The Greatest Dynasties in Sports

We're in the 'dog' days for sports until March. Not much going on, so ranking the top five dynasty teams seemed fitting.

What makes a team a dynasty?

For a team to be a part of this conversation, they have to hit a few key points. Longevity/Dominance – A team doesn't become a dynasty after just one season. To earn that title, they have to win multiple championships and maintain dominance over an extended period. Impact – What did they change? What impact did they make? For example, the Patriots redefined the NFL, changing the game. Defining Moments – A team needs moments that are carved into sports history to be considered a dynasty.

#5 New York Yankees, 1995-2000

The New York Yankees took over the baseball world during the mid 1990s. That said, this all starts July 30th, 1990. During a game, New York vs Detroit, the owner of the Yankees, George Steinbrenner was given a lifetime ban from Yankee Stadium for paying a gambler $40,000 to dig up dirt on a hall of famer, Dave Winfield. Steinbrenner hired Gene Michael to replace him while he was suspended.

Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Bernie Williams, and Derek Jeter, these five players would be key to the Yankees’ future success. Steinbrenner came back in 1993, in some ways the three-year suspension was good for New York so that they could sign younger players. Steinbrenner was known for only wanting to sign veterans.

In 1995 the Yankees would make it to the post season for the first time since 1981. They would lose to Seattle in the first round, but it was just the start of a dynasty that would soon dominate baseball with multiple World Series titles.1996,1998,1999, and 2000-the Yankees captured the World Series each of these years. In 1998 the Yankees swept Padres in the World Series, and then the following year they swept Braves. Also, in 1998 the Yankees would go on and have a record of 114-48, which is one of the best in MLB history. In 2000 the Yankees would go up against their rivals, the New York Mets. The Mets won the first game, then the Yankees would win the next 4 games and win it all. This is what made the Yankees a dynasty—one that will never be forgotten.

#4 Pittsburgh Steelers 1970s

The Steelers in the 70s were an unstoppable force. 1975, 1976, 1979, and 1980- these were the four years where the Steelers would win the Super Bowl. In those Super Bowls they would take down Hall of Famer quarterbacks. In 1975 Super Bowl IX, Steelers would put immense pressure on Fran Tarkenton, (QB for Vikings). In 1976, Super Bowl X the Steelers defense would take down Roger Staubach (QB for Cowboys). Chuck Noll would be the man to change the team into winners. Noll came in as head coach in 1969 and stayed until 1991, he truly transformed this team and built the “Steel Curtain” defense.

From year to year, they've consistently reached new heights, with highlights like in 1975 they only allowed 138 points, 9.9 ppg, from 1972-1979 they had a top 5 defense, part the reason being the Steelers having Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, and Mel Blount. In Super Bowl IX, the Steelers held Minnesota Vikings to 17 rushing yards, also getting three interceptions. 1975 was also the first year they would win their first Super Bowl. This would kickstart the beginning of the dynasty. In 1976 Pittsburgh would have five shutout games.

Steelers vs Dolphins: 14-0

                  Steelers vs Browns: 51-0

                  Steelers vs Bills: 32-0

                  Steelers vs Buccaneers: 42-0

                  Steelers vs Saints: 21-0

They led with sacks in 1972, 1974, 1975. If all of that wasn’t enough over the four Super Bowls, they only allowed 11.5 points. This was a true dynasty team, no one player carried the team.

#3 Golden State Warriors 2015-2019

Golden State Warriors absolutely dominated the NBA for these five years. From 2015-2019 they made an appearance in the NBA finals, and won a Championship in 2015, 2017, and 2018. The Warriors still carry the best regular season record of 73-9, from the 2015-16 season.  They surpassed the Chicago Bulls record of 72-10. (1995-96 season) When the Warriors won the NBA championship in 2015 was the first time in 40 years.

Something that Golden State had that other teams didn’t was the dream team. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, and Andre Iguodala, they had an unbeatable chemistry, and could take over the game on both sides of the courts.

Steph Curry and Klay Thompson became the “Splash brothers”. They changed the game forever with shooting deep threes., with other teams having to push up their defense way above the arc, and it became their biggest weapon in the game.  They also had guys like Draymond Green who was one of their best defensive players. He won defensive player of the year in 2017, also sating on top of defensive ratings. For the 2015-16 season he posted a 99.5 rating.

Obviously, Steph Curry was their star player, and shaped them into a dynasty team with the help of their head coach Steve Kerr. Before Kerr stepped into the scene in 2014, the Warriors didn’t have ball movement and relied on isolation plays. Kerr was the one who gave Curry the green light to start shotting threes and unlocked his full potential.

From 2014-2019 Golden State were the best passing team in the league, as well as leading in assists with reaching a peak of 30.4 APG. Everyone played a role; Klay Thompson was right behind Curry in scoring points and dominated just as much. A game played against the Pacers in 2016, Thompson got 60 points in 20 minutes. From 2016-2019 he averaged 25.8 ppg. Andre Iguodala in 2015 won NBA finals MVP, Iguodala was also right next to Green in defense, he was able to guard anyone in any position. This dream team revolutionized basketball, setting a new standard for how the game is played.

