Top 10 Emotional North American Sports Moments of All Time

Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Emotional Moments In North American Sports.

For this list, we’ll be looking at events or plays that meant a little more than most to both athletes and fans in North America. We'll be excluding serious injuries and emotional outbursts. Sorry T.O. fans.

Which sports moment got you having all the feels? Let us know in the comments!

August 9, 1988

Trades can be emotional, especially if the traded player has been with a franchise for many years. But the trade of Wayne Gretzky was something else entirely. Gretzky was the most dominant hockey player of the ‘80s, leading the Edmonton Oilers to four Stanley Cup victories and setting numerous scoring records in the process. However, Gretzky was later traded to the Los Angeles Kings, which upset many Canadians. Shortly after the news came out, Gretzky held a press conference in which he was barely able to contain his emotions. Some saw him as a national traitor, and a Member of Parliament even tried to rally the Canadian government into blocking the trade. It wasn’t a success, and the country was left in mourning as their biggest hockey star departed for L.A.

May 6, 2014

Although the resulting memes have left more of a humorous impression, many basketball fans know and have not forgotten just how powerful the speech actually was. In 2014, Kevin Durant was honored as the league MVP, and proceeded to give an intensely emotional acceptance speech. The tears immediately began streaming when Durant directly addressed his mom, who was sitting in the crowd, relaying stories of her life as a struggling single mother. It’s a beautiful speech that makes us want to call our mothers and thank them for all they’ve done for us… and maybe make a meme or two while we’re at it.

July 7th, 2001

Losing a parent is never easy. Losing a parent in a highly publicized and horrific car crash in the very sport you are also participating in… is an entirely different beast. After Dale Earnhardt died while racing in the 2001 Daytona 500, his son, along with the entire NASCAR community, had to try and move on from the death of a legend. Yet, in the very first race held at Daytona International Speedway following the tragic event, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was able to capture the checkered flag. A stirring performance fraught with emotional energy, it remains one of the most impressive and heart wrenching moments in sports history. A few years later, NFL quarterback Brett Favre would have a similarly emotional moment when he honored his father’s memory with a dominant performance over the Raiders on Monday Night Football.

Hurricane Katrina was one of the deadliest natural disasters in American history. However, the country’s recovery from it will be remembered as a time when people rose up from tragedy and came together as one. One such instance was during a 2006 game between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. 90 seconds into the Saints’ first game back at the Mercedes Superdome since Katrina, safety Steve Gleason rushed in to block the Falcons’ punt attempt, where the football would subsequently be recovered by Curtis Deloatch in the endzone for a touchdown. From there, the Saints dominated and went on to win 23-3. In addition to prior speculation that the team could relocate due to the disaster’s impact, the game symbolically marked the resurgence of both the team and city.

April 9th, 1995

Winning the Masters isn’t just one of the hardest things to do in professional golf, it is one of the hardest to do in all of sport. “Gentle” Ben Crenshaw, so named for his laid-back temperament, managed to accomplish the feat twice; with the second time proving to be one of the most impressive performances in the history of the event. After battling Graves Disease in the 80’s, Ben fought back to win his second Green Jacket in 1995 – just two days after his mentor Harvey Penick passed away. A competitor through and through, Crenshaw would not be denied – showing the golf world that sometimes, raw emotion is one of the strongest attributes a person can possess.

February 22, 1980

In 1980, The United States of America was going through a period of turmoil. With a rocky economy, a hostage crisis and growing tensions due to the Cold War: morale in the U.S. was as low as it can get. That same year, The United States hockey team was set to face the heavily favored Soviet Union at the Winter Olympics. In an exciting and close game, the USA went on to beat the Soviets 4-3. Yet what seemed like an underdog story turned out to be so much more. Due to the circumstances the country was facing, the win gave America a new sense of hope and optimism for the future, and is still remembered today as one of the country’s most iconic triumphs.

July 4th, 1939

During his 17-year career with the New York Yankees, the man known as the “Iron Horse” racked up more championships and personal records than nearly anyone else in the sport. However, a crippling disease known as ALS had struck Gehrig in his prime. In a move that shocked the baseball community, Gehrig took himself out of the lineup for good… but not before giving one of the most impassioned and heartfelt speeches in the history of sport. Two year later, Gehrig sadly succumbed to the disease that now bears his name. However, his legacy remains and his speech was widely praised by the media and is now regarded as an iconic piece of sports history.

June 16th, 1996

It’s no secret that NBA legend Michael Jordan had a special relationship with his father. Throughout his career, Jordan has credited his dad with giving him advice and for setting him in the right direction. However, his tragic passing left a void in Jordan, and this was most apparent when the Chicago Bulls played the Seattle Supersonics during the 1996 NBA Finals. Although Jordan delivered a vintage playoff performance and helped the Bulls secure their fourth NBA championship, it wasn’t so much his play that made this win memorable, but the motivation behind it. This championship culminated on Father’s Day, and an emotional Jordan dedicated the win to his late dad. Not only was this a touching tribute; it also allowed fans to see a different side of MJ.

November 7, 1991

After an inspired career in which he helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA titles – three for which he was named finals MVP – it was all the more shocking when the world learned he would be hanging up his sneakers for good. To announce his retirement, Johnson held a press conference. What the world did not know at the time was that the legendary basketball player had contracted HIV. In a moment that would strike an emotional chord not only in the basketball community but all fans of the legend they called Magic, Johnson revealed his secret, ultimately deciding it was in his best interest to retire. The former Lakers point guard has since become an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Derek Jeter’s Final Game at Yankee Stadium
September 25, 2014

Mario Lemieux Returns After Cancer Treatment
March 2, 1993

The Cavaliers Break the Cleveland Sports Curse
June 19, 2016

Mike Piazza’s Home Run
September 21, 2001

Tiger Woods Wins the 2019 Masters
April 14, 2019

November 2, 2016
It may have taken 108 years, but on November 2nd, 2016, the Chicago Cubs finally got the monkey off their back. Having suffered through decades of blown opportunities, costly mistakes and Steve Bartman, the Cubs met the Cleveland Indians in the 2016 World Series – who just so happened to be sporting their own lengthy championship drought. Expectations couldn’t have been higher, and when the Indians jumped out to a 3-1 series lead, history seemed to be repeating itself. However, the Cubs slowly clawed their way back into the series, and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a thrilling Game 7 victory. The drought and years of Cubs’ fans suffering were finally over.