The Best Sports Teams of all Time
84Tribute to Sports Most Dominant Teams
In July 2009, Sporting News Magazine took a bold step to name former UCLA Basketball Coach John Wooden as the greatest American athletics coach of all time. To those of us who grew up listening to Dick Enberg call the play-by-play of UCLA's games during the Wooden era, this was no surprise and in fact long over due. While this name spawns a need to do a feature on Wooden alone, his naming caused me to think of all the dominant sports programs that come to mind including such great teams as the New York Yankees, Boston Celtics, Soviet Union Hockey Team and others. This hub highlights some of the greatest sports teams from all major sports. They are listed in no particular order.
UCLA Basketball Team 1970-71
UCLA Basketball under Coach John Wooden
UCLA's Basketball under Coach John Wooden is the first team highlighted in this feature on sports' greatest teams. In 27 seasons as head coach of UCLA Basketball, the team never suffered a losing season and eventually won 10 national championships in a span of 12 years including an unprecedented seven straight. From 1972 to 1974, the team accented its dominance of American college basketball by running off 88 consecutive victories. While UCLA drew great talent incuding centers Lew Alcindor (aka Kareem Abdul Jabbar) and Bill Walton, particularly impressive were the championships won in 1970 and 1971 when a smaller UCLA team overcame the likes of 7'2" Artis Gilmore of Jacksonville University to keep the Bruins on top of the basketball charts. Some say UCLA's boosters kept the team stocked with top prospects, but as the 1980s Philadelphia 76ers know it takes more than talent to win championships. Coach John Wooden was the reason UCLA was so dominant for so many years.
Boston Celtics 1968-69
The Boston Celtics' Dynasty from 1957-1969
The Boston Celtics' dynasty in NBA Basketball from 1957 to 1969 was as equally impressive as UCLA's run in the college ranks. The Boston Celtics led by Coach Red Auerbach and center Bill Russell won an unlikely 11 championships in 13 years.
New York Yankees' Casey Stengel
The New York Yankees under Casey Stengal
Perhaps no professional team has dominated their sport like the New York Yankees. As a franchise, the New York Yankees won 26 World Series over five eras. From 1949 to 1958 with Casey Stengal at the helm, America's top baseball organization won the Fall Classic 8 times in 10 tries. Perhaps, the greatest single season of any Yankee team came in 1961 when Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle propelled them to a major league record 109 games (mrm85.com).
Soviet Union Hockey Teams 1954-1990
USSR National Hockey Dominates International Play
From 1954 to 1991, The Soviet Union's National Hockey Team won 30 medals in 31 international competitions including seven Olympic gold medals in nine tries and 19 golds overall.
All Blacks Rugby Team Pre-Game Ritual
New Zealand's All Blacks Rugby Team Dominates the International Field
A gentleman named Kerry gets credit for this entry. As he wrote in the comments below:
In over a hundred years of rugby, the All Blacks hold an 84% winning record against all oppostion played. They have also won 74% of all test matches played, and hold a winning record against EVERY TEST NATION IN THE WORLD (including the British & Irish Lions, and the World XV).
Romania (the best team in Eastern Europe), Canada (the best team in North America), Japan (the best in Asia), and other World Rugby Heavyweights Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Argentina, Samoa, and Fiji have never beaten New Zealand.
The average margin when playing the All Blacks is 25-12- that is, they have scored more than twice the amount of points than all opposition combined.
New Zealand is so good, that they have never been ranked lower than 3rd on the World Rankings. In 1987, they were crowned the first ever Rugby World Champions beating France in the final 29-9.
Since 1996, when rugby became professional, the All Blacks have played 149 games, winning 121. Their victories have lead to 9 Tri-Nations Championships in 13 years, play-off appearances in every World Cup to date, a first ever test series victory in South Africa, 7 undefeated tours to Europe; including 2 Grand Slams Tours(when a team plays England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales in succesive weeks and win), a test series whitewash against the British & Irish Lions, a World record 30 test victories in a row on home soil (spanning five years), the Bledisloe Cup, and the Hillary Shield.
