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LeBron James' 40,000 points -

In March 2024, LeBron James became the first and only NBA player to reach 40,000 career points. James surpassed former Lakers star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, becoming the NBA's all-time scoring leader and breaking a record that had stood for almost 40 years. As ESPN puts it, Kevin Durant, the next-highest active player, has only 28,342 points, nearly 12,000 behind James' mark. Durant is also only four years younger than James, making it nearly impossible for him to catch up.

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Boston Celtics' eight straight NBA titles -

Winning one NBA title is a difficult achievement. The Shaquille O'Neal/Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers won three straight. However, between 1959 and 1966, the Boston Celtics achieved the unthinkable by winning eight titles in a row. Among a lineup of Hall of Famers, the late legend Bill Russell won the league's Most Valuable Player award five times.

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Lewis Hamilton's 105 Grand Prix wins -

Lewis Hamilton has solidified his status as the most successful driver in F1 history, surpassing Michael Schumacher's 91 wins. He claimed the all-time win record in 2020 and has continued to add to his tally. In July 2024, he ended a long drought with his 104th win at the British Grand Prix and inherited another victory due to a teammate's disqualification. He also holds the record for the most race wins on the same circuit.

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Emmitt Smith’s 18,355 rushing yards -

In 2002, Dallas Cowboys great Emmitt Smith broke Walter Payton's all-time rushing record of 16,726 yards. Smith continued playing for two and a half more seasons, finishing with 18,355 rushing yards. This record is unlikely to be broken due to Smith's exceptional talent and changes in the NFL. Offenses no longer focus on running backs as much, and playing as long as Smith did is nearly impossible. Smith retired in 2005.

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Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second 100-meter dash -

Undeniably the fastest sprinter in history, Usain Bolt stunned the world by running 100 meters in 9.58 seconds at the 2009 Berlin World Athletics Championships, breaking his own world record set the previous year. This record, now standing for 15 years, is unlikely to be broken anytime soon. Only two other sprinters have run under 9.7 seconds (both at 9.69 - Tyson Gay and Yohann Blake). Gay has retired and Blake hasn't broken 9.85 in the last decade.

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Cal Ripken’s 2,632 consecutive games -

In 1996, 38-year-old Cal Ripken Jr. broke the all-time consecutive games played record in Major League Baseball, surpassing Sachio Kinugasa's Japanese record. In an iconic moment for sports, fans gave him a 22-minute standing ovation. Ripken played in every Baltimore Orioles game from 1982 to 1998, surpassing legend Lou Gehrig's record by 501 games. In 2001, Ripken played his 3,001st and final game as a Major League Baseball player.

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Wilt Chamberlain's 50.4 points per game in one season -

Wilt Chamberlain's most iconic record is his 100-point game for the Philadelphia Warriors. While players like Kobe Bryant and Luka Doncic have approached this mark, it remains unbroken. Chamberlain's 50.4 points per game average in 1961-62 is another unbreakable record. Even today, scoring 50 points in a game is extremely rare. Chamberlain did it 45 times in one season, including 15 60-point games and three 70-point games. Unless the NBA introduces a 4-point shot, this record is likely to remain untouched.

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Simone Biles' 23 gold medals -

Gymnastics icon Simone Biles has secured her spot in the Sports Hall of Fame for various reasons, including having a gymnastic move named after her. In terms of records, she holds the nearly unbreakable mark of 23 gold medals in World Championships. The next-most-decorated gymnast, retired athlete Svetlana Khorkina, has only nine. No other active women's gymnast has even won two. In terms of Olympic gold, Biles is behind the current record holder, Larisa Latynina (nine gold), by just two medals.

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Wayne Gretzky’s 2,857 career points -

Wayne Gretzky's NHL records are considered virtually unbreakable. His 2,857 career points, 1,000 more than the next closest player, are still mind-boggling. To match this record, a player would need to average 98 assists per year for 20 years, a feat no player has achieved in a single season since Gretzky.

