09I was always waiting for the next, you know, Muhammad Ali to walk through my doors, and then it came to Manny Pacquiao, and then Manny Pacquiao changed my life.
07:17Number 12, Magic Johnson starts at center.
07:19Asking a rookie point guard to fill in at center for the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Game 6 of the 1981 NBA Finals is the type of decision that ended in disaster.
07:28A young man by the name of Magic Johnson is going to start at center.
07:33Thankfully, that player was the great Magic Johnson, and he was very clearly up to the challenge.
07:37Johnson stepped up to the plate, putting on a 42-point masterpiece that allowed him to lead the LA Lakers to a stunning win over the 76ers.
07:46The Lakers had won the first title of the Showtime era, positioning Magic Johnson as their latest major superstar.
07:52The rookie had become a master, and he had the championship to prove it.
07:57He would go on to carry them to five NBA championships before his retirement.
08:00Number 11, Tiger Woods gets a putter.
08:02Handing a two-year-old Tiger Woods a putter as a parental decision holds the same weight as Jimi Hendrix being handed a guitar, or Picasso a paintbrush.
08:09Tiger was only six months old when Earl introduced his son to the game of golf.
08:13True genius only comes along once or twice in a generation.
08:16Tiger Woods would go on to become the defining superstar in modern golf, winning every accolade under the sun.
08:21It just goes to show how big of an effect a seemingly small decision can make.
08:25What if his father, Earl Woods, decided to buy him a box of Lego instead?
08:28The game as we know it today would be in a totally different place.
08:31Look at this show.
08:33Look at this, might go in.
08:34Might go in.
08:35Might go in.
08:36It is in.
08:37Ha!
08:38Ha!
08:39That was one of the most incredible golf shots I think you'll ever see played.
08:45Number 10, Alex Ferguson signs Cristiano Ronaldo.
08:47Manchester United fans got their first glimpse at Cristiano Ronaldo when he put in a stellar performance for sporting Lisbon during a European showdown with United in 2003.
08:56I remember I had a conversation with him when we played sporting against Manchester and we had a quick shot and he told me, listen, I'm interested in you.
09:07I want that you join us in Manchester.
09:10It did not take long before Sir Alex Ferguson was convinced that this youngster was worth signing.
09:14Ronaldo was an instant hit and more importantly, he never stopped improving during his time at the Red Devils.
09:19He was a sensation that defined the sport and became one of United's all-time greats.
09:23It's inviting for Ronaldo!
09:24Ronaldo!
09:26United in front at Highbury for the first time!
09:30And they've scored twice in five minutes to turn this game around!
09:35The fact that he managed to totally surpass that run of form at Real Madrid tells you everything you need to know about Fergie's instincts for spotting talent.
09:42Number 9, Billie Jean King forms the WTA.
09:45When an icon like Billie Jean King puts her mind to something, she generally achieves results.
09:49This was true of her career on the courts, but also off of them, too.
09:52Recognition?
09:53I didn't feel tennis was right.
09:55Equality?
09:56The press labeled us, you know, women's lip.
09:59They said we were crazy.
10:01When she started the Women's Tennis Association in 1973, it was the first truly major organized push for gender equality in tennis.
10:08Creating a stable tour, equal prize money, and striving for athlete rights were front and center in their mission statement.
10:14Mission and equality.
10:16Now that's a dream worth fighting for.
10:19Though the work took time and energy, King's organization played a major role in reshaping global tennis into its modern form.
10:25Number 8, the UFC signed Conor McGregor.
10:27By the time Conor McGregor had captured his second Cage Warriors title, this time at 155 pounds, it was clear that he was one of the best prospects in Europe.
10:35I was just being myself.
10:36I'm a cocky little kid from Dublin.
10:38I'm just being myself.
10:39Dana White and his team didn't need to see any more.
10:41Instead of running the risk of him signing with their competitors, they brought in the Notorious for a UFC debut.
10:46Not only did he have amazing skills on the mic and a natural charisma, but he also had one of the most electric striking games in the business.
10:52Knockout after knockout, his fan base grew.
10:54Eventually, he became by far and away the biggest star of the sport had ever known, eclipsing the likes of Ronda Rousey, Brock Lesnar, and Jon Jones for the top spot.
11:02It's been crazy.
11:03The spotlight is on.
11:04The Irish public are watching.
11:05But it's what we planned.
11:06It's what we prepared.
11:07I knew I was going to be the person to bring martial arts to the public eye.
11:10And now it's happening.
11:12Number 7, Eddie Jordan gives Michael Schumacher F1 debut.
11:15Sometimes you just got to take a chance on an unproven youngster.
11:18I heard about this guy who was winning a lot of races.
11:20And different people were giving me a bit of a vibe as to maybe I should have a little look.
11:26And was very impressed.
11:27For Eddie Jordan, we're sure that more than a few of his associates were openly wondering why he was so willing to give a rookie like Michael Schumacher his F1 debut.
11:35All those doubts were swiftly put to bed, though, when it became very clear that the kid was a star.
11:40He very quickly earned a contract with Benetton.
11:42And the rest, as they say, is history.
11:44Went, but to be fair, you could never make up a loss of a talent of Michael Schumacher.
11:48Seven World Championship titles later, and Jordan's gamble was proven to be a true stroke of genius.
11:53Number 6, Bill Russell to the Boston Celtics.