Only five test nations IN HISTORY have ever beaten the All Blacks- Australia, South Africa, France, England, and Wales (who have not beaten New Zealand since 1954). The most successful team to ever play New Zealand is South Africa (winning just 40% of the time), while Australia have won the most times (39 victories from 132 matches).
This small, tiny nation boasts a player pool of just 90,000- yet they provide the bulk of the Rugby Hall of Fame.
Thanks Kerry for your contribution.
The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame
Notre Dame Football under Coach Frank Leahy
Notre Dame's reputation as America's premier college football school was molded under the direction of Knute Rockne and the Four Horsemen. Yet, in the 1940s, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame won 4 national championships under the leadership of Coach Frank Leahy.
Leon Heath, Oklahoma Sooners, 1950
The Oklahoma Sooners under Bud Wilkinson
From 1947 to 1963, the Oklahoma Sooners football team won 145 games, three national championships, and an NCAA Division I record 47 consecutive games. Bud Wilkinson was the head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners over that span of time.
Chicago Bulls' Michael Jordan
Chicago Bulls under Coach Phil Jacson
Under the direction of Coach Phil Jackson and Superstar Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls won six NBA championships in the 1990s.
1972 Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers in Four Eras
As an NBA franchise the Los Angeles Lakers have won 15 league championships from 1949 to 2009. In 1972, the team led by Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West won a major sports record 33 consecutive games. In the 1980s, led by Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar, the Lakers franchise won five chamionships in nine seasons. Under the direction of Phil Jackson, the team has won four more championships since 2000.
Montreal Canadiens 1960-1961
The Montreal Canadiens under Scotty Bowman
Since its establishment in 1909, the Montreal Canadiens (a professional hockey team) have won 24 Stanley Cups including 11 in 20 years and under the direction of Coach Scotty Bowman six in the decade of the 1970s.
Edmonton Oilers 1985
The Edmonton Oilers under Glen Sather
From 1984 to 1990, led by Wayne Gretzky and Coach Glen Sathers, the professional hockey team Edmonton Oilers won the NHL's Stanley Cup five times.
Australia's Cricket Team Celebrates a Victory
Australia's Cricket International Team
The oldest Test cricket organization in the world since 1877, the Australian Cricket International Team has made all six world cup finals and won four of them including the last three (1999, 2003, and 2007). As of 2007 they are undefeated in 29 consecutive world cup games.
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I think you should have put the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team. The "Miracle on Ice" is a team I have done extensive research and it is fascinating how the team was selected and played together. Overall, the teams you have listed are very impressive.
You mentioned the Stengel Yankees teams but didn't mention the 1961 team? I'm disappointed.
Is this list only best Ämerican" sports teams of all time, or I would have thought The New Zealnd International Rugby Union Team The "All Blacks" should in all fairness be at No# 1.
Here are the facts:
In over a hundred years of rugby, the All Blacks hold an 84% winning record against all oppostion played. They have also won 74% of all test matches played, and hold a winning record against EVERY TEST NATION IN THE WORLD (including the British & Irish Lions, and the World XV).
Romania (the best team in Eastern Europe), Canada (the best team in North America), Japan (the best in Asia), and other World Rugby Heavyweights Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Argentina, Samoa, and Fiji have never beaten New Zealand.
The average margin when playing the All Blacks is 25-12- that is, they have scored more than twice the amount of points than all opposition combined.
New Zealand is so good, that they have never been ranked lower than 3rd on the World Rankings. In 1987, they were crowned the first ever Rugby World Champions beating France in the final 29-9.
Since 1996, when rugby became professional, the All Blacks have played 149 games, winning 121. Their victories have lead to 9 Tri-Nations Championships in 13 years, play-off appearances in every World Cup to date, a first ever test series victory in South Africa, 7 undefeated tours to Europe; including 2 Grand Slams Tours(when a team plays England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales in succesive weeks and win), a test series whitewash against the British & Irish Lions, a World record 30 test victories in a row on home soil (spanning five years), the Bledisloe Cup, and the Hillary Shield.
