In my 18 years of life and breathing air, no year makes me look back with more nostalgia than 2016 does. This year was filled with great memories. The sports, trends, and music during 2016 was like no other. 2016 was one of the best years a nine year old could’ve lived in.
Sports
NBA
2016 might single handedly be the best year ever in sports. The NBA had some of the biggest moments out of any sport. To start things off, Kobe Bryant, one of the best players ever, ended his 20 year career and dropped 60 points. In the 2016 dunk contest, Zach Lavine and Aaron Gordon put on an absolute show. This was one of the most intense dunk contests ending with Zach Lavine winning. Last but not least, LeBron solidified himself at the ”GOAT.’’ LeBron led the Cavaliers in a three to one comeback versus Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors, in the NBA Finals.
NFL
The NFL season ended with Cam Newton, the 2016 MVP, and the Panthers going up against Peyton Manning and the Broncos in the Super Bowl. This was Peyton Manning’s last game of his legendary career and it ended with a bang. The Panthers were 17-1 going into the Super Bowl, and were heavy favorites. Peyton Manning led the Broncos to the Super Bowl win, and later ended his legendary career by retiring.
MLB
2016 was the best year the Chicago Cubs have had in 100+ years. Before this season, the Chicago Cubs were a laughing stock of the league, having not won a World Series since 1908. Being led by MVP Kris Bryant, and Anthony Rizzo, the Chicago Cubs had the best record in the MLB. They also ended up winning their first National League Central title since 2008. To cap the season off, the Cubs became the sixth team in MLB history, to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a World Series.
CFB
2016 ended with one of the best college football seasons in the twenty first century. The season ended with an absolute banger of a championship, with Clemson beating Alabama in the last seconds of the game. This game was a revenge game for Clemson, as Bama beat them in the year before. The best part of this season, for me as a Louisville fan, was Lamar Jackson winning the Heisman.
Trends
Bottle Flips
2016 arguably had the best trends of any year ever. These trends made going to school actually fun. It all starts with the bottle flips. Walking into any cafeteria, you would see kids flipping bottles left and right. It was so bad many schools banned bottle flips or let alone stop selling water bottles at lunch.
Fidget Spinners
Very similar, fidget spinners were everywhere. These small toys, the size of palms, would simply just spin. Kids would have fidget spinners collections and often bring them to school to compare their collection to other kid’s. It was every kid’s goal to buy the most unique and coolest spinner.
Dab
Lastly, the dab was everywhere. Whether it was in schools, sports, or entertainment it was no secret that the dab was the hottest dance move of the year. You would turn on the television and see MVP Cam Newton dabbing in the end zone after a touchdown. The dab was so big, it got multiple variations in the popular video game “Fortnite.’’
Entertainment
Jake Paul vs Logan Paul
Like I said earlier, 2016 was the year for a nine year old. I used to look forward to going home to watch the new Jake Paul or Logan Paul vlog. The two vloggers were by far the most famous brothers on YouTube, and also considered the face of YouTube.
Dude Perfect
Very similar, nothing got me more excited than group of five on YouTube, Dude Perfect. These dudes made trick shots cool and enjoyable. Kids my age were constantly trying to replicate their famous shots. These dudes were so famous, they ended up getting their own TV show.
Music
One of the best as parts of entertainment is music. 2016 had some bangers that were on repeat. For example, ”Ppap” by PIKOTARO was played all over with being as simple as “Pen Pineapple Apple Pen.” “Ppap” has nearly 500 million views on YouTube today. Another banger most kids today know is, “Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber. “Love Yourself” was the most played song of 2016.
