Events in Sport
- Jan 1 Dutchman Michael van Gerwen wins his 3rd PDC World Darts Championship; beats Englishman Michael Smith 7-3 at the Alexandra Palace in London
Event of Interest
Jan 1 Level at 1-1 in Hopman Cup tennis tie, Roger Federer and Serena Williams (combined 43 major singles titles) matchup in deciding mixed doubles; with team mate Belinda Bencic, Federer wins 4-2, 4-3 for 2-1 Swiss victory over US
Serena Williams
Roger Federer
- Jan 2 United States international Christian Pulisic becomes the most expensive American soccer player when he moves from Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea for £58; remains at Dortmund on loan until the end of the season
- Jan 4 Indian cricket batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara scores 193 and Rishabh Pant 159no as the tourists declare at 622/7 on Day 2 of 4th Test against Australia in Sydney; Pant, first Indian wicketkeeper to hit a century in Australia
Event of Interest
Jan 5 Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: Swiss pair Roger Federer & Belinda Bencic clinch 2-1 win over Germany; beat Angelique Kerber & Alexander Zverev 4-0, 1-4, 4-3; Switzerland's 4th event success
Roger Federer
NBA Record
Jan 5 Golden State and Sacramento combine for 41 3-pointers in Warriors' 127-123 win; set new NBA record for 3s in a game; Stephen Curry hits 10 triples while Buddy Hield leads Kings with 8, Justin Jackson adds 5
Stephen Curry
- Jan 7 Rain ruins last 2 days of 4th cricket Test in Sydney as India wins series 2-1; become first Asian side to win a Test series in Australia, 71 years after the first Indian touring team in 1947-48
Event of Interest
Jan 13 Lionel Messi scores for FC Barcelona in 3-0 win over Eibar, his 400th goal in La Liga; becomes first player to reach mark in just one of Europe's top 5 leagues; Cristiano Ronaldo had 409 in Spain, England & Italy
Lionel Messi
- Jan 13 Houston guard James Harden scores 38 points in Rockets' 116-108 loss to Orlando; 16th straight game with 30+ points matching Kobe Bryant's NBA record streak; also goes 1 for 17 from 3-point arc, tying record for most misses
- Jan 16 Golden State Warriors break 2 franchise records in 142-111 win over Denver Nuggets; in 1st quarter, record 10 three-point field goals on way to franchise best 51 points in the period
- Jan 16 Golden State guard Stephen Curry first player in NBA history to hit 8+ three-point FGs in 3 consecutive games; goes 9-of- 17 three's in Warriors' 147-140 win over New Orleans; teams combine for NBA record 43 3-pointers
- Jan 16 Houston guard James Harden becomes first player to score 55+ points in back-to-back NBA games since Wilt Chamberlain (1962); scores 58 in 145-142 OT loss to Brooklyn; 18 straight games with 30+ points
- Jan 20 NFC Championship, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans: Los Angeles Rams beat New Orleans Saints, 26-23 OT
- Jan 20 AFC Championship, Arrowhead Stadium, KC: New England Patriots beat Kansas City Chiefs, 37-31 OT
Hall of Fame
Jan 21 Li Na of China becomes first Asian player to be elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame; joins Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Mary Pierce of France as Class of 2019 inductees
Li Na
Mary Pierce
- Jan 21 Golden State guard Klay Thompson sets an NBA record by making his first 10 attempts from 3-point range as the Warriors beat the LA Lakers, 130-111; Thompson scores 44 points
- Jan 24 Search for missing Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala is called off after rescuers fail to find aircraft that disappeared from radar over English Channel 3 days earlier; search resumes funded by soccer community donations; wreckage discovered Feb 3
Australian Open Women's Tennis
Jan 26 Australian Open Women's Tennis: Naomi Osaka becomes world #1 ranked player with 7-6, 5-7, 6-4 win over Petra Kvitová of the Czech Republic; first Japanese player to win Australian singles title
