Looking back four decades, it is hard not to marvel at the remarkable sports buffet New York City had in 1986. No matter where a fan’s loyalty lay, the city offered a season full of stars, drama and memorable postseason moments.
For baseball followers, the 1986 Mets delivered one of the most electric championship runs in New York sports history, piling up 116 victories on their way to a Canyon of Heroes parade — with plenty of wild, unforgettable moments along the way. Across town, the Yankees fell short in their September chase of Boston, but Don Mattingly put together a campaign worthy of a second consecutive MVP award. He hit .352, collected 238 hits and produced 86 extra-base knocks while dominating from Opening Day through the finish.
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Hockey fans had their own reason to cheer. The Rangers posted an ordinary 36-38-6 record during the regular season, then seized the spotlight in the spring with an inspired run to the conference finals before meeting the surging Canadiens. On Long Island, meanwhile, the Islanders’ iconic Trottier-Bossy-Potvin-Smith nucleus was still delivering a few final, defiant flashes of its championship-era brilliance.
Basketball brought plenty to follow as well. St. John’s reached 30 wins and claimed a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row, while the Nets secured a place in the playoffs. The Knicks endured another difficult season, yet Patrick Ewing — still early in his NBA career — was already proving that the enormous expectations built during his college days were more than justified.