Only five test nations IN HISTORY have ever beaten the All Blacks- Australia, South Africa, France, England, and Wales (who have not beaten New Zealand since 1954). The most successful team to ever play New Zealand is South Africa (winning just 40% of the time), while Australia have won the most times (39 victories from 132 matches).
This small, tiny nation boasts a player pool of just 90,000- yet they provide the bulk of the Rugby Hall of Fame.
Not even the great Brazilian Football Team can match the proud winning record of New Zealand. The same applies to Canada in Ice Hockey, Australia in Cricket, or any professional sports team from the United States.
Are they not even worthy of a mention?
PS. If you are talking about a team from a particular era, then when the All Blacks won the 1987 Rugby World Cup they went from 1987 to 1991 playing 50 games without defeat (49 wins and a draw. Thank you for your time.
Excellent!
ps. The last Team entry should read as it's title Cricket not Crocket, as is under the picture. ;)
The Australian Rugby League team are pretty much as good as their cricket team too.
New Zealand Rugby 7's team a long with Fiji are great sides! Dominating the world circuit, and this sport is in the Commonwealth games and will soon be in the Olympic Games, yay!
Rugby, 149 games in 14 years, who gives a rats ass, play 80 + games a year not including playoffs and exibition in sports where there is a draft and a salary cap, then see how good you are.
if we include national teams...
The Dream Team? they probably would of beat
the yankees at baseball lol
This is a great read. I wasn't around to see most of these teams in action, unfortunately, but I've come to appreciate athletes in all sports and all eras. Awesome and very useful hub!
There was also a Canadian womens university basketball team that lost like once in 10 years in 1930s or so - quite a feat. I was lucky enough to be around to see the Canadiens play in the late 70s and Oilers in the 80s as well as having the chance to see Michael Jordan dominate the game of basketball over his illustrious career.
I'm not sure what exactly qualifies a team here, since some of your examples highlight specific eras, while others go across a team's entire history. But I submit the late '40s-'50s Red Wings. Seven consecutive first-place finishes and four Cups in six years. The franchise as a whole could probably qualify, despite the Dead Things stretch from mid-'60s to mid-'80s. Consider their modern-era achievements, a time period when only the Avs and Devils have come close to matching their consistent success.
The Bad Boys Pistons ('87-'91) went to five straight conference finals, won it all twice (and got robbed of a third), and had winning records against Jordan, Bird, and Magic.
I probably sound like a homer, but I need to represent.
I may come off sounding like a homer
Great hub! For me the New Zealand team and the Bulls by Jordan are the all time favorite!!! I was lucky enough to see them live when they were on the top! :)
The Soviet Union's hockey record is irrelevant because Canada didn't send their best players to the Olympics until 1998. In best on best games between Canada and the Soviets/Russia, Canada is the favorite to win. This began in 1972 when Canada won the summit series and has continued through to Canada's recent domination of Russia in the 2010 Olympics (7-3).
This was a great read, there are so many great teams out there.
I live in Australia, and as much as i hate to admit it, I too think the New Zealand All Blacks are the most successful sports in the WORLD....on an international level. To beat them is a huge achievement, and to beat them in N.Z. is even tougher.
There uncanny ability to win games and edge out opposition teams is remarkable for such a small nation.
Right now there is a rugby world cup tournament being hosted in New Zealand, and i'll be cheering for the Wallabies, though if they exit the competiton before the finals, then i'll be backing the New Zealand All Blacks!!!!!
I am a proud New Zealander but I have to say, the grestest sports team of all time is undoubtably BARCELONA FC
Man ! I did some research on that new Zealand team !!! Wow that if just the most mazing record I have ever read about. No sport team in the world has a record even close to them !
Yup the all Blacks record is up to 75% of all tests won and still hold a positive win record against all teams played (South Africa is inching closer).
