It’s June 8th, 1958. The FIFA World Cup begins in Sweden, and millions of fans worldwide are watching. Sixteen national football teams participate in this sports tournament, all wanting to lift the FIFA World Cup trophy. The 1954 World Cup winner is West Germany, a nation that’s a heavy favorite to win the tournament again.
Besides West Germany, Brazil’s national team is a top-notch squad that could become the FIFA World Cup winner. They have star players like Garrincha, Zito, Didi, Vava, Bellini, and Nilton Santos. Moreover, they also have numerous young talented players, like the 17-year-old Pele.
The group phase starts. In the first game, Brazil easily wins 3-0 against Austria. In the second match, they draw 0-0 against England. Then, in the third and final match of the group stage, Brazil beat the USSR 3-0 and finished the group in first place.
It’s the quarter-finals, and the Brazilians are playing against the national team of Wales. From the match’s first minute, the South Americans are playing better football than the Welshmen. The first half ends goalless. Then, in the 66th minute of the game, something historic happens. Pele scores at only 17 years and 239 days old and becomes the youngest player to ever score in a FIFA World Cup game. Brazil advances to the semi-finals with a 1-0 win against Wales.
In the semi-finals, Brazil faces France. In the 52nd minute, youngster Pele scores his second goal of the tournament. Just 12 minutes later, he bags another goal. In the 75th minute, the incredibly talented Pele scores a hat-trick. Brazil advances to the final with a 5-2 win against France.
In the final, Brazil and the host, Sweden, are playing. Almost 50,000 fans are attending the 1958 FIFA World Cup final at the Rasunda Stadium in Solna. Just 4 minutes into the final, the Swedes take the lead. Nevertheless, the Brazilians answer with a goal from Vava in the 9th minute. In the 32nd minute, Vava scores another goal.
Then, In the 55th minute of the game, the rising star Pele scores a goal. In the 90th minute, he bags one more. That was his 6th FIFA World Cup goal.
Ultimately, Brazil won their first FIFA World Cup with a 5-2 victory against Sweden in the final.
Amongst all Brazil players, Pele left the biggest impression. After the final, he was named the best young player of the 1958 FIFA World Cup. It was clear that he would become the next football superstar.
Trades are possibly one of the most exhilarating aspects of basketball, especially in the NBA. Since the NBA’s existence, some deals have led certain teams to greatness, while others have suffered due to ill-advised trades.
Whether it’s trading potential superstars for short-term success or sacrificing important players for insignificant amounts of money, the following NBA trades are a reminder that a deal can turn bad quickly.
Keep reading, and see which are the worst NBA trades in history!
#10 – Brooklyn Nets Trade for Boston Celtics Veterans for a Couple of Draft Picks
The list of the top 10 worst NBA trades of all time starts with the 2013 Celtics-Nets trade. The team from Boston traded the veterans Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, and Kevin Garnett to the Nets and the young Kris Joseph. Meanwhile, the Celtics received five bench players (Wallace, Humphries, Joseph, Bogans, Brooks), three first-round picks (2014, 2016, 2018), and two swapped first-round picks in 2017.
None of the four players who ended up in Brooklyn were successful while playing for that team. However, Boston picked up future team stars (Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum) thanks to the unprotected first-round picks that they received.
#9 – Utah Jazz Gifted Magic Johnson to the LA Lakers
In 1978, the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Lakers were involved in a six-player trade. The Utah team traded Kenny Carr, Freeman Williams, and Sam Worthmen to the Los Angeles Lakers. In return, the Lakers received a 1979 first-round pick, Essie and Jack Givens, and Gail Goodrich.
Unfortunately, the Utah Jazz ended up last that season, and the players who arrived on the team were not very helpful. That last place gave the Lakers the first pick, and they selected Magic Johnson, who eventually became one of the greatest players in league history and arguably the best NBA passer of all time. In addition, Johnson won the NBA championship in his rookie year and also received the NBA Finals MVP award.
#8 – Bucks Traded Dirk Nowitzki to the Dallas Mavericks
In 1998, the Milwaukee Bucks made a huge mistake by trading Dirk Nowitzki, a future NBA European superstar. However, at the time, he was just a top prospect from Europe. The Bucks traded Nowitzki, who was the 9th pick, as well as Pat Garrity for the 6th pick, Robert Traylor.
When you compare Traylor and Nowitzki, it’s clear who the better player was. Traylor’s NBA career lasted seven seasons, averaging 4.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 0.7 APG. On the other hand, Nowitzki is a Hall of Famer, a one-time NBA champion, and one of the best scorers ever, averaging 20.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 2.4 APG.
#7 – The Sixers Traded Charles Barkley for a Couple of Reserves, and Hornacek
One of the worst NBA trades ever happened in 1992. Charles Barkley was 28, at the peak of his abilities, and among the league’s finest basketball players. Surprisingly, the 76ers decided to trade him to the Phoenix Suns. In return, the Suns received Andrew Lang, Tim Perry, and Jeff Hornacek, too.
Jeff was an All-Star, but he wasn’t playing at that level for the 76ers, while Lang and Perry sat on the bench for most of the time. Meanwhile, the Suns received an NBA superstar in Barkley, who reached the NBA Finals in his first year at Phoenix and was also the MVP that season.
#6 – The Seattle Supersonics Traded Scottie Pippen to the Bulls
Michael Jordan is undoubtedly the GOAT, but he wouldn’t have made it if it weren’t for his esteemed teammate Scottie Pippen. At the 1987 NBA Draft, the Supersonics chose Pippen as the 5th pick. However, the team from Seattle was in desperate need of a center, so they traded Scottie to the Bulls for Olden Polynice and future draft pick options.