Naomi Osaka
- Jan 26 64th NHL All Star Games, SAP Centre, San Jose, CA: Metropolitan All Stars win four-team, 3-on-3 tournament; MVP: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins, C
Australian Men's Tennis Open
Jan 27 Australian Open Men's Tennis: Novak Đoković of Serbia wins his record 7th Australian singles title; beats Spaniard Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 6-3
Novak Đoković
Rafael Nadal
NFL Pro Bowl
Jan 27 NFL Pro Bowl, Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL: AFC beats NFC, 26-7: MVPs: Patrick Mahomes, KC Chiefs, QB; Jamal Adams, NY Jets, S
Patrick Mahomes
- Jan 29 In the aftermath to a wild ending to UFC 229, Khabib Nurmagomedov ($500k & 9 months) and Conor McGregor ($50k & 6 months) are issued fines and suspensions; bans retroactive to October 6, 2018
- Jan 31 Blockbuster NBA trade: NY Knicks send Kristaps Porziņģis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee & Trey Burke to Dallas Mavericks for Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews & 2 future 1st-round picks
- Feb 3 Super Bowl LIII, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA: New England Patriots beat Los Angeles Rams, 13-3; MVP: Julian Edelman, NE Patriots, WR; Patriots' 6th SB victory
- Feb 8 Fire at Ninho de Urubu football training center for Flamengo football club, Rio de Janeiro, kills 10
- Feb 10 The eight centrally owned and operated team Alliance of American Football gets underway; Orlando Apollos beat Atlanta Legends, 40-6 at Spectrum Stadium, Orlando, FL
- Feb 14 OKC guard Russell Westbrook makes a triple-double (44 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists) in an NBA record 11th consecutive game as the Thunder go down, 131-122 in New Orleans
- Feb 16 Needing 78 for an unlikely victory, Sri Lanka's Kusal Perera 153no and Vishwa Fernando 6no put on a record 10th wicket stand for a 1 wicket win vs South Africa in the 1st cricket Test in Durban
- Feb 17 NBA All Star Game, Spectrum Centre, Charlotte, NC: Team LeBron beats Team Giannis, 178-164; MVP: Kevin Durant GS Warriors, F
Daytona 500
Feb 17 61st Daytona 500: Joe Gibbs Racing goes 1-2-3; Denny Hamlin holds off reigning Cup Series champion Joey Logano and teammate Kyle Busch to win his 2nd Great American Race
Joe Gibbs
- Feb 18 NHL hockey team Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon agrees to invest $250 million into the Alliance of American Football; named new chairman of the AAF
Event of Interest
Feb 18 Laureus World Sports Awards, Monte-Carlo Sporting, Monaco: Sportsman: Novak Đoković; Sportswoman: Simone Biles; Team: French Men's National Football team
Simone Biles
Novak Đoković
- Feb 19 Four-time MLB All-Star at 3B Manny Machado agrees to the biggest free-agent contract in American sports history, a 10 year deal worth $300 million with the San Diego Padres
Event of Interest
Feb 22 Robert Kraft, owner of NFL team the New England Patriots, charged with soliciting prostitution, as part of human-trafficking sting operation in Jupiter, Florida
Robert Kraft
- Feb 23 Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi scores the 50th hat-trick of his career as Barcelona beats Sevilla, 4-2 in the Spanish La Liga
- Feb 23 Sri Lanka becomes first Asian cricket team to clinch a Test series in South Africa chasing down 197 in the 2nd Test in Port Elizabeth; Kusal Mendis 84no, Oshada Fernando 75no
- Feb 23 Roy Hodgson overtakes Sir Bobby Robson as the oldest man to manage a Premier League football club when at 71 years, 198 days his Crystal Palace beats Leicester City, 4-1
- Feb 25 James Harden's scoring streak of games with at least 30 points ends at 32 as he scores 28 in the Rockets' 119-111 win over Atlanta in Houston; 2nd longest mark in NBA history