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Michael Phelps' 23 Olympic gold medals -

Michael Phelps holds the records for most Olympic medals ever (28), gold medals (23), and individual gold medals in a single Olympics (8). His dominance is unmatched. Phelps has more gold medals than any other Olympian, and his total gold medals outnumber the US gold medals in several other sports combined.

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Rickey Henderson's 1,406 career stolen bases -

Legendary Rickey Henderson's 1,406 stolen bases are far ahead of the next closest player, Lou Brock. The current active leader, Starling Marte, has 354 stolen bases. Even if someone maintained a 78-steal pace for 18 seasons, they wouldn't break Henderson's record. To put it in perspective, the 2023 New York Yankees had 100 stolen bases as a team.

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Tiger Woods' 142 consecutive cuts -

Between 1998 and 2005, Tiger Woods made the cut in 142 consecutive events, breaking the PGA Tour record of 113 events previously held by Byron Nelson. Woods holds numerous records, including becoming the youngest Masters champion ever at 21 and, three years later, winning the US Open, British Open, PGA Championship, and 2001 Masters to become the only person to hold all four professional major titles simultaneously.

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Cy Young's 749 complete games -

Baseball Hall of Famer Denton Cy Young pitched for five different teams in the Major League between 1890 and 1911, and pitching has changed significantly since then. The increasing use of relief pitchers has made complete games rare, making Young's record one of the safest to keep. The closest active player to this record is Adam Wainwright at 28 complete games.

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Cristiano Ronaldo's 905 career goals -

Cristiano Ronaldo holds so many records that it's hard to keep track. According to the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), he is the first man to score 905 career goals in official matches, surpassing his longtime rival Lionel Messi (840 goals) and Brazilian legend Pelé (762 goals). Additionally, he is the player with the most goals in UEFA club competitions (145), ahead of Messi's 132 and Robert Lewandowski's 104. He is also 11 goals clear of Messi and 46 ahead of third-placed Lewandowski at the top of the scoring charts in UEFA Champions League goals (140).

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Jerry Rice's 22,895 receiving yards -

Regarded by many as the greatest wide receiver and overall player in NFL history, Rice holds numerous receiving records, including most career touchdowns (208) and receiving yards (22,895). His remarkable endurance and the changing nature of the NFL contribute to his records remaining unbreakable. 

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UConn Huskies' 111-game winning streak -

The longest streak in women's college basketball history is held by the 2017-18 UConn Huskies team. Led by Hall of Fame head coach Geno Auriemma, in his 33rd season at UConn, the winning streak stretched from November 2014 until March 2017. The next-highest streak (90) is also held by the UConn Huskies, making it unlikely that other contenders will ever come close to snatching the record.

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Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak -

Still regarded as one of baseball's most famous records, DiMaggio’s streak may seem more achievable to break than it actually is. Pete Rose, the all-time hits leader, was the only one so far to come close, with a 44-game streak in the ‘70s. 

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Rafael Nadal's 14 French Open crowns -

Rafael Nadal has dominated the French Open since winning his first title at Roland Garros in 2005. Of Nadal's 22 career Grand Slam championships, 14 have come on the French Open's clay courts, earning him the nickname "King of Clay." This is more than any other player in tennis history, male or female, in any major tournament. The next most titles a player has won at a single major tournament is 10, a record achieved by Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open.

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Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s 50-0 professional career -

Floyd Mayweather famously retired with an unblemished 50-0 record, having not lost a fight during his professional career, which spanned from 1996 to 2017. Mayweather also won 12 major world championships in five weight classes. His pre-pro career, however, was not flawless, as he reportedly lost eight times in a 92-fight amateur career (84-8) against varying levels of opposition. He also lost in the semi-finals of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics to Serafim Todorov under controversial circumstances.

