Within the next year, one of the most impressive records in sports history is likely to be broken. LeBron James needs just over 1,300 points to become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history by overtaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who set the mark in 1984 and finished his career with 38,387 points in total.
Moments like these are growing more and more rare, as some of the most hallowed records in sports history have been all but set in stone for decades. As America’s major sports leagues have grown and evolved, some of the most impressive achievements may never be equaled again.
To determine the longest standing unbreakable sports records, 24/7 Tempo reviewed NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL data from the Sports Reference family of sites. These single game, single season, and career records are set so far beyond the next closest competitor, they are unlikely to ever be broken.
Many of the records on this list are likely to stand the test of time because of changes in the game. MLB pitchers throw far fewer games in a typical season now than in the early days of the sport, so it seems unlikely any player will ever get close to the all-time record of 511 wins.
Other records featured may never be broken simply because the greatness of the record holder may never be matched. It is difficult to imagine that there would ever be another hockey player with the playmaking prowess of “The Great One,” Wayne Gretzky, or a basketball player as dominant as “The Big Dipper,” Wilt Chamberlain. Even the greatest contemporary players are a long way off from the records they established. These are the 40 most successful athletes of the 21st century.
Click here to see the longest standing unbroken sports records
1. Most Career Wins: Cy Young
> Record: 511 wins
> Team(s): Cleveland Spiders, Boston Americans
> Set in: 1911
> Next closest player: Walter Johnson: 417 wins
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2. Most Career Hat Tricks: Wayne Gretzky
> Record: 50 hat tricks
> Team(s): Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers
> Set in: 1997
> Next closest player: Mario Lemieux: 40 hat tricks
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3. Most Sacks in a Game: Derrick Thomas
> Record: 7 sacks
> Team(s): Kansas City Chiefs
> Set in: 1990
> Next closest player: four players tied: 6 sacks
4. Most Points in a Game: Wilt Chamberlain
> Record: 100 points
> Team(s): Philadelphia Warriors
> Set in: 1962
> Next closest player: Kobe Bryant: 81 points
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5. Most Career No-Hitters: Nolan Ryan
> Record: 7 no-hitters
> Team(s): California Angels, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros
> Set in: 1991
> Next closest player: Sandy Koufax: 4 no-hitters
6. Most Career Receiving Yards: Jerry Rice
> Record: 22,895 receptions
> Team(s): San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders
> Set in: 2004
> Next closest player: Larry Fitzgerald: 17,492 receptions
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7. Most Hits in a Season: Ichiro Suzuki
> Record: 262 hits
> Team(s): Seattle Mariners
> Set in: 2004
> Next closest player: George Sisler (1920): 257 hits
8. Fewest Points Per Game Allowed: 2000 Baltimore Ravens
> Record: 10.3 points per game
> Next closest team: 1986 Chicago Bears: 11.7 points per game
9. Most Career Hits: Pete Rose
> Record: 4,256 hits
> Team(s): Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies
> Set in: 1986
> Next closest player: Ty Cobb: 4,189 hits
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10. Most Passing Touchdowns in a Season: Peyton Manning
> Record: 55 passing TDs
> Team(s): Denver Broncos
> Set in: 2013
> Next closest player: Tom Brady: 50 passing TDs
11. Most Career Strikeouts: Nolan Ryan
> Record: 5,714 strikeouts
> Team(s): California Angels, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros
> Set in: 1993
> Next closest player: Randy Johnson: 4,875 strikeouts
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12. Most Blocks Per Game in a Season: Mark Eaton
> Record: 5.56 blocks per game
> Team(s): Utah Jazz
> Set in: 1984-1985
> Next closest player: Manute Bol: 4.96 blocks per game
13. Most Career Goals Per Game: Mike Bossy
> Record: 0.762 goals per game
> Team(s): New York Islanders
> Set in: 1987
> Next closest player: Mario Lemieux: 0.754 goals per game
14. Most Career Sacks: Bruce Smith
> Record: 200 sacks
> Team(s): Buffalo Bills, Washington Commanders
> Set in: 2003
> Next closest player: Reggie White: 198 sacks
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15. Most Career Stolen Bases: Rickey Henderson
> Record: 1,406 steals
> Team(s): Oakland A’s, New York Yankees
> Set in: 2003
> Next closest player: Ty Cobb: 938 steals
16. Most Career Rushing Yards: Emmitt Smith
> Record: 18,355 rushing yards
> Team(s): Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals
> Set in: 2004
> Next closest player: Walter Payton: 16,726 rushing yards
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17. Most Career Points: Wayne Gretzky
> Record: 2,857 points
> Team(s): Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers
> Set in: 1999
> Next closest player: Jaromir Jagr: 1,921 points
18. Most Points Per Game in a Season: Wilt Chamberlain
> Record: 50.4 points per game
> Team(s): Philadelphia Warriors
> Set in: 1961-1962
> Next closest player: Wilt Chamberlain: 44.8 points per game
19. Most Career Blocks: Hakeem Olajuwon
> Record: 3,830 blocks
> Team(s): Houston Rockets
> Set in: 2002
> Next closest player: Dikembe Mutombo: 3,289 blocks
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20. Most Games Played: Martin Brodeur
> Record: 1,266 games
> Team(s): New Jersey Devils
> Set in: 2015
> Next closest player: Roberto Luongo: 1,044 games
21. Most Consecutive Starts: Brett Favre
> Record: 297 starts
> Team(s): Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings
> Set in: 2010
> Next closest player: Jim Marshall: 270 starts
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