- Mar 2 37-year-old Swiss 20-time Grand Slam tennis champion Roger Federer beats Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4 to win his 100th ATP Tour title at the Dubai Championships
- Mar 2 Australian wonder horse Winx sets world record for Group 1 wins in the Chipping Norton Stakes in Sydney; stretches unbeaten run to 31 races, and her 23rd in the highest class of thoroughbred racing
Event of Interest
Mar 6 LeBron James scores his 32,293rd point in the 2nd quarter of a Lakers' 115-99 loss to Denver in LA to pass Michael Jordan into 4th place on the NBA all-time point scoring list
LeBron James
- Mar 8 US national women's soccer team sue for equal pay by filing a federal gender discrimination lawsuit against United States Soccer Federation
- Mar 13 Australian cricketers beat India by 35 runs in Delhi to win ODI series, 3-2; first Australian team to recover from 0-2 in a 5-match series; Usman Khawaja 100, Adam Zampa 3/46
- Mar 17 Wales beats Ireland, 25-7 at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff to clinch the Six-Nations Rugby Championship and Grand Slam; Welsh fly-half Gareth Anscombe kicks 6 penalties and a conversion
- Mar 17 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland wins biggest cheque in golf ($2.25m) by 1 stroke from Jim Furyk
- Mar 18 40-year old Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki overtakes Wilt Chamberlain to go 6th with 31,424 points on the NBA scorers' list; Mavs suffer 129-125 OT loss to New Orleans Pelicans
- Mar 19 Houston Rockets guard James Harden becomes first player in NBA history to score at least 30 points against all 29 opponents in a single season with 31 in a 121-105 win over the Atlanta Hawks
- Mar 21 Japanese baseball right fielder Ichiro Suzuki finishes his career with a record 4,367 base hits (NPB & MLB) as Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland A's, 5-4 in Tokyo, Japan
- Mar 24 New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski announces retirement as 3-time Super Bowl winner, TE postseason record, most receptions (81), receiving yards (1,163) and receiving TDs (12)
- Mar 24 2-time American League MVP Mike Trout signs the biggest contract in North American sports history, a $426.5 million, 12-year extension with the Los Angeles Angels
- Apr 2 OKC guard Russell Westbrook becomes 2nd player in NBA history to have 20+ points, rebounds and assists in a game; records 20-20-21 in 119-103 win over LA Lakers
- Apr 3 San Antonio coach Geg Popovich is ejected after an NBA record low 63 seconds in the Spurs 113-85 loss in Denver; receives 2 technical fouls in a verbal confrontation with a referee
- Apr 5 OKC guard Russell Westbrook becomes first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for the third consecutive season during the Thunder's 123-110 win at home over Detroit Pistons
- Apr 6 Tampa Bay Lightning beats Boston Bruins, 6-3 in the season finale for their 62nd regular season win, tying the NHL record held by Detroit Red Wings (1995-96); 128 points, 4th in NHL history
- Apr 7 ANA Inspiration Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Ko Jin-young wins her first major title by 3 strokes over fellow South Koran Lee Mi-hyang
- Apr 7 38th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Baylor beats Notre Dame, 82-81; Lady Bears' point guard Chloe Jackson, 26 points
NBA Record
Apr 7 Retiring NBA legends Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas) and Dwyane Wade (Miami) play their final home games, both victories; Magic Johnson sensationally quits as LA Lakers president of basketball operations; Houston Rockets convert NBA record 27 three-point field goals in 149-113 win over Phoenix
Magic Johnson
- Apr 8 81st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Virginia beats Texas Tech, 85-77 OT; Cavaliers first ever National title; forward De'Andre Hunter, 27 points
