20 years of sports, in 20 striking photos

The New York Mets' Mike Piazza rounds the bases after hitting a game-winning home run in New York's first baseball game after the September 11 attacks.

(AP Photo/Jeff Zelevansky, File, September 2001)

Tom Brady celebrates with Bill Belichick after the New England Patriots' victory in Super Bowl XXXVI, the franchise's first-ever championship.

(JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images, February 2002)

Serena Williams celebrates her first Wimbledon victory, a defeat of her sister, Venus Williams.

(Clive Brunskill/Getty Images, July 2002)

The Washington Wizards' Michael Jordan scores the final point of his career on a free throw in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

(REUTERS/Gary Hershorn, April 2003)

LeBron James shakes hands with then-NBA Commissioner David Stern after being selected first overall in the NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

(REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/Files, June 2003)

The Boston Red Sox celebrate the franchise's first World Series victory since 1918, a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals.

(Stephen Dunn/Getty Images, October 2004)

Italy's Marco Materazzi falls after being head-butted by France's Zinedine Zidane during the 2006 World Cup final.

(REUTERS/Peter Schols/GPD/Handout, July 2006)

New York Giants receiver David Tyree catches a third-down pass against his helmet during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLII.

(AP Photo/Gene Puskar, February 2008)

Michael Phelps reacts after winning his seventh gold medal of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

(MARTIN BUREAU/AFP via Getty Images)

Jamaica's Usain Bolt sets a world record in the 100 meters at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin.

(FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images, August 2009)

Fans protest the NHL lockout outside the league's offices in midtown Manhattan.

(Allison Joyce/Getty Images, December 2012)

Auburn cornerback Chris Davis returns a missed field goal attempt 109 yards to score the game-winning touchdown over Alabama in the annual Iron Bowl.

(AP Photo/Dave Martin, File, November 2013)

The New England Patriots' Malcolm Butler intercepts a pass intended for the Seattle Seahawks' Ricardo Lockette to seal the Patriots' victory in Super Bowl XLIX.

(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports, February 2015)

Simone Biles competes on the balance beam during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

(Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images, August 2016)

The NHL's Vegas Golden Knights, the first major professional sports franchise to be based in Las Vegas, are announced.

(Ethan Miller/Getty Images, November 2016)

Tiger Woods celebrates after sinking his final putt to win the Masters in Augusta, Georgia.

(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images, April 2019)

The Toronto Raptors' Kawhi Leonard and the Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid watch Leonard's game-winning basket drop in game seven of a second-round playoff game.

(John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports, May 2019)

People gather around a memorial for Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles following the former Laker's death in a helicopter crash.

(APU GOMES/AFP via Getty Images, January 2020)

The Utah Jazz's Rudy Gobert reacts to a call during a game against the Toronto Raptors — his last before his positive COVID-19 test would lead to the suspension of the 2019-20 NBA season.

(Russell Isabella-USA TODAY Sports, March 2020)

The Gonzaga Bulldogs' Jalen Suggs shoots a game-winning three-pointer in overtime to defeat UCLA during the 2021 NCAA Final Four semifinal.

(Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images, April 2021)**See the past 20 years, in 20 striking photos**