#2 The Patriots, 2000s

This Patriots team will forever be remembered as a true dynasty. They had Tom Brady who is arguably the best quarterback in NFL history, Gronk being unstoppable, and Julian Edelman making clutch plays. On defense you had Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour, Ty Law, and Stephon Gilmore. This team was unbeatable.

Tom Brady alone was a superhuman on the field. In 2001, and 2003 he won Super Bowl MVP, and he took New England to the Super Bowl three years during this decade, 2001, 2003, and 2004. In 2001 Super Bowl XXVI, Brady led a game winning drive against the Rams, and then again in 2003, Super Bowl XXXVIII, led a game winning drive against the Panthers. From 2001-2009, Brady had 30,844 yards, and 225 touchdowns. Also, in those nine years Brady went 14-3 in playoffs, which is an 82%-win rate for playoffs. If that wasn’t enough, Brady led his team to five AFC championships, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2007. And in 2007 set a record of most touchdowns which was 50. Tom Brady didn’t just play football, he defined greatness.

New England didn’t just have a powerful offense—they had a tough defense too. Over the decade, the Patriots were ranked in the top ten defensively seven times. In 2003, and 2004 they allowed the fewest point in the league, only allowing 14.9 ppg in 2003 and 16.3 in 2004. Key defensive players and their standout achievements

Ty Law: 10 interceptions in 2003. Richard Seymour: 8 sacks in 2003, 7 sacks in 2004. Rodney Harrison: 6 interceptions in 2003. Asante Samuel: 10 interceptions (NFL leader)

The 2007 season was a defining year for the Patriots. In 2007, they led the league with the 75 touchdowns and scoring 589 points, the most in the NFL that year. To top it off they had a +314-point differential, the best in league in that year. One last thing that made this team dominate was Bill Belichick, the head coach for the New England Patriots. Belichick was named coach of the year in 2003, and 2007. Belichick was good at player development, not always focused on big-name free agents. He was able to take a player and turn them into a star. Tom Brady is a clear example, as well as Tedy Bruschi. The 2000s Patriots will be remembered as one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history.

Honorable mentions

Before the #1 spot, here are a few honorable mentions.

1.        Boston Celtics 1980s

2.        Dallas Cowboys 1990s

3.        Oilers 1980s

4.        Lakers 1980s

5.        49ers 1980s

#1 Chicago Bulls 1990s

This team is the definition of dynasty team. They didn’t just win; they controlled an era of basketball. Michael Jordan was the main force driving this team, win after win. Scottie Pippen was also a factor in their success, Pippen dominated in defense alongside Denis Rodman. Phil Jackson, who was the head coach at this time, revolutionized basketball with the triangle offense, a big part of what helped them win six championships. They won championships in, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 1998. Basically, running the 90s.

Michael Jordan was the reason for their success. Not going to pretend other players were as equal to him—while they helped and played a role, none had the impact Jordan did. Jordans stats will reflect how insane he played. He was averaging 30.1 ppg.

1990-91: 31.5 PPG

         1992-93: 32.6 PPG

         1995-96: 30.4 PPG

         1997-98: 28.7 PPG

Even during playoffs Jordan put up high numbers. In 1997 he was getting 32.3 PPG, 6 RPG, and 5 APG. His achievements prove more of his talents; 5x MVP, 6x NBA finals MVP, Defensive player of the year in 1998, and 10x scoring champion, the list goes on.

Denis Rodman and Scottie Pippen being great on defense, Rodman was able to stop anything coming into the paint, and Pippen being right behind him. Pippen was just as dominate on offense, averaging 19 PPG. (From 1990-1998). Pippen was also had this unbreakable chemistry with Jordan on the court. Pippen was there to help setup Jordan for plays, that’s why he was locked in on defense, so it gave Jordan more freedom on offense. Pippen was able to turn defense into offense, with turnovers. They both also had a lot of trust in each other and leaning on each other when needed. A good example of that was in 1997, in the NBA finals known as the “Flu Game”. Jordan had played Game five with flu symptoms, still dropping 38 points, but Pippen also stepped up this game to try and take some pressure off Jordan. Pippen was able to stop Karl Malone, he also tried to keep the offense flowing. Passing the ball to open shooters and providing much-needed scoring support when Jordan couldn’t do it alone.

This team was incredible, watching them play in old re-runs is crazy, it was perfect basketball. They made it look effortless. Six championships in eight years, numerous MVP and All-Star selections, the list goes on for what they won. Had Jordan not been on this team, they probably wouldn’t have made half the achievements. That’s why this makes them number one, because one person made it all happen. Not trying to discredit other players but, Scottie Pippen, Denis Rodman, Steve Kerr, and BJ Armstrong, could not have done all of that without Jordan.