There are many players in the sports world who excelled in 2016, like LeBron James, Usain Bolt and Peyton Manning. But there are also players whose names were expected to be mentioned in the same breath who didn’t perform up to expectations. Here are 5 players who disappointed their fans in 2016.
Stephen Curry. The Splash Brother won his second-consecutive MVP Award, the first ever to do so unanimously, for the 2015-2016 NBA season. He also led the Golden State Warriors to 73 wins, breaking an NBA record set by Michael Jordan and the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls. The Warriors also led the Cleveland Cavaliers 3-1 in the 2016 NBA Finals. Then Curry and The Warriors made the wrong kind of history, becoming the first NBA team ever to blow a 3-1 lead in the finals, breaking the hearts of Dub Nation.
Cam Newton. After leading the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl and winning the NFL MVP Award, much was anticipated from Cam Newton in the 2016 season. But Cam and the Panthers disappointed from the start, losing five of their first six games before being eliminated from the playoffs. Cam was even benched earlier this month! At 6-9, the Panthers may lose 10 games this season after going 15-1 last year.
Bernard Hopkins. The Executioner is one of the greatest boxers of the last two and half decades, defeating the likes of Roy Jones, Jr and Oscar De La Hoya. But after winning at the age of 49 in 2014, Hopkins decided to take on the undefeated Father Time. As if losing the last two fights of his career wasn’t enough, his final fight earlier this month saw him get knocked out of the ring. Thankfully, we still have memories of the masterful boxer who overcame imprisonment to become a legend in the ring. Let’s hope Father Time left Hopkins his memories, as well.
Kevin Durant. The former NBA MVP and four-time NBA scoring champion was on the verge of heading to his second NBA Finals, as he and the Oklahoma City Thunder led the Golden State Warriors 3-1 in the 2016 Western Conference Finals. Not only did he lose three in a row to the Warriors, less than two months later, he joined them when he signed as a free agent, incurring the scorn of NBA pundits and fans alike.
Darrelle Revis. There was a time when the best cornerback in the NFL played for the New York Jets. The 2016 NFL season proved that Father Time is always a wide open receiver on Revis Island. Whatever lost island the former shut-down cornerback was on this season exposed that Revis will probably have to move to safety next season – or retire.