- Apr 12 Melbourne captain Cameron Smith becomes highest point scorer in Australian Rugby League history; 49th minute penalty in Storm's 18-12 win over North Queensland in Townsville takes him to 2,420; Hazem El Masri, 2,418
- Apr 13 Gregg Popovich surpasses Lenny Wilkens to became the all-time winningest coach in NBA history with his 1,413th win as San Antonio Spurs beat Denver Nuggets, 101-96 in Western Conference Playoffs
US Masters Golf
Apr 14 83rd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Tiger Woods wins his 5th Masters title by 1 stroke from Xander Schauffele, Dustin Johnson & Brooks Koepka; Woods' 15th major and first in 11 years
Tiger Woods
- Apr 15 123rd Boston Marathon: Lawrence Cherono of Kenya wins in 2:07:58, just 0.1s ahead of Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisa; Worknesh Degefa of Ethiopia is women's champion in 2:23.31
- Apr 15 Los Angeles Clippers overcome an NBA record 31-point deficit to score an improbable 135-131 Game 2 playoff victory over the Golden State Warriors in Oakland; shooting guard Lou Williams 36 points
- Apr 15 3 days after winning Hobey Baker Award as top player in college hockey, Cale Makar becomes first defenceman to score in his NHL debut during the playoffs in Colorado's 6-2 Game 3 win over Calgary
- Apr 16 Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson becomes the highest-paid player in NFL history with a 4-year $140m extension including record $65m signing bonus
- Apr 23 Southampton striker Shane Long scores fastest goal in English Premier League history when he nets after 7.69 seconds in 1-1 draw at Watford
- Apr 25 NFL Draft: Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray #1 pick by Arizona Cardinals
- Apr 28 American diver Victor Vescovo makes the deepest dive ever to the bottom of the Mariana trench at 10,927m (35,849ft), and finds a plastic bag
- May 1 Two-time South African Olympic champion runner Caster Semenya loses appeal against proposed rules to limit her testosterone levels; medically reducing levels the only way to continue competition
- May 1 Argentine forward Lionel Messi scores twice for his 600th goal for FC Barcelona in a 3-0 home win over Liverpool in a Champions League semi final
Event of Interest
May 4 Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez unifies a trio of middleweight world titles in a close, unanimous decision over Daniel Jacobs at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV
Canelo Álvarez
- May 4 145th Kentucky Derby: stewards disqualify first-across-the-line Maximum Security for interference; longshot Country House declared winner; first DQ in race history for race infraction
- May 6 Pablo Sandoval becomes second MLB player since 1900 to throw a scoreless outing, hit a home run and steal a base in the same game in SF Giants' 12-4 loss in Cincinnati; joins Christy Mathewson 1905
- May 9 English clubs create football history by taking all 4 final spots in Europe's 2 major competitions; Chelsea & Arsenal qualify in Europa Cup after 'miracle' Champions League wins for Liverpool & Spurs
- May 12 IPL Cricket Final, Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad: Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by 1 run; Jasprit Bumrah 2/14 (4); Indians' 4th title
- May 12 Manchester City beats Brighton, 4-1 to claim back-to-back English Premier League titles with 98 points, 1 ahead of runners-up, Liverpool
- May 13 The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, Greystone G &CC: Steve Stricker wins his first career major title by 6 strokes ahead of Billy Andrade, Paul Goydos & David Toms
- May 16 Brooks Koepka fires tournament record equalling, and course record 63 (-7) to lead the PGA Championship by 1 stroke after the 1st round at Bethpage Black, NY
- May 17 Brooks Koepka fires a 65 (-5) to set new record for lowest 36-hole score in a golf major at the PGA Championship at Bethpage State Park; 7 stroke lead is a 36-hole tournament record
