Welcome Back From the Greatest Summer of Sports: Recapping a Wild Three Months

It’s been one of the wildest summers in the history of sports.

Typically, when people talk about a summer as one of the best in sports history, there’s a Summer Olympics involved. So, for this summer to have not included an Olympics—instead following an exciting Winter Olympics—is rather impressive. Let’s delve into just what made this summer so special in the world of sports, while reliving some of the best moments of the last three months.

Much of this summer surrounds success in New York City, N.Y. That all started because of the New York Knicks. The NBA conference finals kicked off by the time the class of 2026 graduated, and both conferences provided fun outcomes: The Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in convincing fashion, and the San Antonio Spurs gutted out a seven-game series win against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. That set up a finals between the Spurs and the Knicks, and despite the Spurs being favored heading in, New York City showed up en masse for their Knickerbockers. 

The Knicks started off hot, racking up comeback wins in both Games 1 and 2 in San Antonio, Texas. They dropped the first game at Madison Square Garden, and were down as much as 29 points in Game 4. But what followed was one of the most improbable comebacks in basketball history as they clawed their way back and OG Anunoby tapped in the go-ahead bucket with mere seconds to go. One game away from the mountaintop, 2026 Finals MVP and team captain Jalen Brunson put up an all-world performance in Game 5, scoring 45 points and leading the Knicks to their first title in 53 years. 

The clinching Game 5 took place on Saturday, June 13, setting the stage for New York to carry a championship-winning energy into hosting various matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. All three North American nations played host to 48 national teams who played from Friday, June 11 to Sunday, July 19. 

The FIFA World Cup was one of the most beautiful displays of how sports brings people together. Towns all across the United States, Canada, and Mexico accepted different teams and their fans in various ways. Boston, Mass. was practically taken over by fans of the Tartan Army of Scotland. Lawrence, Kansas opened their arms to the Algerian national football team and their fans. Hundreds of Norway fans performed their famous Viking Row in Times Square. Japanese fans marveled at the immense size and distinct taste of Texas barbecue. Even England fans developed a love for Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II, whom they cheered on while attending Braves games during their stay in the ATL. In a tournament where many people worried about geopolitical dimensions getting in the way of sport, every corner of the sports world was filled with communities coming together to enjoy a game we all love.

And that doesn’t even scratch the surface of what happened on the pitch. The world’s best soccer players—Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane—performed masterfully throughout the entire tournament. Curaçao, the smallest nation to ever compete in the World Cup, captured the hearts of fans in the group stage. The second-smallest nation, Cape Verde, turned heads thanks to their 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha leading them to the knockout stage. All three host nations made it to the Round of 16, giving home fans hope for the future of their respective national teams. It all led to a match between Spain and Argentina, two of the favorites throughout the entire tournament. They played a tight 90-minute match, with neither team budging, but a Ferran Torres goal during overtime led Spain to win their second men’s World Cup trophy.

Despite the World Cup being a big event in New York City all summer, a certain female pop superstar managed to shut down Madison Square Garden for a couple days in between. Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had their wedding at Madison Square Garden over the July 4 weekend, which certainly captured the attention of Swifties and football fans alike. 

While these incredible moments took center stage, they shared that stage with some controversial and political sporting moments, too. Most notable of all of these was the UFC event President Donald Trump held at the White House. While it excited many, it also drew much criticism, as watching martial artists make their entrances down the halls of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. was a jarring sight. Additionally, President Donald Trump was consistently booed at large sporting events he attended throughout the summer. He received the boobirds at both the NBA Finals Game 3 (many Knicks fans blame their Game 3 loss on his attendance) and the World Cup Final. 

On a more lighthearted note, the world of tennis had three excellent Grand Slams throughout the summer, the most recent wrapping up this past weekend. First was the French Open, which featured two first-time Grand Slam winners. Mirra Andreeva captured her first major at 19 years old, and Alexander “Sascha” Zverev finally ended his drought as the most successful men’s player without a Grand Slam. In July, Wimbledon saw Linda Nosková achieve her first major title in an all-Czech final, and Jannik Sinner won his second-straight Wimbledon title, defeating Zverev in the championship. 

Lastly, this past weekend, Elena Rybakina won her second major of the year, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in a near-identical result to the Australian Open earlier this year. On the men’s side, American Ben Shelton reached his first major final with a chance to become the first American man to win a major since 2003. However, Zverev played spoiler and defeated Shelton to win his second Grand Slam of the year. 

As if basketball couldn’t have gotten more entertaining, it was quite the eventful offseason in the NBA as well. 18 former All-Stars were moved this offseason, including some of the biggest names in the sport. The most shocking team to make big swings was the Philadelphia 76ers, who traded for Jaylen Brown and signed LeBron James, making them an immediate favorite to win the title next year. Giannis Antetokounmpo departed from the Milwaukee Bucks after 13 seasons to join the Miami Heat. LaMelo Ball was dealt from the Charlotte Hornets to the Minnesota Timberwolves to team up with Anthony Edwards. The Ja Morant era ended in Memphis, Tenn., as the Grizzlies sent him to Portland, Ore. 

If all that wasn’t crazy enough, Kawhi Leonard was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers back to the Toronto Raptors—where he won a title in 2019—just in time for the Clippers to be handed the largest punishment in NBA history for their salary cap circumvention in regards to Leonard’s contract. The Knicks might be the reigning champs, but they are entering a vastly different landscape of the league in October.

This article’s focus on the past summer of sports doesn’t do justice to the months of autumnal athletic competition that lie ahead, but they certainly get a mention.

The MLB regular season is wrapping up at the end of the month, as 113 teams will vie to stop the Los Angeles Dodgers from three-peating. In golf, Aaron Rai, Wyndham Clark, and Ryan Fox all captured major championships. In Formula 1, Mercedes is destroying the competition, as Kimi Antonelli looks to crush the youngest F1 driver champion record by over three years. In the WNBA, rookie Olivia Miles is leading the Minnesota Lynx to a 31–9 record, and the league looks to dethrone the Las Vegas Aces, who have won three of the last four championships. Plus, on Sept. 13, the US struck gold, defeating France 97–79 to win the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. 

All of this happened in one summer, and it was incredible. As both college and professional football gets underway, let us not forget how sensational the last three months have been, and let us hope that the fall continues the trend of extraordinary sports in 2026.

Max Forstein can be reached at mforstein@wesleyan.edu.