Back to the Rumors Humor Newsfeed

The 10 Worst Mental Errors in Sports History

So many of the most iconic moments in sports are defined by mistakes, like Bill Buckner letting a ball go between his legs in the 1986 World Series. But we’ve come to expect that an athlete’s body may betray him, like Bucker or when Rory McIlroy shot a final-round 80 to blow a four-shot lead at the 2011 Masters. Mental errors—the kind that leave fans screaming “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” at their televisions—are much more agonizing.

That’s why J.R. Smith’s all-time blunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals makes you want to pull your hair out.