- May 18 English FA Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London (85,854): Gabriel Jesus & Raheem Sterling each score twice as Manchester City thrash Watford, 6-0, completing an unprecedented domestic treble
- May 18 144th Preakness: War of Will with Tyler Gaffalione aboard wins for trainer Mark E. Casse by a nose from Everfast
- May 19 PGA Championship Men's Golf, Bethpage State Park: Defending champion Brooks Koepka leads wire-to-wire; wins despite 5 bogeys on last 8 holes by 2 strokes from world #1 Dustin Johnson
- May 19 Sprinter Dutee Chand comes out as India's first openly gay professional athlete
- May 26 Indianapolis 500: 2016 IndyCar Series champion Simon Pagenaud of France finishes just two-tenths of a second ahead of Alexander Rossi
- Jun 1 Mexican-American boxer Andy Ruiz Jr produces a huge upset when he stops English champion Anthony Joshua in 7 at Madison Square Garden; wins IBF, WBO, IBO and WBA world heavyweight titles
- Jun 1 UEFA Champions League Final, Madrid: Liverpool beats Tottenham, 2-0 for Reds' 6th title
- Jun 2 US Open Women's Golf, CC of Charleston: Lee Jeong-eun of South Korea wins her first major title; beats runners-up Lexi Thompson, Agel Yin and Ryu So-yeon by 2 strokes
- Jun 3 MLB Draft: Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman first pick by Baltimore Orioles
- Jun 4 SF MLB manager Bruce Bochy reaches 1,000 win mark with the club as Giants beat Mets, 9-3 in NYC; second after legendary John McGraw to reach milestone
- Jun 8 French Open Women's Tennis: Australian Ashleigh Barty beats Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova 6-1, 6-3 to win her first Grand Slam singles title
French Open Men's Tennis
Jun 9 French Open Men's Tennis: Rafael Nadal beats Austrian Dominic Thiem 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1; 3rd straight French singles title; 12th overall; first to win 12 singles titles at same Grand Slam; 18th major
Rafael Nadal
- Jun 12 Stanley Cup Final, TD Garden, Boston, MA: St. Louis Blues beat Boston Bruins, 4-1 for a 4-3 series victory; first title in franchise history
- Jun 13 NBA Finals: Toronto Raptors beat defending champion Golden State Warriors, 114-110 to win franchise's first Championship; last game at Oracle Arena, Oakland; Kawhi Leonard MVP
- Jun 15 In a blockbuster NBA trade, the New Orleans Pelicans send forward Anthony Davis to the LA Lakers for Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart & 3 future 1st round draft picks including 2019 #4
- Jun 16 US Open Men's Golf, Pebble Beach GL: American Gary Woodland claims his first major title with a 3 stroke victory over defending champion Brooks Koepka
- Jun 16 24 Hours of Le Mans: 2-time World F1 champion Fernando Alonso along with Swiss driver Sébastien Buemi and Japan's Kazuki Nakajima win back-to-back titles for Toyota Gazoo Racing
- Jun 18 England cricket captain Eoin Morgan smashes a ODI world record 17 sixes against Afghanistan in his side's 150-run World Cup victory at Old Trafford; Morgan, 148 from 71 balls
- Jun 20 NBA Draft: Duke power forward Zion Williamson first pick by New Orleans Pelicans
- Jun 21 NHL Draft: US NTDP center Jack Hughes first pick by New Jersey Devils
Deaths in Sport
- Jan 5 Dragoslav Šekularac, Serbian footballer, dies at 81
- Jan 11 J. D. Gibbs, American auto racer, team owner (Joe Gibbs Racing), dies of degenerative neurological disease at 49
- Jan 12 Bob Kuechenberg, American NFL guard (6-time Pro Bowl, Miami Dolphins), dies of a heart attack at 71
- Jan 13 Mel Stottlemyre, American baseball pitcher and coach (5-time MLB All Star), dies of cancer at 77
- Jan 18 Glen Wood, American auto racer, team owner (Wood Bros Racing), dies at 93
- Jan 27 Peter Magowan, American businessman, MLB owner (SF Giants), dies of liver cancer at 76
- Jan 29 Andy Hebenton, Canadian NHL right wing (record 630 consecutive games; NY Rangers, Boston Bruins), dies at 89
