LEBRON’S CAVS TAKE THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP

LeBron James’ Cavs overcame a 3 game deficit in the finals to defeat the Warriors, granting Cleveland its first NBA championship. It was a full-circle victory for James, an Ohio native who spent 2003-2010 with the Cavs, led Miami to rings in 2012 and 2013, then rejoined Cleveland in 2014.

PORTUGAL OVER FRANCE FOR EURO 2016 TITLE

Despite losing star captain Cristiano Ronaldo to injury, Portugal claimed the 2016 EUFA Euro Cup, defeating France 1-0 in extra time. A late goal from Portugal’s Eder avoided a penalty shootout and gave the country its first-ever football title.

U.S. SWIMMING TEAM DOMINATES IN RIO

The 2016 Rio Olympics were all about American swimming. Standout performances included swimmer Katie Ledecky’s four gold medal wins (including the 800-meter freestyle), and Michael Phelps’ five gold medal performances (bringing his career total to 23).

USAIN BOLT COMPLETES OLYMPIC TRIPLE-TRIPLE

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt completed his Olympic triple-triple, winning gold medals in all three of his events at three straight Olympic games. Bolt, considered the fastest human ever timed, is also the first individual to hold both the 100 and 200-meter world records.

BIG 10 SHAKE-UP AS PENN STATE BEATS OHIO STATE

2016 was an exciting year for college football’s BIG 10 conference. One of the highlights came in October, as unranked Penn State upset #2 Ohio State, 24-21. Penn State went on to claim the conference title, finish 5th nationally and earn a Rose Bowl bid.

CUBS FINALLY WIN THE WORLD SERIES

After nearly 110 years of waiting, the Cubs brought home the World Series title that generations of fans deserved. Having fought back from the brink of elimination, Chicago took 10 innings to defeat the Indians 8-7 in Game 7.

NATE DIAZ TAKES OUT CONOR MCGREGOR

MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas played host to UFC 196, a mixed martial arts competition that saw welterweight Nate Diaz defeat Conor McGregor via 2nd round submission in the feature fight. 

BRONCOS CRUISE PAST PANTHERS IN SUPERBOWL 50

Peyton Manning ended his NFL career with a 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium. Manning spent the first 14 seasons of his career with the Indianapolis Colts, before spending his final 4 years in Denver.