We play France in the final this weekend and we are heavy Favorites to win which would give us our second World cup, equal most with Australia and South Africa.
and to the guy going on about the number of games played a year I would like to point out this is an international team that has players who also play super 15 and Provincial Rugby throughout the year.
NZ players have 2 competitions that run yearly we have the more professional tournament Super 15 which consists of 14 regular season games a Semi final then Grand Final so 16 games all up.They all so have provincial competition where players play for there hometown which usually consists of 13 regular season games plus 2 more games semi and finals.And including guys that made the All blacks team they Tri-nation cup with South Africa and Australia worlds top 3 nations in the world of rugby not to mention extra 2 games with Australia for there epic Tasman battle for the Bledisloe cup and yes theres an and lol they have a end of year tour with maybe 3-5 countries usually 1 of game......so just imagine playing all those games 400 hours of running , tackling ,talking motivating and oops no pads lol so 1nce again is the All Blacks really could be the most successful team of all time...........thumbs up from
Yeah the All Blacks are definitely the greatest sports team in history. Look at their record and that says it all.
And great to see the All Blacks win the World Cup last night!
The French... the nemesis of the All Blacks, but thank goodness not last Sunday night...
All Blacks won by the vast margin of 8 to 7,
I was there when n 1984, France visited New Zealand for two Tests. They lost the first, at Lancaster Park, 10–9 (despite repeated French drop goal attempts) and was at Eden Park when France won with the try from the end of the world...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTwTi-UeQ7s
I'm in Australia and prefer Aussie rules footy. But the All Blacks are easily the best sports team of all time. Even if I do throw vile comments at them on the tv.
Great post! Thanks for this. I love thinking about the old teams. There's no way these current teams could hang with some of those older teams. I found a pretty extensive 64-team bracket on a site. Good stuff. I found your article searching for more opinions on the best team. Nice!
If you want to check out the 64-team bracket. It’s enjoyable if nothing else: http://www.tchuddle.com/2011/04/the-greatest-ncaa-
The Australian Kangaroos Rugby League team are arguably just as dominant as the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby Union team. The Kangaroos are the most successful in Rugby League World Cup history, winning 9 out of the 13 tournaments and failing to reach the final only once, in the inaugural tournament in 1954!
Since 1997 they have competed in the annual ANZAC Test against the New Zealand Kiwis. Australia have won 11 out of the 12 matches played. The last time Australia lost the ANZAC Test was back in 1998.
In the Tri-Nations/Four-Nations, Australia have competed in every final since the inaugural tournament in 1999. They have won 4 of the six tournaments played.
The also comepete against arch-rivals Great Britain in the Rugby League Ashes. Australia have won 20 of the 39 series played since 1908, and have not lost a test series to either Great Britain or England since 1970.
Their biggest win was 110-4 against Russia in 2000. Their worst defeat is 25-48 loss to New Zealand back in 1952, and 0-24 against the Kiwis in 2005.
In total, Australia have played in 353 test matches, winning 237, losing 105, and drew 11. A win-percentage of roughly 61% over a period of 103 years of elite football.
No problem. All these teams are impressive.
Nice history lesson. It is hard to say for sure what team is the best, but these really are some of the best of all times.
Great site and thanks for admitting the New Zealand All Blacks. They must be the most successful international team, even more so now having won the 2011 World rugby Cup, and touring the world to play to be a truly international team. Awesome winning ratio that must stand as a record.
you should put canucks or the bruins or both of them.
hi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
well as team sports go i would have to say the st george dragons won 11 straight premierships which is now the national rugby league . for a individual would have to say that walter lindrum pro billiards world champ from 1933 to his retirement in 1950 , and also a guy known as sir donald bradman in cricket with a average of 99.94 pitty he only need 6 runs in his last innings to get the perfect 100 average , todays best players average 53
Very proud to see the All Blacks up there, but if we were to base it on a team from one era, for me it would be the Australian Cricket Team captained by Steve Waugh. They were truly incredible. Never before have I seen sport so beautiful to watch.
The Edmonton Grads Women's Basketball Team
have you people never heard of football? and i mean football the world game, the beautiful game or english long alley skittles. come on get real!!!