- Feb 1 Wade Wilson, American NFL quarterback (Super Bowl 1995, Dallas Cowboys; Pro Bowl 1988, Minnesota Vikings), dies of complications from Type 1 Diabetes at 60
- Feb 3 Matti Nykänen, Finnish ski jumper (4 Olympic gold 1984, 88), dies of diabetes complications at 55
- Feb 3 Bob Friend, American baseball pitcher (4-time MLB All Star), dies from cardiac arrest at 88
- Feb 7 Frank Robinson, American Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder, manager (MVP 1961-NL 1966-AL), dies of bone cancer at 83
- Feb 12 Gordon Banks, English soccer goalkeeper (World Cup 1966, 73 England caps), dies of kidney cancer at 81
- Feb 15 Gene Littler, American golfer (1961 US Open, 29 PGA Tour titles), dies at 88
- Feb 16 Don Bragg, American pole vaulter (Olympic gold 1960), dies of results of stroke at 83
- Feb 18 T. J. Cunningham, American NFL safety (Seattle Seahawks), dies at 46
- Feb 19 Don Newcombe, American baseball pitcher (4-time MLB All Star), dies at 92
- Feb 27 Bill Playle, New Zealand cricket batsman (8 Tests), dies at 80
- Mar 1 Eusebio Pedroza, Panamanian boxer (WBA featherweight champion 1978-85), dies of pancreatic cancer at 62
Ted Lindsay
Mar 4 Ted Lindsay, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame left wing (Art Ross Trophy 1950, NHL Players Association pioneer), dies at 93
Ted Lindsay
- Mar 7 Kelly Catlin, American road cyclist (Olympic silver 2016, World C'ship gold 2016-18), dies from suicide at 23
- Mar 9 Harry Howell, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame defenceman (NY Rangers 1952-69), dies of dementia at 86
- Mar 11 Willie Ellison, American NFL running back (Pro Bowl 1971; LA Rams, KC Chiefs), dies at 73
- Mar 12 Alan Moss, English cricket fast bowler (9 Tests, 21 wickets; Middlesex CCC), dies at 88
- Mar 14 Charles Whiting, English Formula 1 Race Director (Safety Delegate, Starter, head F1 Technical Dep't), dies of a pulmonary embolism at 66
- Mar 14 Jake Phelps, American skateboarder, journalist (editor Thrasher magazine), dies at 56
- Mar 15 Lam Jones, American athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 100m relay 1976) and NFL wide receiver (NY Jets 1980-86), dies of myeloma at 60
- Mar 20 Randy Jackson, American baseball third baseman (MLB All Star 1954,55; Chicago Cubs), dies of pneumonia at 93
- Mar 25 Cal Ramsey, American basketball broadcaster, small forward (NY Knicks), dies of cardiac arrest at 81
- Mar 27 Bruce Yardley, Australian cricket spin bowler and coach (33 Tests, 126 wickets; coach Sri Lanka), dies from cancer at 71
- Mar 27 Joe Bellino, American College Football Hall of Fame halfback (Heisman Trophy 1960, Navy), dies of stomach cancer at 81
- Apr 4 Myer Skoog, American basketball guard (NBA C'ship 1952-4; Minneapolis Lakers), dies at 92
- Apr 9 Marilynn Smith, American golfer, co-founder LPGA (Titleholders Championship 1963-64), dies at 89
- Apr 12 Forrest Gregg, American Pro Football Hall of Fame tackle, coach (9-time Pro Bowl; Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys), dies of Parkinson's disease at 85
- Apr 14 John MacLeod, American basketball coach (NBA Phoenix Suns 1973-87), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 81
- Apr 15 Don Perry, Canadian NHL coach (LA Kings 1982-84), dies at 89
- Apr 22 Billy McNeill MBE, Scottish soccer defender (29 caps; Celtic) and manager (Celtic, Manchester City, Aston Villa), dies from dementia at 79
- Apr 25 John Havlicek, Basketball Hall of Fame guard (8-time NBA champion, Boston Celtics; 13-time NBA All Star), dies of Parkinson's disease at 79
- Apr 29 Gino Marchetti, Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end (Pro Bowl x 11), dies of pneumonia at 93
- Apr 30 Mike Doyle, American surfer (World C'ship 1964 runner-up; World Tandem Champion 1965, 67), dies of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at 78