Polynice didn’t leave a huge impact while playing for the Supersonics, averaging 5.1 PPG and 4.5 RPG in four seasons. Pippen, on the other hand, was quite successful. He won the NBA title six times with the Bulls and was one of the best players ever to wear the Chicago Bulls jersey.
#5 – Moses Malone Traded to the Buffalo Braves
The NBA and ABA merged in 1976. After this historic merger, the NBA decided to have a dispersal draft. During that draft, the Portland Trail Blazers selected future NBA star Moses Malone as the fifth pick. Nevertheless, Portland decided to keep Maurice Lucas since they thought he would be a far greater player than Moses.
Two months after the Blazers selected Malone at the draft, they traded him to the Buffalo Braves for a small amount of money and a first-round pick. Then, Malone was sent to the Rockets. In Houston, Malone became one of the best players in the league, averaging 24.0 PPG and 15.0 RPG in six seasons.
#4 – The 76ers Gifted MVP Wilt Chamberlain to the LA Lakers
Surprisingly, the 76ers decided to trade Wilt Chamberlain to the LA Lakers in 1968, even though he had been the league’s MVP the year before. Moreover, he won the MVP award three more times while playing for the 76ers and was also a nine-time All-Star. Still, they decided it was time for Wilt to leave the team. In return, the 76ers got Archie Clark, Jerry Chambers, and Darrall Imhoff.
Before Wilt joined the Lakers, they lost 6 out of 6 NBA finals. When Wilt came to the Lakers, they succeeded in winning the NBA title in 1972. The famous center was the Finals MVP with 19.4 PPG and a sensational 23.2 RPG. Wilt is 7th on the list of the all-time NBA leaders in scored points with 31,419.
The 76ers made bad trades over the years, but this one was one of the worst NBA trades ever.
#3 – The Bucks Traded Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for a Couple of Bench Players
In 1974, after spending 6 seasons at the Milwaukee Bucks, Kareem wanted to leave the team. He won the NBA title with them and was one of the best players in the league. Kareem eventually got traded to the LA Lakers. In return, the team from Los Angeles received four players (Smith, Winters, Bridgeman, and Meyers).
While playing for the Lakers, Kareem won 5 NBA titles and the MVP award 6 times. When he retired, he was the best scorer of all time in the NBA. The four players that joined the Bucks were average at best while playing for them.
The Bucks did nothing wrong since Kareem wanted to leave, but they should’ve got better players since they traded an NBA superstar. It can be said that this was one of the worst trades that the Bucks have ever made.
#2 – St. Louis Hawks Traded Bill Russell to the Boston Celtics
After being selected as the 2nd pick in the 1956 NBA Draft by the St. Louis Hawks, Bill Russell was traded to the Boston Celtics. In return, the Celtics received future Hall of Famers Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan, who won 1 title for the Hawks in 1958. Even though these two players were highly successful, Russell significantly surpassed them.
While playing for the Boston Celtics, Russell won 11 NBA titles and five MVP awards and was a 12-time All-Star. Throughout his 13-year NBA career, he averaged unreal numbers: 15.1 PPG, 22.5 RPG, and 4.3 APG. He also cemented his legacy as one of the best NBA defenders of all time.
#1 – Charlotte Hornets Traded Kobe Bryant to the LA Lakers
Arguably, the worst trade in NBA history was when the Charlotte Hornets traded future NBA superstar Kobe Bryant for Vlade Divac in 1996. In their defense, the Hornets wanted to keep Bryant, but some contract disputes led to this unfortunate trade. Divac was a really good player, but he only played for 2 seasons for the Hornets.
Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant became one of the greatest players in basketball history. He won five NBA titles, was an 18-time All-Star, and was a one-time MVP. The Hornets were one of the worst NBA teams for many years after this trade, and they also moved their franchise to New Orleans.
It’s February 5th, 2017. The Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots are playing in Super Bowl LI at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. The Patriots are the champions of the American Football Conference, while the Falcons are the champions of the National Football Conference.
The Pats finished their regular season with a franchise-best 14-2 record and were led by the legendary quarterback, Tom Brady. Meanwhile, the Falcons finished the season with an 11-5 record under the leadership of the league’s MVP, Matt Ryan. Regarding Super Bowl appearances, this is the second for the Falcons and the ninth for the Patriots.
More than 70,000 fans are in attendance, and they can’t wait to see which team will be the 2017 NFL champion.
Atlanta’s Matt Bosher kicks the ball, and the game begins. The 1st quarter ends with no points from both teams. Then, in the 2nd quarter, the Falcons scored three touchdowns in a row and led 21-3 at half-time. Halfway into the 3rd, the Atlanta Falcons take a 28-3 lead, and it looks like they’ll win this year’s Super Bowl.
However, Brady and the Patriots aren’t giving up so quickly since they managed to reduce the Falcons’ lead to 28-9 by the end of the 3rd quarter. The 4th quarter is underway. The Pats score 19 points in the 4th quarter and tie the game at 28-28.
The Super Bowl winner will be decided in overtime. With 11:09 left until the end of the game, the Patriots have the kickoff, thanks to winning the coin toss. The ball is kicked off, and James White receives it, barely going past the goal line to score the winning touchdown.
The New England Patriots have won their 5th Super Bowl in history. The Patriots Super Bowl comeback is undoubtedly one of the greatest comeback stories in the league’s history.