11:55The St. Louis Hawks probably thought they had a good deal on their hands when they traded rookie Bill Russell to the Celtics in exchange for Ed McCauley and Cliff Hagen.
12:03In order to obtain Russell, Auerbach had traded Ed McCauley, a popular white center, and the rights to another white rookie, Cliff Hagen.
12:11Little did they know that they had just parted ways with one of the sport's defining figures.
12:15The Celtics delivered an absolutely masterful trade with this one, winning 11 championships with Russell at the helm.
12:21It was a trade that almost single-handedly put Boston on the map as a basketball hotbed.
12:25To this day, Russell's accomplishments are revered, and his numbers are still seen as truly remarkable.
12:30One of the greatest players ever.
12:33He blazed trails and broke barriers.
12:35Number 5, Nelson Mandela wears a Springboks jersey.
12:38Sometimes a seemingly small gesture can have a truly huge ripple effect.
12:41Not in my wildest dreams did I think that Nelson Mandela would pitch up at the final wearing a Springbok on his heart.
12:47And when he walked into our changing room to say good luck to us, and he turned around, and my number was on his back.
12:53It was just an amazing feeling.
12:56When South African President Nelson Mandela showed up to the Rugby World Cup final with a Springboks jersey on, it was clearly a call for unity.
13:03The country was fractured at the time.
13:05Their shared love of sport brought everyone together.
13:07When South Africa went on to win the game, for a brief moment, this divided nation celebrated as one.
13:12In many ways, it was a moment that allowed for the possibility of a healing process.
13:16A powerful victory in the country's history.
13:19There it is.
13:21Francois Pina.
13:24And Nelson Mandela is cheering along with the whole of the stadium.
13:29Number 4, Michael Jordan resumes basketball career.
13:32We're not going to sit here and say that Michael Jordan would not have eventually made it to the big leagues if he had stuck with baseball.
13:37It's a state of your life that you get to choose and do whatever you choose to do.
13:42And I chose to try to play baseball just to see if I could.
13:46To bet against an athlete that special would be foolish.
13:48However, Jordan's decision to return to basketball ended up taking his legacy and resume to an entirely different level.
13:54Sure, his initial three-peat with the Bulls was special enough, as is.
13:57Doing the exact same thing for a second time, though?
13:59That's the stuff legends are made of.
14:01As soon as he sent that iconic fax telling the media, I'm back, it was truly on.
14:05It came in a two-word statement, which is now just begging to have a Nike campaign built around it.
14:10Quote, unquote, I'm back.
14:12That's all Jordan said on Saturday.
14:14That was really all Jordan needed to say.
14:16Number 3, Babe Ruth sent to the New York Yankees.
14:18You know you've really messed up a trade when its very existence sets in motion a so-called curse
14:23that leaves your franchise without a World Series in 86 years.
14:26The curse of the Bambino started.
14:28The Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees for $100,000.
14:32Ruth, of course, won four World Series with the Yanks, hit 659 home runs with them.
14:37It took the Red Sox 86 years to win their next World Series.
14:41Whether you believe in the curse of the Bambino or not, when the Boston Red Sox sent Babe Ruth,
14:45it was a huge moment.
14:46The New York Yankees made an absolutely genius decision to put faith in Ruth's abilities.
14:50He was the first true superstar of the sport of baseball, sparking an era of dominance in
14:54New York that carried on for decades.
14:56In 1920, his first season with the Yankees, Babe Ruth hit 54 home runs, nearly doubling
15:03his Major League record.
15:04Number 2, Muhammad Ali's Rope-A-Dope.
15:06How do you defeat a seemingly unstoppable power-punching machine?
15:09Well, the aging Muhammad Ali saw how disastrous Joe Frazier's attempt at beating big George
15:14Foreman was.
15:14Frazier quite understandably the favorite, Foreman comes out, punching with the right,
15:19Frazier in his usual style, smoking is the way he puts it.
15:23Smokin' Joe was absolutely destroyed within a few minutes on that night, sent to the canvas
15:27over and over again until he finally broke.
15:29So Ali came up with a different game plan, leaning on the ropes and calling on Foreman to
15:33punch himself out.
15:34Ali relied on his speed advantage and vision to roll with the punches, tiring George out
15:38before then KOing him in a stunning twist in round 8.
15:41Muhammad Ali has won by a knockdown, by a knockdown.
15:46Easily the best win of Ali's career and one of the most unlikely feats in sporting history.
15:51Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
15:55about our latest videos.
15:56You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
16:00If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
16:06Number 1, Barcelona gamble on Lionel Messi.
16:09On a surface level, the gesture that FC Barcelona made by paying for a young Lionel Messi's
16:14hormone treatment therapy was an honorable one.
16:16The people here sometimes see the history of Messi and it's idyllic, it's wonderful,
16:23it's a fairy tale.
16:25It's a fairy tale, right?
16:26Messi has suffered.
16:28Sure, they were making an investment and taking a gamble on young Messi's potential.
16:42However, there was no way they anticipated just how much it would pay off.
16:45Not only did Messi's treatment result in him growing into a healthy adolescent and athlete,
16:49but he would go on to become perhaps the greatest footballer in history.
16:52That initial 1,000 euro a month payment for his treatment resulted in 10 La Liga titles,
16:57four Champions League titles, and a slew of other team and individual honors.
17:03A masterstroke in every sense of the word.
17:05Which moment of sporting genius sticks out in your memory?
17:07Let us know in the comments.
Comments