- May 2 Red Kelly, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame center, coach; politician (Toronto Maple Leafs), dies at 91
- May 6 Seymour Nurse, Barbadian cricketer (prolific WI batsman, 258 v NZ 1969), dies at 85
- May 11 Harold Lederman, American boxing judge & analyst (HBO), dies of cancer at 79
- May 20 Niki Lauda, Austrian auto racer (F1 world champ 1975, 77, 84), dies of kidney problems at 70
- May 26 Bart Starr, American Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback, coach (Green Bay Packers), dies of effects of stroke at 85
- May 27 Bill Buckner, American MLB 1st baseman (1986 World Series infamous fielding error; NL batting champ 1980), dies of dementia at 69
- Jun 1 José Antonio Reyes, Spanish soccer left wing (Spain 21 caps; Sevilla, Atlético Madrid, Arsenal), dies in a car crash at 35
- Jun 2 Lowell North, American yachtsman (Olympic Gold 1968) and sailmaker (North Sails), dies at 89
- Jun 4 Lennart Johansson, Swedish soccer administrator (President Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) 1990–2007), dies at 89
- Jun 24 Rod Funseth, American golfer (US Masters runner-up 1978), dies from cancer at 52
- Jun 25 Ken Behring, American real estate developer, NFL team owner, philanthropist (Seattle Seahawks), dies at 91
- Jul 10 Jim Bouton, American baseball pitcher, author and broadcaster (NY Yankees, MLB All Star 1968, "Ball Four"), dies of cerebral amyloid angiopathy at 80
- Jul 10 Walt Michaels, American NFL linebacker, coach (5-time Pro Bowl; Cleveland Browns; head coach NY Jets 1977-82), dies at 89
- Jul 14 Pernell Whitaker, American boxer (Olympic gold 1984, 4-division world champion), dies when hit by a vehicle at 55
- Jul 16 Pat Bowlen, American Pro Football Hall of Fame team owner (Denver Broncos), dies of complications of Alzheimer's disease at 75
- Jul 20 Peter McNamara, Australian tennis player (Australian Open doubles 1979, Wimbledon doubles 1980, 82), dies of prostate cancer at 64
- Jul 30 Nick Buoniconti, American NFL linebacker (Miami Dolphins) and sportscaster (NBC), dies at 78
- Aug 14 Reg Scarlett, West Indian cricket off-spinner (3 Tests 1960), dies at 84
- Aug 16 Felice Gimondi, Italian road cyclist (Tour de France 1965; Giro d'Italia 1967, 69, 76; Vuelta a España 1968), dies of heart attack at 76
- Aug 16 Jim Hardy, American NFL quarterback (LA Rams; Pro Bowl 1950), dies at 96
- Aug 20 Russ Conway, American sports journalist (Eagleson NHL scandal), dies of heart disease at 70
- Aug 22 Bobby Dillon, American NFL defensive back (second to record 50 interceptions), dies of dementia at 89
- Aug 25 Pál Benkő, Hungarian-American chess player, author (Grandmaster; record 8 US Open Championships), dies at 91
- Aug 25 Vince Naimoli, American businessman and MLB team owner (Tampa Bay Devil Rays), dies of progressive supranuclear palsy at 81
- Aug 27 Jessi Combs, American auto racer, television personality (women’s land speed class record [4 wheels] 2013, 16), dies in jet-powered high-speed race car crash at 39
- Aug 29 Randy Romero, American jockey (Breeder's Cup 1987-89; Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame 2010), dies from kidney and liver cancer at 61
- Sep 6 Abdul Qadir, Pakistan cricket spin bowler (67 Tests; 236 wickets; best 9/56 1987), dies of cardiac arrest at 63
- Sep 9 Brian Barnes, English golfer (Ryder Cup 1969-79), dies of cancer at 74
- Sep 14 John Ralston, American College Football Hall of Fame linebacker, coach and executive (Cal, Stanford, Denver Broncos), dies at 92
- Sep 15 Mike Stefanik, American auto racer (9 NASCAR Modified Championships), dies in a plane crash at 61
- Sep 18 Fernando Ricksen, Dutch soccer midfielder (12 caps; Glasgow Rangers), dies of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at 43
- Sep 20 Howard Cassady, American College Football Hall of Fame halfback (Heisman Trophy 1955, Ohio State; NFL C'ship 1957, Detroit Lions), dies at 85
