The 25 Gutsiest Performances in Sports History

From Willis Reed's Game 7 appearance to MJ's Flu Game.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Game 6 of the NBA Finals was a classic, and both the Heat and the Spurs are banged up. Dwyane Wade is playing through a bum knee, and Tony Parker's hamstring injury has limited his trademark quickness at times, but was able to hit a monster three last night. Both are digging deep and gutting it out this series, but how does that stack up against Willis Reed taking the floor for Game 7 of the 1970 Finals with a torn leg muscle? Or Muhammad Ali boxing with a broken jaw? Wade and Parker may have nagging leg injuries, but these 25 athletes demonstrated tremendous toughness and valor to play through extreme injuries to try and help their team win. Check out the 25 Gutsiest Performances In Sports History.

25. Terry Butcher's Butchered Head

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24. Gregory Campbell Finishes His Shift

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23. Cesc Fabregas One-Legged Penalty

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22. Franz Beckenbauer's Sling Game

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21. Dez Bryant Torches The Saints With A Broken Finger

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20. Chris Simms Loses His Spleen

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19. Mateen Cleaves' NCAA Title

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18. Ronnie Lott Gets Amputated

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17. Ally Maxwell's Gut-Check

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16. Byron Leftwich Literally Carried Downfield

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15. Willis Reed Hobbles Out of the MSG Tunnel

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14. Philip Rivers' Torn ACL

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13. Bert Trautmann's Loses His Neck For The Cup

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12. Kerri Strug's Gold Medal

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11. Emmitt Smith Beats the Giants With One Arm

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10. Curt Schilling's Bloody Sock

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9. Kirk Gibson's Walk-Off World Series Home Run

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8. Tiger Woods' 2008 U.S. Open Title

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7. Bob Baun's Broken Ankle

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6. Steve Yzerman's One-Legged Stanley Cup

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5. Muhammad Ali Fights Through A Broken Jaw

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4. Michael Jordan's Flu Game

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3. Jack Youngblood's Broken Leg Playoff Performance

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2. Joe Montana Fights Off Hypothermia

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1. Niki Lauda's Burned Face

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