The Worst Curses in Sports History

With Lil B's famous curse on Kevin Durant still in effect, we take a look at the worst curses in the history of sports.

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Complex Original

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Curses: they're an idea that we occasionally attribute our bad luck to but, strangely enough, you'll more often hear about them in sports than in your everyday life. If a friend happens to trip and fall or gets their car dinged up or they break-up with their girlfriend, you usually won't hear them chalk it up to a curse. However, if it's the Cleveland Browns or Kevin Durant or the Chicago Cubs that we're talking about, then everything suddenly becomes a bit more supernatural. 

Indeed, whether it's the Curse of the Bambino or the Curse of the Billy Goat, sports fans have often turned to the inexplicable when trying to figure out why their team can't win it all. When the ball went through Bill Buckner's legs in the 1986 World Series, it wasn't because Buckner made a mistake, it was because the Red Sox had sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees all the way back in 1918. Does it make sense? No. But, again, this is sports that we're talking about. 

Of course, there's now a new curse upon us: The Based God Curse. And with Oklahoma City center Serge Ibaka now out for the playoffs, Lil B's powers over Kevin Durant appear to grow stronger with every game. But is it the worst curse? Take a look at The Worst Curses in Sports History and find out for yourself. 

 

15. The Curse of the Colonel

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14. The Andretti Curse

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13. The Curse of Coogan's Bluff

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12. The Socceroos' Witch Doctor Curse

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11. The Curse of Billy Penn

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10. The Curse of the Bambino

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9. The Curse of the Black Sox

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8. The Talladega Jinx

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7. The Based God's Curse

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Origin: Lil B's retaliation after Kevin Durant dissed him on Twitter
Teams/people involved: Kevin Durant
Year started: 2011

In the year that Kevin Durant managed to win his first MVP, you'd think that any talk about curses would be the last thing on the mind of any Durant observer, right? Unfortunately, so long as the Based God's curse continues to hang over Durant's head, it's all anyone will talk about when discuss the MVP's lack of championships. It all started in 2011 when Durant took to Twitter to diss Lil B's music. Displeased, the Based God placed a curse on Durant, effectively forbidding Oklahoma City from ever capturing a title while Durant was on their team.

In 2012, Lil B flip-flopped on the curse, lifting it from Durant's head and allowing prosperity to reign in OKC. However, during the 2014 All Star Game, the good times appeared to be over when the Based God tweeted, "AND FUCK KEVIN DURANT LIL B FOR LIFE - Lil B." And we even asked a fortune teller whether or not the curse was official.

With Serge Ibaka now sidelined for the playoffs and Oklahoma City's title chances dimming, it appears that the Based God Curse is indeed back. Better luck next year, KD.

6. The Sports Illustrated Cover Curse

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5. The Madden Curse

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4. The Curse of the Honey Bears

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3. The Curse of Chief Wahoo

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2. The Curse of Bobby Layne

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1. The Curse of the Billy Goat

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