- Oct 2 Bill Bidwill, American NFL team owner (Arizona Cardinals 1962-2019), dies at 88
- Oct 6 Masaichi Kaneda, Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (only Japanese pitcher to win 400 games; perfect game 1957), dies at 86
- Oct 9 Andrés Gimeno, Spanish tennis player (French Open 1972), dies from cancer at 82
- Oct 21 Willie Brown, American Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback, coach and executive (Super Bowl 1976, 80, 84; Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders), dies at 78
- Oct 23 Bernie Parrish, American NFL cornerback (Pro Bowl 1960, 63; Cleveland Browns; best-selling book, 'They Call It A Game'), dies of prostate cancer at 83
- Oct 26 Enriqueta Basilio, Mexican athlete (first woman to light the Olympic Cauldron, 1968), dies of pneumonia at 71
- Oct 28 Al Bianchi, American basketball guard, coach and general manager (Philadelphia 76ers, Virginia Squires; GM NY Knicks), dies from congestive heart failure at 87
- Oct 30 Ron Fairly, American baseball utility and broadcaster (MLB All Star 1973, 77; LA Dodgers, Montreal Expos; Seattle Mariners), dies from cancer at 81
- Oct 30 Don Fraser, American boxing promoter (LA venues; colourful wardrobe & offbeat PR gimmicks), dies at 92
- Nov 11 Zeke Bratkowski, American NFL quarterback and coach (Green Bay Packers), dies from a heart attack at 88
- Nov 20 Fred Cox, American NFL kicker (NFL champion 1969; Pro Bowl 1970; Minnesota Vikings all-time leading scorer), dies at 80
- Dec 1 Pat Sullivan, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Heisman Trophy 1971, Auburn University; NFL: Atlanta Falcons) and coach (TUC, Samford), dies from cancer at 69
- Dec 2 Francesco Janich, Italian soccer defender (6 caps; Bologna), dies at 82
- Dec 4 Bob Willis, English cricket fast bowler and captain (90 Tests, 325 wickets; 64 ODIs), dies of prostate cancer at 70
- Dec 4 Ockie Oosthuizen, South African rugby union front rower (9 caps; Transvaal), dies from cancer at 64
- Dec 6 Jo Ann Washam, American golfer (Women's PGA C'ship 1975 3rd; 3 LPGA Tour titles), dies at 69
- Dec 7 Chalmers "Bump" Elliott, American College Football Hall of Fame halfback and coach (U of Michigan) and college athletics administrator (Iowa), dies at 94
- Dec 7 Denis Lalanne, French sports journalist ('Le grand combat du XV de France'; 'Rugbymania: French flair attitude'), dies at 93
- Dec 7 Ron Saunders, English soccer striker (Portsmouth) and manager (Manchester City, Aston Villa, Birmingham City), dies at 87
- Dec 8 Rogério Pipi, Portuguese soccer forward (15 caps; Benfica), dies at 97
- Dec 10 Jim Smith, English soccer midfielder and manager (Birmingham City, QPR, Portsmouth, Derby County), dies at 79
- Dec 12 Peter Snell, New Zealand athlete (Olympic gold 800m 1960, 64; 1,500m 1964), dies of heart failure at 81
- Dec 12 Jorge Hernández, Cuban boxer Olympic gold light flyweight 1976; World C'ship gold 1974, 78), dies at 65
- Dec 12 Vaughan Johnson, American NFL linebacker (Pro Bowl 1989-92; New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles), dies of kidney disease at 57
- Dec 12 Brian Muller, New Zealand rugby union prop (14 caps; Taranaki), dies at 77
- Dec 13 Carl Scheer, American basketball executive (general manager Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers, Charlotte Hornets; inventor NBA Slam Dunk Contest), dies from complications of dementia at 82
- Dec 13 Yasuhiro Takai, Japanese baseball first baseman, designated hitter and broadcaster (NPB record 27 career pinch-hit home runs; Hankyu Braves), dies of kidney failure at 74
- Dec 16 Basil Butcher, West Indies cricket batsman (44 Tests; 3,104 runs @ 43.11), dies at 86
- Dec 17 Hayden Fry, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (SMU 1962-72, North Texas State University 1973-78, University of Iowa 1979-98), dies from cancer at 90