Craziest Sports Records That Will Never Be Broken 

They say that records are made to be broken, but some sports records will never be broken. 

The craziest sports records will stand the test of time. From the Boston Celtics’ eight straight NBA titles to Wayne Gretzky’s outrageous NHL points tally, the most remarkable sports records will surely last forever. 

Sports Hub has compiled a list of the most unbreakable sports records in history, because, why not? Let’s start with the most successful Olympian of all time. 

Michael Phelps’ 23 Olympic Gold Medals 

Michael Phelps possesses a whopping 23 Olympic gold medals – just let that sink in for a second. To put the swimmer’s achievements into perspective, his nearest challengers have nine gold medals. 

Between 2004 and 2016, Phelps dominated the Olympic pool. After winning six gold medals in Athens, the American claimed eight golds in Beijing before adding four more to his collection in London. Four years later in Rio de Janeiro, Phelps capped his Olympic career by securing five gold medals. 

Not only does Phelps hold the record for Olympic gold medals (23), but he also holds the records for most Olympic medals (28) and most gold medals in a single Olympics (8). These are sports records that will never be broken. 

Boston Celtics’ Eight Consecutive NBA Championships 

You cannot discuss the most unbreakable sports records without talking about the Boston Celtics’ eight successive National Basketball Association (NBA) titles between 1959 and 1966. 

Led by legendary coach Red Auerbach and all-time player Bill Russell, Boston ruled the NBA for an unparalleled period of time. On top of winning eight straight championships, the Celtics reached 12 NBA finals in 13 seasons between 1957 and 1969, underlining their dominance. 

Since then, the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers have each won three consecutive titles, but no team has come close to Boston’s record. 

Wayne Gretzky’s 2,857 NHL Points 

There’s a reason that Wayne Gretzky is known as “The Great One”. When you set some of the craziest sports records of all time, you deserve a fitting nickname. 

Between 1979 and 1999, Gretzky played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). During that period, the Canadian set and broke countless records, including the most career points in the NHL (2,857). 

Gretzky produced a ludicrous points-per-game average of 1.92, registering 894 goals and 1,963 assists. Jaromir Jagr – who is second on the NHL’s all-time points leaderboard – finished his career with a points-per-game average of 1.11. That tells you everything you need to know about Gretzky’s achievements. 

Cy Young’s 749 Complete MLB Games 

Major League Baseball (MLB) fans know that the annual award for the best pitcher is named after Cy Young. However, not all fans are aware of Young’s achievements during his playing days. 

Between 1890 and 1911, the former Boston, Cleveland and St. Louis pitcher racked up no fewer than 749 complete games in 815 starts, meaning he pitched the full nine innings in 91.9% of his starts across 22 seasons. 

Nowadays, MLB players have strict pitch counts to keep them fresh and prevent injury. For that reason, Young’s achievement of 749 complete games is undoubtedly among the greatest sports records that will never be broken. 

Simone Biles’ 23 World Gymnastics Championships Gold Medals 

Remarkably, Simon Biles has claimed a record 23 goal medals in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. To give you a sense of Simone Biles’ dominance, her closest rival – Svetlana Khorkina – has won nine. 

Biles secured her first World Championship golds back in 2013 aged just 16. Since then, the Ohioan has completely dominated the sport, picking up four gold medals at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. 

At the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Biles added four gold medals to her collection. Since she is only 26 at the time of writing, the gymnastics GOAT has plenty of time to bolster her silverware hoard. 

Lionel Messi’s Eight Ballon d’Ors 

Lionel Messi claimed the Ballon d’Or for an eighth time in 2023, putting distance between himself and arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won soccer’s most prestigious individual award on five occasions. 

Messi scooped four consecutive Ballon d’Ors between 2009 and 2012 before winning again in 2015. Following two more triumphs in 2019 and 2021, the Argentine reclaimed the crown after guiding his country to World Cup glory in Qatar. 

It is also worth noting that Messi finished second to Ronaldo in the Ballon d’Or voting on five occasions. If it weren’t for the Portuguese megastar, Messi would almost certainly have more titles to his name. 

More Unbreakable Sports Records 

The craziest sports records are difficult to believe, aren’t they? Fans enjoy watching their favorite teams and players every week, but we rarely see elite sports records set or broken. 

Of course, there are lots of other sports records that will never be broken. Before we sign off, here are some honorable mentions that deserve recognition. 

• Jerry Rice’s 22,895 NFL receiving yards 
• Wilt Chamberlain’s 50.4 PPG in a single NBA season 
• Rickey Henderson’s 1,406 MLB stolen bases 
• UConn Huskies’ 111-game winning streak in women’s NCAAB 
• Chicago Bears’ six ties in a single NFL season 
• Rogerio Ceni’s 128 goals scored as a goalkeeper 
• Tiger Woods’ 683 weeks as golf’s World No. 1 
• Rafael Nadal’s 14 French Open tennis titles 
• Richard Petty’s 27 wins in a single NASCAR season 
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 26-game NFL losing streak 
• Lance Armstrong’s seven consecutive Tour de France victories 
• Cristiano Ronaldo’s 128 international goals (and counting) 

If you enjoyed our list of the craziest sports records that will never be broken, be sure to return to Sports Hub for more content like this. Although we specialize in expert picks and predictions, we also love to look back on the achievements of sporting greats and relive memorable moments in history.