Sports in June are about MLB, the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup Final, Wimbledon, the U.S. Open Golf Championship, the Canadian Grand Prix, and track and field. June 16 has witnessed many notable sports moments and legendary accomplishments over the years, and these are some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Momentous sporting events that occurred on June 16 include:
- 1894: Helen Hellwig beat the defending champion, Aline Terry, to win the women’s singles tennis title at the U.S. National Championships.
- 1909: Baseballer Jim Thorpe made his professional pitching debut, which led to him being stripped of his two Olympic gold medals.
- 1916: Tom Hughes pitched a no-hitter against Pittsburgh.
- 1917: James Butwell won the Belmont Stakes aboard Hourless in 2:17:8.
- 1938: Jimmie Foxx was walked six times in an MLB game.
- 1945: Wayne D Wright won the Preakness Stakes riding Polynesian in 1:58:8
- 1946: Golfer Lloyd Mangrum won the U.S. Open, his only major title.
- 1957: Relief pitcher Dixie Howell hit two home runs in a game.
- 1974: Bjorn Borg won his first career Grand Slam title.
- 1975: The Bucks traded Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Walt Wesley to the Los Angeles Lakers for four players.
- 1978: Tom Seaver pitched a no-hitter against the Cardinals.
- 1979: Carl Yastrzemski achieved his 1,000th extra base hit.
- 1985: Athlete Willie Banks set a triple jump record of 58 feet and 11 inches.
- 1991: The Minnesota Twins won their 15th game in a row.
- 1993: Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 100th career home run.
- 1996: The Chicago Bulls beat the Seattle Supersonics 4-2 to win the NBA Championship.
- 1998: The Detroit Red Wings won their second consecutive Stanley Cup.
- 2002: Legendary golfer Tiger Woods won his second U.S. Open title, beating Phil Mickelson by three shots.
- 2013: Justin Rose won the U.S. Open Golf Championship, his first major title.
- 2015: The Golden State Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-2 to win the NBA Championship. It was the Warriors’ first title in 40 years, and Andre Iguodala was awarded NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.
- 2019: Toyota Gazoo Racing won the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race for the second year in a row.
- 2022: The Golden State Warriors beat the Boston Celtics 4-2 to secure the NBA Championship. It was the Warriors’ fourth title in eight years, and Steph Curry won the NBA Finals MVP award.
Looking back on these June 16 events, three athletes stand out: Griffey Jr., Brodeur, and Curry. Griffey Jr. is famous for his exceptional baseball talent — particularly his power hitting and defensive skills as a center fielder — and his iconic status as a “cool” athlete in the 1990s.
Brodeur is a highly celebrated figure in ice hockey, renowned for his exceptional goaltending skills and his impressive NHL career. Curry is famous for his exceptional basketball skills, particularly his three-point shooting, which is widely considered the greatest in NBA history.
