Sports is filled with outstanding moments throughout history. Players have cemented their legacy with a legendary game, moment, or even season. When we think about “the greatest individual season” we all have a few players that immediately come to mind. This is not a list that was designed to be considered right or wrong but highlights some of the world’s most fantastic athletes and the legendary seasons they had. Let’s take a look at who cracked my top ten greatest individual seasons of all time.

Chicago Sky v Phoenix Mercury
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  1. Diana Taurasi (2006)

Diana Taurasi has established herself as a WBNA legend and will forever be an icon for women's basketball. In her 2006 MVP season, Taursai set a WNBA record with 25.4 PPG. She also set a record with 121 three-pointers made along with her record-setting 860 total points that season. Only one other player has ever reached 800 points in WNBA history.

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  1. Pistol Pete (1970)

You could have chosen any of Pistol’s final three seasons in college. Only one other player has ever averaged 40 PPG or more in NCAA history and Pistol Pete did it three straight years in a row. I went with the 1970 season because it was his highest average with 44.5 PPG. I think it’s important to point out that he put up those ridiculous numbers before the three-point line was invented.

Giants v Cubs X
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  1. Barry Bonds (2001)

Before we get started on this one, I am aware this takes place in the steroid era but I do not care. What Bonds did this season was still impressive whether he was on steroids or not. He already had three MVP titles to his name but no one could have guessed he would have put the type of numbers he did. Bonds went on to post a record-breaking 73-homerun season as well as a record-breaking .515 on-base percentage.

Pittsburgh Steelers v New England Patriots
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  1. Randy Moss (2007)

Moss was already considered to be a first-ballot hall of famer during his career with the Vikings and many fans assumed he was on the decline once he left Minnesota. No one was expecting him to have the best season of his career with the Patriots. He helped the Patriots to an undefeated record as he posted a record-breaking 23 touchdowns that season along with a league-leading 1,500 receiving yards. The only thing that could have made this season better was if he closed it out with a championship.

Auburn v Alabama
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  1. Cam Newton (2010)

When I think about single-season performances, Newton is the first player to come to mind. That’s because he played one season at Auburn and one season was all he needed as became a Heisman winner and a National Champion along with becoming the first overall pick in the NFL draft. Newton put up video game numbers with 2,854 passing yards and 30 touchdowns along with 1,473 rushing yards and another 20 touchdowns. Cam Newton will forever be one of the best college football players of all time.

Capital One Bowl - Michigan v Florida
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  1. Tim Tebow (2007)

Tim Tebow will be right alongside Newton as one of the best college football players of all time. His 2007 season was insane with the video game numbers he managed. He threw for 3,286 yards and 32 touchdowns along with 895 rushing yards and additional 23 touchdowns. He completed nearly 70% of his passes while only throwing 6 interceptions on the season.

FC Barcelona v RC Deportivo La Coruna - La Liga
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  1. Lionel Messi (2014-2015)

There is no possible way I could leave Messi off this list. While Ronaldo may have the slight edge for claiming the title of the greatest soccer player of his generation, Messi’s 2015-2015 season made it a lot tougher to leave him out of the conversation. Messi scored 58 goals in just 57 matches meaning he averaged a goal per game which is incredibly hard to do in the world of soccer. He Barca to three different titles that year along with leading Argentina to a world cup final.

Tiger Woods
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  1. Tiger Woods (2000)

Woods had his most iconic win in the 1997 Masters but no one could have imagined the ridiculous run he would have in 2000. Woods posted 3 Major title victories in just one season. He had 9 total wins that season along with 17 top-10 finishes in just 20 tournament appearances. Woods won nearly have his tournament appearances that year along with finishing in the top 10 in nearly all of them. This was a season that professional athletes can only dream of.

College Football Playoff National Championship - Clemson v LSU
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  1. Joe Burrow (2019)

It’s really hard to talk about the greatest single seasons in Louisiana without immediately thinking about Joe and the 2019 Tigers. After a mediocre 2018 season with the Tigers, no one expected him to have one of the greatest statistical seasons in collegiate history. He complete 76% of his passes in 2019 along with 60 touchdowns and nearly 6,000 passing yards. He did all this while winning the Heisman and guiding the Tigers to an undefeated season as well as the National Championship.

Boston Red Sox v Los Angeles Angels
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  1. Shohei Ohtani (2021)

I fully understand the importance of Babe Ruth and the impact he had on the league as a two-way player, but what Shohei did in 2021 was just insane and might put him as one of the greatest athletes of all time when it’s all said and done. As a hitter, Ohtani posted an outstanding 46 home runs with 100 RBI. As a pitcher, he posted a 3.18 ERA with 156 strikeouts and 23 saves. His dominance on both sides lands him at the top spot.

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