Top 10 Greatest North American Sports Dynasties

The 1980s were a great time for basketball, especially if you were a Lakers fan. While the Shaq and Kobe era of the early-2000s was also an impressive period for the team, the 1980s’ Lakers can only be described as dominant. Commanded by the legendary Pat Riley, the team was led by legends like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Nicknamed the “Showtime” era due to their fast-break offense and their ability to entice celebrity fans, the Lakers finished first in the Western Conference for nine straight seasons. Over the entire decade, they appeared in eight NBA Championships, winning five of them.

While the 2000s were a rough time to be a Cowboys fan, the 1990s were sure sweet. Led by Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith, the Cowboys won the NFC East five straight years from 1992-96, winning at least 10 games each season. Their most impressive feat, however, was winning three Super Bowls in four years, including back-to-back victories over the Buffalo Bills in 1992 and ‘93. Also impressive is the fact that during their three Super Bowl seasons, the Cowboys won every playoff game by at least 10 points.

When the Great One is on your team, you’re probably not going to have much trouble winning a few games. The residents of Edmonton, Alberta were probably pretty happy in the ‘80s, as the Oilers won five Stanley Cups in seven seasons, with Wayne Gretzky leading the charge. The ‘83-‘84 team was particularly impressive: they won a league leading 57 games that season and scored 446 goals, at an average of over 5 goals per game. Gretzky himself scored a ridiculous 87 goals in 74 games and put up 205 points. Yes, 205 points – and that wasn’t even his highest scoring season. During their five Stanley Cup winning seasons, the Oilers went an incredible 78-20 during the playoffs.

Sometimes all you need is a brilliant coach and a once-in-a-lifetime quarterback. Of course, the 49ers of the 1980s also had a suffocating defense and Jerry Rice, but when you think about the 49ers dynasty, you immediately think of Bill Walsh and Joe Montana. San Francisco won their first ever Super Bowl in 1981, although they never would have gotten there without “The Catch,” an iconic play where Montana hit Dwight Clark in the back of the end zone to beat the Dallas Cowboys. The 49ers won four Super Bowls in nine seasons with Montana as quarterback, including back-to-back titles in 1988 and 1989.

Remember what we said about a coach and a quarterback? The 1970s’ Steelers were led by legendary draft savant, coach Chuck Noll and Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw, with help from the dominant “Mean” Joe Greene, and those guys all helped the team win four Super Bowls in six seasons, including back-to-back titles in 1974-75 and 1978-79. From 1972-1979, the Steelers won the AFC Central seven times, thanks in large part to the playoff king Bradshaw and the dominating defense known as the “Steel Curtain.”

Another NFL dynasty; another legendary head coach-quarterback combo. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady led the Patriots to three Super Bowls in four years between 2001-04, an incredible feat in the salary cap era. What makes the Patriots even more impressive, however, is their longevity: after Brady took over as starting quarterback in 2001, the Pats won three Super Bowls in four years, finished with a perfect 16-0 regular season in 2007, and proved the dynasty was not done yet by capping off the 2014 season with a win at Super Bowl XLIX. Spygate and Deflategate notwithstanding, the Patriots are a true modern-day dynasty.

Don’t we all wanna be like Mike? The 1990s’ Bulls were a dynasty in the truest sense of the term. With arguably the greatest basketball player ever to step on the court wearing number 23 and coach Phil Jackson behind the bench, the Bulls had not one but two incredible three-peats, winning their first three consecutive championships from 1991-93 and the second between ’96-‘98. With other dominant players like Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman also donning Chicago jerseys, it almost seemed unfair to the rest of the league. Who knows: if Michael Jordan hadn’t taken a two-year holiday to try his hand at baseball, the Bulls might’ve won eight straight championships.

With 24 total, there are more championship banners hanging from the rafters of the Montreal Canadiens’ arena than any other NHL team – by far. The Habs are no stranger to dynasties either, with the ‘70s’ squad taking four straight Stanley Cups, and finishing the 1976-77 season with a staggering eight losses only. But how does the team coached by Toe Blake and featuring future Hall of Famers like Jacques Plante, Dickie Moore, Doug Harvey, Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion, Henri Richard, Jean Béliveau and Maurice “The Rocket” Richard not win? Montreal made the Stanley Cup Finals every single year of the 1950s, and won a total of six times, including five straight from 1956-60.

Another team with a rich history of success, the Yankees have had several teams that could’ve made this list, including the late-‘90s-early-2000s squad led by Derek Jeter that won four World Series titles in five years. But it’s the team managed by Casey Stengel that included legends like Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra that we’ve deemed the most impressive baseball dynasty. Starting in 1947, this team won six World Series titles in seven years, including five straight from 1949-53 – which remains a league record. They closed out the decade with two more championship wins in 1956 and 1958, making them one of the most successful teams ever to play the game. Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions: - 2000s-10s’ San Antonio Spurs NBA - Early-1980s’ New York Islanders NHL - Early-1970s’ Oakland Athletics MLB - 1960s’ Green Bay Packers NFL - 1970s’ Cincinnati Reds MLB

The Boston Celtics won eight straight championships beginning in 1959. Let that sink in. Led by Red Auerbach and his cigar and Bill Russell, the Green came out on top in the finals a total of 11 times in 13 seasons thanks to a stellar team effort. The Lakers suffered the most because the Celtics’ dominance, as Boston beat Los Angeles in the finals seven times during those years. Due to the changes in sports since that era, it’s highly unlikely we will ever see a team dominate a league in any sport the way the Boston Celtics did during the 1960s, and that’s why they’re the greatest dynasty of all-time. Do you agree with our list? What do you think is the most impressive North American sports dynasty? For more exciting Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.