The View From Above

Have you ever wished that you could have a bird's eye view of some of the greatest players, venues and games in sports history? Well, here's a start. SI.com combed through its databases and compiled this View From Above photo gallery of some of its favorite aerial and overhead pictures. Photographers don't get enough credit for ther creativy and ingenuity. But as this gallery attests, sometimes the view is more interesting from above.

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Mar 1, 2016

The View From Above

Maria Sharapova serves to Justine Henin at the 2007 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships in Madrid, Spain.

UCLA's Lew Alcindor (33) and Houston's Elvin Hayes battle for the tipoff in the Game of the Century, played in January 1968.

Gabby Douglas at the 2012 U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials.

Julio Jones makes a play on the ball against the San Francisco 49ers in a 2013 NFC playoff game.

Overhead 72.jpg — Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers dunks the ball over a car in the final round of the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk contest.

Barbaro and jockey Edgar Prado winning the 2006 Kentucky Derby by a huge margin.

Muhammad Ali's 1966 knockout of Cleveland Williams in front of an Astrodome crowd of 35,460, a record at the time for an indoor fight.

Michael Jordan flies to the rim for a dunk in this 1987 action portrait.

Michael Phelps in the 200-meter butterfly semifinals at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

Matthias Steiner of Germany attempts to get from under the weights he dropped at the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

Worn out decathletes after the 1,500-meter run at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

Hungary swimmer Ervin Kovacs starts the 200-meter freestyle SM5 at the 2004 Paralympic Games.

Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Holly Holm stands over a knocked ouyt Ronda Rousey at UFC 193, held in Melbourne, Australia, in November 2015.

UCLA's Natalie Williams in a 1991 match against Stanford.

Ed Sprague of the Toronto Blue Jays watches a foul ball off his bat during the 1993 American League playoffs.

Chicago White Sox pitcher Wilson Alvarez stands under the last out pop up in a 1993 playoff game.

Georgia wide receiver Chris Conley running a 40-yard dash at the 2015 NFL Combine.

With a one-stroke lead heading to the final hole at the 2012 U.S. Open, Phil Mickelson (yellow shirt) blew his chance to win a third straight major when his tee shot bounced off this hospitality tent at Winged Foot and landed way astray of the fairway. He ended up with a double bogey.

USA goalie Jim Craig and Ken Morrow (3) defending the net in the 1980 Miracle on Ice victory over the USSR in Lake Placid, N.Y.

The view from the triple jump pit at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games.

A UConn player on the screen at AT&T Stadium in Arlington with the USA flag unfurled below prior to a 2014 Final Four game between the Huskies and Florida.

New Mexico's Cameron Bairstow (41) and Stanford's Dwight Powell during the 2014 NCAA Tournament.

Penn State players celebrate their 2014 national volleyball championship win over BYU.

Overhead 73.jpg — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Ben McLemore dunks over Shaquille O'Neal during the 2014 NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans.

Overhead 92.jpg — Mel Levine/Sports Illustrated

New York City Marathon runners on the Verrazano Narrows Bridge in 1983.

Suzy Favor Hamilton is helped off the track after falling during the 1,500-meter final at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

Overhead 94.jpg — Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Michael Jordan signing autographs with fans after a 1987 game vs. the Detroit Pistons.

In a fight that lasted just two minutes and eight seconds, Neil Leifer captured this memorable photo of Muhammad Ali's knockout of Sonny Liston in 1965.

Members of Korea's team pursuit squad at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

Tony Gonzalez does his signature dunk over the goal post, this time after scoring in a 2013 playoff game against San Francisco.

Edmonton's Cam Talbot blocks a shot as teammates Matt Hendricks and Darnell Nurse also defend against Philadelphia in a 2016 game.

The Dream Team's Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Magic Johnson during the final against Croatia in 1992.

Overhead 45.jpg — Robert Beck/Sports Illustrated

Crimson Tide running back Lawrence Erekosima works on a confetti angel after Alabama's win over Clemson in the 2016 national title game.

The scene from the 2004 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials.

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariotta gets pressured by an Ohio State's Tyquan Lewis in the 2015 college football national title game.

The 200-meter individual medley semifinals at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick escapes Atlanta defenders during a 2013 playoff game in the Georgia Dome.

Tiger Woods and caddie Steve Williams celebrating his birdie putt on 18 to force a Monday playoff in the 2008 U.S. Open.

Chris Keane /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images

A look at the Dean Smith Center during a game between North Carolina and North Carolina State.

The view of Cigar in the stall with his handler in 1995.

Skip to the Stone (second from left) with Victor Espinoza up, comes out of the gate en route to winning the 2001 Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct.