Other possible additions to the Best Sports Teams list:
- 1972 / 1973 Miami Dolphins for going undefeated in the 1972 season and winning the Super Bowl in both 72 and 73
- 1972 to 1974 Oakland As for dominating baseball and winning three World Series in a row
- 1980 to 1983 New York Islanders for winning four Stanley Cups in a row
I have on my wall a baseball field that measures 18" by 24". On that field is the 1961 ball card for each Yankee "starter" I have Whitey Ford on the hill. As a Yankee fan & Mantle "worshipper" I will be passing this treasure on into the family when I go to join these guys at the Stadium in the sky. Thanks for the memories.
I agree with several of the cooments that it's pretty hard to look past the NZ All Blacks. What a record in over 100 years of a truly international sport.
A fairly new addition to add is the Crusaders (NZ) Since first making the Super Rugby finals in 1998 they have only missed the semis once and have won the title 7 times, one of their provintail
Enjoyed the cricket team getting a shout-out near the end. What about single season dominance. Do you have one of those?
The NY Islanders won 19 straight playoff series from 1980 to 1984. That is more than any NHL frachise. That is more than the Boston Celtics, LA Lakers, Chicago Bulls...even more than the NY Yankees.
Time period and season rules aside, you cant ignore that
BTW the series length in 1980 was best of seven, four maximum series including stanley cup finals. Islanders won four cups in a row and lost a possible fifth thanks to a new playoff format (3 home games in a row for lower seeded team) and Wayne Gretzky.
Sorry guys,
Although I appreciate the achievements of the All blacks in recent terms, there history in the world cup is not up to the standards that they set in the Tri-Nations and when they tour internationally. As the Josh Lewsey once said, with a hint of paraphrasing, it all comes down to the world cup. Despite the fact that it's a tournament and as a nation New Zealand have an incredibly proud record, up until there achievements on this stage, at home, in a final that they just (and deservedly won), they have failed consistently to beat various (usually French or Australian) opposition. So considering there documented success outside of the world cup, within it they have been a relative failure! This tournament is the bench mark of international success for this sport, and as with most colonial sports, achieving at international level is of the utmost importance, none more so than the world cup.
Taking this last point into consideration I thereford think, and with the utmost respect, that most American sporting teams that have no international competitive opposition, are invalid. Playing a sport within a nation, can not be valid when you don't have the ability to translate its achievements competitively, on the international stage. Too many competitive dynamics are removed.
Micheal Johnson, possibly the best individual athleteste to have strutted this planet, sugar ray Robinson, Mohammad Ali, Pele, Zinedine Zedane, Maradonna, Shane Warne, Viv Richards, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, Johny Wilkinson, Richie Mackaw, Micheal Schumacher, Andy Redgrave ...... All have recognition on the international stage, where they played against the world and won.
Best teams of all time, for me, the west indies cricket team under David Lloyd and then Sir Viv Richards, watch Fire In Babylon, more than just cricket!
The Brazialian football team in the seventies. Obvious but still true.
These two alone could not be beaten by the world, and a world that played, internationally at very high standards. Its a simple case that within that sport, played at the highest level internationally, these teams could not be touched, and for long periods of times. They played agaist whole nations, not within a nation. The West Indies team had to break institutional and racial boundaries to be recognised, and that was after they had become the best team in the world.
The only circumstance, and this has to be a rarity and justified, where a domestic team can be recognised as a great team of all time in an international arena, and even then there are holes in the argument, is the present day Barcelona football side. I honestly think that they would beat any international side on this planet, even if you could clone the foreign nationals in the club and let them play for their respective countries! But that would negate the argument set above, and can't be done!
So, Pitsburg, Lakers, Bulls, Giants and other teams that have dominated domestically, sport goes deeper than national achievement, and with respect, no deeper than the likes of those mentioned above!
F.C. BARCELONA















travelerhubs 2 years ago
Excellent collection. Thanks for sharing.