It's hard to win one championship, let alone two in a row. Winner for 3 years in a row? Well, this is the stuff of legend, and few teams have ever been able to accomplish it. That's the challenge that awaits the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024 as they aim to become the first NFL team to win three consecutive Super Bowls.
Watching Travis Kelsey's discussion Three-peat outlook The podium Sunday night brought back memories of former 49ers running back Roger Craig doing the same thing after San Francisco beat the Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV to win back-to-back championships. Unfortunately for Craig and his teammates, San Francisco came close but ultimately fell short of becoming the first team to win three Super Bowls. Will the Chiefs be lucky? We'll know in 2024.
As mentioned above, the list of teams that have won three straight championships is only a partial one. The list gets even smaller if you narrow it down to teams that have accomplished that this century.
Take a look at the list of three-peat winners: Kelce, Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones, and the rest of the Chiefs are considering additions next season.
A professional sports franchise that has won three consecutive championships.
2000-02 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
This group was led by the legendary duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. Coached by Hall of Famer Phil Jackson, the Lakers defeated Reggie Miller's Pacers, Allen Iverson's 76ers, and Jason Kidd's Nets in the Finals from 2000 to 2002. Shaq won Finals MVP every year, but Bryant was just as integral to the Lakers' success in those series. For example, in Game 4 of the 2000 Finals, he scored eight points in overtime after Shaq fouled out, leading the Lakers to victory and a 3-1 series lead.
1998-00 New York Yankees (MLB)
This team was stacked. The Bronx Bombers, led by Derek Jeter, won four titles in five years, including three straight. The 2001 World Series would have won their fourth straight title if not for Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson and Kurt Schilling's great performance in Game 7 of the series.
Every Yankees team this time has been great, but the 1998 team is historic. The group won a total of 125 games, an MLB record, including a four-game sweep of Tony Gwynn's Padres in the World Series.
1997-00 Houston Comets (WNBA)
The Comets were champions in each of the WNBA's first four seasons. Houston's unparalleled lineup at the time included hoops legends Tina Thompson, Sheryl Swoopes, and Cynthia Cooper, the MVP of the first four Finals.
1996-98 Chicago Bulls (NBA)
It was the second three-peat for Michael Jordan's Bulls in the 1990s. This featured the 1996 team that won 70 regular season games, an NBA record at the time. Chicago ended their magical '96 season with six straight wins against a talented SuperSonics team led by Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp.
Chicago went on to win two more titles that season, finishing with a victory in the Finals against the Jazz, led by the formidable duo of John Stockton and Karl Malone. Jordan experienced some memorable moments in these Finals. That included the game-winning shot at the buzzer in Game 1 of the 1997 Finals, the memorable “flu game” four games later, and, of course, his final shot as a Bull. It's Chicago's sixth title in eight years.
1991-93 Chicago Bulls (NBA)
After years of falling short in the playoffs, Jordan and the Bulls made a breakthrough in 1991, winning two more titles before Jordan's shocking first retirement. The first title was won 10 years ago against the NBA's dynasty team, the Lakers and Magic Johnson. Chicago successfully defended its title by defeating Clyde Drexler's Trail Blazers and Charles Barkley's Suns in the Finals.
During this time, Jordan established himself as arguably the greatest player in NBA history. His performance against the Magic's Lakers in 1991 was talked about as the best of all time, and his 35 points in the first half of Game 1 of the 1992 Finals made that even stronger. Jordan's 55 points in Game 4 of the 1993 Finals was his best result.
1980-83 New York Islanders (NHL)
The Islanders' last title team gave Wayne Gretzky a lesson on what it takes to win a championship. Gretzky, who lost to the Islanders in the 1983 Stanley Cup Final, expected to see a celebration when he passed by their locker room after the title-clinching victory. Instead, Gretzky saw a group of exhausted players who seemed more relieved than elated. That moment stuck with Gretzky, and his Oilers team would dethrone the Islanders in the 1984 Finals.
1976-79 Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
Managed by the legendary Scotty Bowman, the Canadiens had a deep roster that included Hall of Fame right winger Guy LaFleur, who was the league's top scorer every year from 1976 to 1978. Sandwiched between the finals victory over the Bruins were cup wins over the Flyers and Rangers.
1972-74 Oakland Athletics (MLB)
Baseball in the 1970s was primarily dominated by a small number of teams. One of those teams was the Athletics, whose powerful roster included Reggie Jackson, a slugger who led MLB in several major statistical categories during the '73 season. Oakland's dynasty began with his seven-game victory in the World Series against a Reds team, followed by back-to-back championships later in the decade.
1965-67 Green Bay Packers (NFL)
The last team to win three straight NFL championships, Vince Lombardi's Packers also won the first two Super Bowls. Green Bay's roster at the time oozed with talent, with Hall of Fame players on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Green Bay decimated opponents with Lombardi's legendary sweeps, contributing to the Packers' dominating victories over the Chiefs and Raiders in the first two Super Bowls. Quarterback Bart Starr was named MVP in both games.
1959-66 Boston Celtics (NBA)
you read that correctly. The Celtics won an unprecedented eight consecutive championships during the Bill Russell and Red Auerbach era. If not for Hall of Famers Bob Pettit (1958) and Wilt Chamberlain (1967), it would have been their 13th straight championship.
1962-1964 Toronto Maple Leafs (MLB)
One of the most talented hockey teams of all time boasted a whopping 11 Hall of Famers. Left winger Frank Mahobrich, one of the Hall of Famers, led the NFL in goals scored in his '62 and '63 seasons.
1956-1960 Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
Among the Canadiens' top players was Henry “Pocket Rocket” Richard, the younger brother of fellow Hall of Famer Maurice “Rocket” Richard. “Pocket Rocket” may not have an award named after him like his older brother, but he won 11 Stanley Cups while being a key member of the Canadiens dynasty.
1952-54 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
The NBA's first dynasty was led by George Mikan, the league's first dominant player. In five years, Mikan led each league in scoring three times and rebounding twice.
1949-53 New York Yankees (MLB)
These Yankee teams were led by some of the most famous names in baseball history, including Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, and Phil Rizzuto. Three of the Yankees' titles during this period came against the crosstown rival Brooklyn Dodgers, led by pioneer and Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson.
1947-1949 Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)
Oddly enough, the Maple Leafs won their third Cup despite losing in the regular season (22 wins, 25 losses, 13 draws). But Toronto was nearly unbeatable in the playoffs. They defeated the Bruins in five games in the semifinals and dominated the Red Wings in the final.
1936-39 New York Yankees (MLB)
These Yankees teams were the last for the legendary Lou Gehrig, who played in just eight games during the 1939 season before being diagnosed with ALS. Gehrig was a force on the Yankees' first two championship teams during this period. He led the league in home runs in 1936, and in walks and OBP in the 1936 and 1937 seasons.
1929-31 Green Bay Packers (NFL)
Want to know how much the NFL has changed since the 1930s? One of the best players on those Packers teams, Johnny Blood, led the NFL in 1933 with three touchdown receptions. Green Bay was coached at the time by Curly Lambeau, who won a total of six titles as the Packers' coach.
