Top 10 Most Memorable Moments in Los Angeles Sports in 2020
In a chaotic year that shook Southern California with the tragic death of Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant and a global pandemic that shut down the sports world, we take a look back at the ten most memorable moments in Los Angeles sports in 2020.
The LA Galaxy made waves in January when they announced the signing of Mexican striker Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez. Chicharito was signed to replace the infamous Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and the announcement generated immediate cheers and murals in the Latino community.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers forever changed the future of their franchise when they officially introduced former Cy Young Award winner David Price (left) and AL MVP Mookie Betts (right) back in February. The pair were acquired in a trade with the Red Sox and even though Price opted out of the 2020 season, Betts made all the difference, helping bring the Dodgers their first championship since 1988.
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In their annual battle for city supremacy the crosstown rivals put on a memorable show that won't soon be forgotten. The No. 13 ranked Trojans trailed by as many as 18 points in the third quarter and completed a miraculous comeback--their third this season. With less than 30 seconds remaining, the Trojans scored the game-winning touchdown on a two-play, 43-yard drive that gave them a 43-38 win, and the Victory Bell.
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Although fans were not allowed in to see it, the Los Angeles Rams christened their new $5 Billion SoFi Stadium with a 20-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys on national television.
in February, Major League Baseball announced that the Houston Astros had cheated during the 2017 season that ended in a World Series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers by electronically stealing signs. No players were punished for their role in the sign stealing scandal, causing players across baseball to publicly express their outrage. In their first meeting since the Game 7 loss at Dodger Stadium, Dodgers' reliever Joe Kelly #17 threw at Carlos Correa's head and then struck him out a pitch later. The two exchanged words as they walked back to their dugout leading Kelly to make a cry baby face that became a global meme and a mural in Los Angeles.
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After finishing the 60-game regular season with the best record in baseball, the Dodgers swept their way through the first two rounds of the MLB Playoffs until they ran into a buzz saw in the Atlanta Braves. The Braves took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven NLCS before the Dodgers won three straight elimination games to advance to the World Series. Game 7 featured more game-saving catches by Mookie Betts, but this Justin Turner superman dive that saved a run and led to a double-play was the highlight of the game.
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March 11, 2020 will go down in infamy as the day the sports world stopped. As the Utah Jazz were set to tip-off with the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena the game was delayed because of a reported positive test for COVID-19 by Jazz center Rudy Gobert. The game would be postponed and within hours, the NBA announced that they would suspend the season indefinitely, the first major professional sports league to do so. Within 24 hours, the domino effect rippled through the sports world as many other leagues followed suit.
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On January 26, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among nine people killed in a helicopter that crashed near Calabasas, California. The news sent shockwaves throughout the world and the NBA. The Lakers game the following night was postponed, and the next time they returned to the court was on January 31 against the Portland Trail Blazers. The emotional night featured video tributes to Kobe and Gianna, and performances by Usher and cellist Ben Hong. LeBron James addressed the crowd before the game and the Trail Blazers took an eight-second violation to start the game, followed by a 24-second violation by the Lakers in honor of Bryant.
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Nine months after Kobe Bryant's death, and nearly four months after the season was suspended because of the coronavirus, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals inside the bubble in Orlando, Florida. Although there were no fans in attendance, and no parade down Figueroa Blvd, that didn't stop the Lakers from celebrating their record-tying 17th NBA Championship in franchise history at Walt Disney World.
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Move over Kirk Gibson and Orel Hershiser, the Los Angeles Dodgers erased a 32-year World Series drought when they finally became champions by beating the Tampa Bay Rays in six games. The unusual World Series was held at a neutral site for the first time in MLB history in Arlington, Texas, and was the first major sports championship during the pandemic that had fans in attendance. Over 11,000 people witnessed Julio Urias strike out Willy Adames for the final out, as the Dodgers poured onto the field to celebrate their seventh championship in franchise history.
(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