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Aladar Gerevich's six consecutive gold medals -

Hungarian fencer Aladar Gerevich won six consecutive Olympic gold medals in sabre team events, a feat unmatched by any other athlete, including Michael Phelps with his 23 Olympic golds. It's unlikely that any other athlete will break Gerevich's record in the near future.

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Jorge Masvidal's 5-second knockout -

In 2019, Jorge Masvidal scored the fastest knockout in UFC history, finishing Ben Askren in just five seconds at UFC 239. Masvidal's flying knee caught Askren off guard, and he was immediately knocked out. This broke Duane Ludwig's previous 2006 record of six seconds.

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Tom Brady's 98 touchdowns to different receivers -

Tom Brady holds numerous records, but his record of throwing touchdown passes to 98 receivers is particularly impressive. The next closest player on the list is Drew Brees, who threw touchdowns to 73 players over his career. This is likely unbreakable due to frequent changes in wide receiver rosters.

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Martin Brodeur's 691 wins -

Martin Brodeur holds numerous goaltending records, including wins (691), shutouts (125), games played (1,266), and minutes played (74,439). His 691 wins are a league record, and it's unlikely anyone will surpass this mark due to the decrease in number of games goalies play and the focus on specialized roles in modern hockey.

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Joey Chestnut's 76 hot dogs eaten -

This entry may be controversial as some may debate whether competitive eating is a sport. The Major League Eating organization and many fans certainly think it is. Controversies aside, Joey Chestnut is the dominant figure in this unique sport. He has won "Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest" 15 times, holding the incredible record of eating 76 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, returning the "Mustard Yellow Belt" to the United States. He also holds numerous world records in various food categories, including eggs, chicken wings, and ice-cream sandwiches.

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Richard Petty's 200 NASCAR wins -

Richard Petty is widely considered one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time. He dominated the sport during his career, winning 200 races, including seven Daytona 500s. His most impressive season was 1967, when he won a record 27 races. To put Petty’s dominance in perspective, Kyle Busch currently leads the active drivers ranking at 63 wins.

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Isner vs. Mahut's longest Wimbledon match -

The 2010 Wimbledon match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut is the longest in tennis match history, lasting 11 hours and five minutes. The match went to a fifth set, which was interrupted by darkness and resumed the next day. Isner eventually won in the 70th game of the fifth set. This historic event led to changes in Wimbledon's tiebreaker rules to prevent future matches from lasting so long.

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Caitlin Clark’s all-time NCAA score -

Caitlin Clark, a University of Iowa senior guard, broke the NCAA's all-time leading scorer record, previously held by LSU legend "Pistol Pete" Maravich. On March 3, 2024, Clark scored 35 points, bringing her career total to 3,685 points and surpassing Maravich's 54-year-old record. At 22 years old, Clark became the all-time leading scorer, male or female, in NCAA Division I history, and she continues to add to her total.

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Nolan Ryan's seven no-hitters -

Legendary pitcher Nolan Ryan holds the record for most no-hitters in a career with a remarkable seven. The Hall of Famer achieved this feat in 2001, at the age of 44, making him the oldest player to throw a no-hitter. Also known as “The Ryan Express," Ryan's dominance was evident throughout his career, as he also holds records for strikeouts and complete games.

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Serena Williams' 23 singles titles -

Legend Serena Williams is still considered one of the greatest tennis players ever. Retired at 40, she holds the record for most Grand Slam women's singles titles in the Open Era with 23. Williams is also the only woman to have won more than 65 matches across all four Slams.

Sources: (ESPN) (Associated Press) (Fansided) (Tennis.com) (NBA) (UEFA) (NHL) (Olympics.com) (The Race) (Golf.com) (IFFHS - International Federation of Football History & Statistics) (Pro Football Hall of Fame) (Last Word on Sports) (Baseball Hall of Fame) (NASCAR) (Major League Eating) 

See also: The world's most astonishing athletic achievements

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