Mets pitcher Matt Harvey warms up in bullpen before a game against the New York Yankees.

Toronto Blue Jays players greeting Joe Carter at home plate after his World Series-winning home run in 1993 against the Philadelphia Phillies.

One of the semifinal heats of the 60-meter hurdles at the 1999 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Atlanta.

Overhead 95.jpg — David E. Klutho/Sports Illustrated

Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings in action vs. Edmonton Oilers goalie Grant Fuhr in 1998.

Mika Hakkinen of Finland, David Coulthard of Great Britain and Michael Schumacher of Germany on the winners podium after the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix.

Lennox Lewis lands a left to the head of David Tua during 2000 heavyweight championship bout in Las Vegas.

Action in the men's individual All-Around final at the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

Overhead 93.jpg — Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated

Boston Celtics great Larry Bird in action vs. Magic Johnson of the L.A. Lakers during Game 1 of the 1985 NBA Finals.

Florida's Steven Harris holds up the trophy after the Gators defeated Ohio State in the 2007 BCS championship game.

Slovakia's Olympic hockey team before a game against the U.S. at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

Nigeria's 4x100 meter relay team rejoices after winning the bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Atlanta Falcons cheerleaders during a 2013 NFC Conference playoff game between San Francisco and Atlanta.

Referee Zack Clayton counts out George Foreman after Muhammad Ali downed him in the eighth round of their 1974 bout.

Georgia running back Todd Gurley being tackled by an Alabama defender in the 2012 SEC Championship game.

Usain Bolt of Jamaica leading the field in a 100-meter semifinal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Luis Sojo of the Seattle Mariners trying to beat Omar Vizquel of the Cleveland Indians to the bag in the 1995 ALCS.

Hungary vs. Canada in a women's water polo preliminary game at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games.

Toronto's Vince Carter at the 2000 NBA All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Contest.

Competitors at the 2014 European Handball Federation's final four, which included ZRK Vardar vs ZRK Buducnos.

Pavel Bure of Vancouver in action vs New York Rangers goalie Mike Richter in the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals.

LSU takes the field ahead of the 2012 BCS national championship game against Alabama.

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer with his players before a playoff game vs Michigan State at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Overhead 74.jpg — Donald Miralle/Sports Illustrated

A competitor at the 2014 U.S. Surfing Championships in Huntington, Calif.

Yei Yah of Nigeria in a heat of the 50-meter freestyle at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Sergei Bubka pole vaulting in 1988.

Jorgen Persson of Sweden and Kalinikos Kreanga of Greece compete in table tennis at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games.

Oregon linebacker Tyson Coleman takes aim at Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones in the 2015 college football national title game.

A professional bull rider at a 2013 rodeo in Hollywood, Fla.

Aaron Hernandez looses the ball while being tackled by Michael Boley of the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI.

Troy Dumais of the U.S. en route to a sixth-place finish in the springboard at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Former Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott in her luxury box at Riverfront Stadium.

Daytona 500-511617908_master.jpg — Chris Trotman/NASCAR via Getty Images

Denny Hamlin takes the checkered flag ahead of Martin Truex Jr. in the 2016 Daytona 500, the closest finish in the history of the race.

Day three of the 1st Investec Ashes Test match between England and Australia in July 2015.

Kristi Yamaguchi in action during the women's singles free skating finals at the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France

Janie Wagstaff in the 100-meter backstroke at the 1992 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

One of the yachts in the 2006 Volvo Around the World Sailing race.

The pack rides during the fifth stage of the 2004 Tour de France cycling race between Amiens and Chartres.

The view from inside Cowboys Stadium before Dallas played the New York Giants in September 2009.

Triathletes swim the 2.4 mile portion of the 2010 Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua Bay, Hawaii.

Toronto catcher Pat Borders making the tag at on Mark Lemke of the Atlanta Braves in Game 6 of the 1992 World Series.

Gilbertville (Iowa) Don Bosco's Mack Reiter, top, has Lake Mills' Dan Helgeson in a choke-hold during the 2003 Class 1A, 125-pound championship match in Des Moines, Iowa.

Julia Pakhalina, left, and Anastasia Pozdnyakova of Russia competing in the synchronized springboard final at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Dick Hoyt pushing his son Rick in the Wheelchair Division race of the 1991 Boston Marathon.

Ohio State's field goal team during the 2015 national championship game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Surfers during a paddle-out ceremony in memory of NFL standout Junior Seau at Oceanside Beach. Calif., in 2012.

Kathy Ireland, left, and Elle Macpherson at Cotton House Resort in The Grenadines in 1990.

Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins watches a shot by the Los Angeles Clippers go in the basket.

The View From Above

The View From Above

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