2014 was an amazing year in sports. However there were some athletes and some teams that stood out. Here’s out breakdown of the best of the best
Best Team
San Antonio Spurs- the Spurs extracted their revenge from the 2013 NBA Finals as they defeated the Miami Heat in 5 games of the 2014 Finals. Khawi Leonard is named series MVP and this marked the 5th title in the Tim Duncan Greg Popovich era further cementing themselves as a dynasty.
Seattle Seahawks- In one of the most dominate performance in Super Bowl history the Seahawks defeated the Broncos 43-8. The Broncos came into the game as the highest scoring offense in NFL history, but they were no match for the Seahawks number 1 ranked defense which dominated the NFL. During the playoffs the Seahawks defense only allowed 13 points per game
San Francisco Giants- the San Francisco Giants defeated the Kansas City Royals in seven games to win their third World Series title in five years. With his masterful performance Madison Bumgarner is name World Series MVP.
Best Male Athlete
Madison Bumgarner- during the postseason Bumgarner was almost un-hittable as he pitched 21 ¾ scoreless innings. With a 2-0 record and an ERA of 0.43Bumgarner was named the World Series MVP. His postseason performance is considered by many the best ever by a pitcher.
LeBron James- although he did not win the Most Valuable Player award, James led the Heat to the NBA Finals for the fourth consecutive year. Although they would lose to the Spurs it was no fault of James who averaged 28.2 points per game in the series. This season he is back and Cleveland and has the Cavs as one of the favorites to win the NBA title.
J.J Watt- has always terrified opposing teams quarterbacks as he is once again amongst the top in sacks in the NFL. This season Watt has also been used on offense and has three touchdown receptions to go along with his two touchdowns on defense.
Best Female Athlete
Ronda Rousey- continues to show that she is the most dominant fighter man or woman in the UFC. She defeated both of her opponents Alexis Davis and Sara McMann in the first round to improve her record to 10-0.
Serena Williams- captured her 18th singles Grand Slam at the US Open. At 33 years old Williams is still clearly the best female tennis player.
Maya Moore- was named the WNBA’s most valuable player. Moore average 23.9 points per game, 8.1 rebounds and 3.4 assist. She was also named to her third WNBA All-Star team
Best Breakthrough Athlete
1.Odell Beckham Jr.- with his amazing one handed touchdown catch against the Dallas Cowboys, Odell Beckham Jr becomes an immediate sensation. It has been called the greatest catch ever and images of his catch almost broke the internet. Beckham is only a rookie but that catch helped him become one of the most recognizable faces in the NFL.
2. Mo’ne Davis- on August 15th Mo’ne Davis became the first girl in Little League World Series history to pitch a shutout as the Taney Dragons defeated Nashville 4-0. Her next game on August 20th was broadcast by ESPN and had a rating of 3.4 viewers which is the highest ever for a Little League game on ESPN. She would later grace the cover of Sports Illustrated
3. Terrance Crawford- Crawford put on a masterful performance in his 9th round TKO victory over Yuriokis Gamboa. In that fight Crawford gave Gamboa his first professional loss and knocked him down four times. Crawford followed up that win with a unanimous decision victory over Raymundo Beltran in November. With a record of 25-0, 17 KOs Crawford is now considered one of the best boxers pound for pound.