The year 2023 will go down as a historic year for numerous athletes around the world. While some will reminisce about the year with a sense of triumph and grandeur, others may harbour reservations regarding the unfolding of events in their respective sports and competitions.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen stand out as a few of the stars who can look back on the year with total satisfaction.
Conversely, the same cannot be said for other athletes such as Sadio Mane, who experienced a forceful departure from Bayern Munich, and Sergio Perez, who endured a tumultuous time in his RB19 F1 car for a significant portion of the racing season.
Nevertheless, rather than dwelling on the challenges that befell a host of athletes, FLOS aims to spotlight four exceptional athletes who graced the grandest stages throughout the course of 2023.
LeBron James
In Year 21 of his NBA career, LeBron James had himself a stellar year on a personal level with performances that further solidified his legendary status in basketball history.
As per his 2023 NBA Player Capsule, James had the 20th most impressive season in NBA history during the 2022-23 campaign. He maintained remarkable averages, scoring nearly 29 points, grabbing just over eight rebounds, and dishing out around seven assists per game as reported by ESPN.
Acting as the linchpin for the LA Lakers’ offense, he showcased exceptional defensive skills in critical moments, guiding his team to the Western Conference finals. Notably, he achieved the milestone of becoming the all-time leading scorer in the league, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and also secured the fourth spot in the all-time assists tally, all while being 38 years old. To cap off his achievements, the four-time Larry O’Brien trophy winner claimed victory in the inaugural NBA In-Season tournament and in quite some manner-claiming the tournament MVP awards for his heroics. Lebron is ageing like fine wine and is showing no signs of slowing down as we go into 2024.
Max Verstappen
The Dutchman has been the centrepiece of Red Bull Racing for the last few seasons now and has been a polarising figure on the track.
From an 18-year-old who replaced underfire Daniel Kyvat at the Spanish Grand Prix in 2016 to a three-time World Champion, Verstappen has indeed had an incredible F1 journey and particularly an utterly dominant 2023 season, one which has never been witnessed in the 73-year history of the sport.
The 26-year-old took things to a realm unseen, with a series of stellar performances, backed by impressive statistics His unwavering consistency saw him record a staggering 19 victories of the 22 races entered through the 2023 season.
AutoSport.com reported a historic milestone for Verstappen as he became the first driver in F1 history to lead over 1000 laps in a single season- precisely 1003 laps, while the combined laps led by the other 21 drivers amounted to 264.
To cap off his exceptional season, the Dutch driver graced the podium in every race except the Singapore Grand Prix, where he finished fifth due to a team setup error. Verstappen’s journey from a young replacement to rewriting F1 history with his 2023 season is a testament to his skill and dominance in the world of Formula 1. The Dutchman is officially on GOAT watch.
Novak Djokovic
The 2023 season for Novak Djokovic can now be officially recognized as one of his most outstanding years.
Starting from the Brisbane International in January and concluding with his representation of Serbia in the Davis Cup in November, it was a year marked by numerous achievements, even with the possibility of an elusive calendar Grand Slam within his grasp.
Although he fell short of emulating the records set by Rod Laver and Don Budge, Djokovic secured several significant milestones for himself. This includes surpassing Rafael Nadal to become the all-time leader in Grand Slam titles (24), as well as claiming the records for the most ATP finals titles (7) and ATP Masters titles (40) won. To crown it all, the 36-year-old also ensured he ended the year as number one on the ATP standings. These feats were even more impressive given the challenges posed by the fast-rising Carlos Alcaraz through the year.
Erling Haaland
The Norwegian goal- scoring machine enjoyed a record-breaking year..
The transfer from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022 appeared to do the 22-year-old a world of good.
Whilst his goal scoring exploits in Germany already gave him a solid reputation in Europe, only a handful of critics would have predicted that the young forward would take to the Premier League like a duck to water.
The year 2023 saw Haaland clinch the Premier League Golden Boot, the European Golden Shoe, and the Gerd Muller Trophy for his goalscoring success. With regards to club success, Haaland and Man City won the treble, including a first Champions League win in the club’s history. The Blues went on to add the Super Cup and the Club World Cup trophy to their cabinet following their comfortable 4-0 win over Fluminense– becoming the first English side to hold all 5 titles simultaneously.
His stellar performances also earned him the prestigious title of UEFA Men’s Player of the Year, along with a runner-up finish in the Ballon d’Or award.
Haaland currently leads the league in goals (14) in the 2023/2024 campaign and it is evident from his performances that he will continue to lead the Cityzens’ attack in the coming years and maintain his dominance as one of the most elite finishers in world football.
