Greatest single-season teams ever
Sports history is full of teams that didn't just win championships but redefined what dominance looks like within a single season, steamrolling opponents and leaving lasting legacies. From perfect records to record-breaking point differentials, these squads sparked debates that still rage in bars and locker rooms decades later. Which single-season team truly stands above the rest? Cast your vote and help settle the argument once and for all.
What counts: The crowd's votes decide the order — seeded neutral.
1972 Miami Dolphins
The only perfect season in NFL history, capped by a Super Bowl VII win over Washington that sealed a 17-0 record no team has matched since. Don Shula's ball-control machine leaned on Larry Csonka's bruising runs and a defense nicknamed the 'No-Name Defense,' proving dominance doesn't need flash. Every undefeated pretender since has been measured against this team and found wanting.},{
added by IJRin 4 rankings
79Michael Jordan's revenge tour after his brief retirement produced a then-record 72-10 season, blending Jordan's scoring with Scottie Pippen's two-way brilliance and Dennis Rodman's rebounding chaos. They capped it with an NBA title, cementing themselves as the gold standard of single-season dominance.
added by IJRin 3 rankings1995–96 Chicago Bulls season
60Tom Brady and Randy Moss torched the league en route to a perfect 16-0 regular season, the first since the 1972 Dolphins, with a record-setting offense that felt unstoppable. The story ends in heartbreak as the Giants stunned them in the Super Bowl, leaving the 'perfect season' incomplete but legendary.
added by IJRin 3 rankings2007 New England Patriots season
34Known as 'Murderers' Row,' this Yankees squad featuring Babe Ruth's 60-homer season and Lou Gehrig's monster year steamrolled the league and swept the World Series. Their combination of individual dominance and total team supremacy set the template for what a 'greatest team' even means.
added by IJRin 2 rankings1927 New York Yankees season
312015-16 Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry's unprecedented shooting revolutionized basketball as the Warriors broke the all-time wins record at 73-9, surpassing Jordan's Bulls. The season's stunning collapse in the Finals against Cleveland adds a haunting what-if to their case for this list.
added by IJRin 2 rankings
191985 Chicago Bears
The Bears fielded arguably the most terrifying defense in NFL history, led by Buddy Ryan's '46' scheme, Mike Singletary, and Richard Dent, punctuated by the cultural phenomenon of the 'Super Bowl Shuffle.' They rolled to a 15-1 record and a dominant Super Bowl XX blowout, making them a defensive benchmark for greatness.
added by IJRin 4 rankings
-8This Yankees team won a then-American League record 114 regular-season games and steamrolled through the postseason with a 125-50 combined record, capped by a World Series sweep. Balanced across pitching, defense, and clutch hitting, they're often cited as the most complete baseball team ever assembled.
added by IJRin 2 rankings1998 New York Yankees season
-252001 Los Angeles Lakers
Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant led a Lakers team that went a stunning 15-1 through the playoffs, the best postseason run in NBA history, after a merely good 56-26 regular season. Their playoff ferocity and near-perfect postseason march make them a unique entry among teams defined more by their run than their record.
added by IJR
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