Top 10 Unbelievable Winning Streaks in Sports

Top 10 Winning Streaks in Sports

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There are hot streaks, and then there are these guys. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 winning streaks in sports. For this list, we’ll be looking at the longest and most impressive winning streaks in sports. We’re focusing on consecutive wins rather than unbeaten streaks, so the 1972-73 Philadelphia Flyers, and the 2003 “Invincible” Arsenal squad – who had ties throughout their record breaking runs – don’t count.

While the 1935 Cubs hold the MLB record with 21 straight wins, the 2002 A’s came within inches of that record with a 20 game win streak in a modern and far more competitive Major League. It seemed like the nay-saying “experts” were right about the A’s early on, as they started the season with a lackluster 20-26 record. However, in August something amazing happened. Led by pitcher Barry Zito, and infielder Miguel Tejada, the A’s broke the record for the longest winning streak by an American League team, despite having the third lowest payroll in the MLB. Unfortunately their winning ways didn’t carry into the playoffs, as the Minnesota Twins knocked them out in the opening round. But it was impressive nonetheless.

This Mexican lightweight was a force to be reckoned with. Julio Cesar Chavez definitely got his career off to a hot start winning 87 fights in a row. During that incredible 13-year run, Chavez won six world titles and recorded 71 knockouts. The win streak didn’t end until he fought to a draw against Pernell Whitaker. Chavez’ undefeated streak lasted two more fights, until he finally lost to Frankie Randall in a close split decision, where he also suffered the first knockdown of his career. Considering boxers these days rarely compete in more than 50 fights in their entire career, it’s unlikely any boxer will ever top Chavez’s dominance.

When it comes to tennis in the mid-80s, Martina Navratilova was the queen of the courts. The Czech-born tennis star kicked-off 1984 off by winning the U.S. Indoor championships and didn’t slow down from there, winning 12 more tournaments and a total of 74 matches before finally falling to Helena Suková in the semifinal of the Australian Open. Amazingly, she had already broken the record for most consecutive wins for a female tennis player, as she’d had a 58 match winning streak a year before this outstanding streak. During this same time, Navratilova was also in the midst of a 109-match win streak while playing Doubles with Pam Shriver. So to say this was an impressive streak would be an understatement.

The Oklahoma Sooners have had a long history of winning. However, the pinnacle of their success was in the mid-1950s. Coached by Bud Wilkinson, the Sooners were absolutely dominant, winning 47 straight games. After losing their opener in the 1953 season to Notre Dame, the Sooners would go undefeated the rest of the season. They would then go undefeated for the next three seasons, and won the national championship in 1955 and 1956. Ultimately, Oklahoma would finally lose a game in the 1957 to – who else – Notre Dame. Since Oklahoma’s run, the closest any FBS team has come to their win streak was Toledo, who only won a measly 35 games.

During the 1960s and 1970s, the UCLA Bruins - under legendary coach John Wooden - were absolutely dominant, as they won an astonishing seven straight national championships from 1967 to 1973, and 10 out of 12 championships from 1964 to 1975. During the 1971 season, with future NBA star Bill Walton, UCLA began an unprecedented 88 game winning streak that spanned 4 seasons, meaning they went undefeated for back to back seasons in 1972 and 1973. Oddly enough, like the Oklahoma Sooners, the team who both started and ended UCLA’s winning streak was Notre Dame, who beat the Bruins in a 71-70 thriller in 1974. Impressive? Absolutely: UCLA’s record remains the longest win streak in men’s college basketball.

As impressive as the UCLA men’s basketball team’s win streak and record was, UConn women’s team’s 90 game run was unprecedented. It shouldn’t be a surprise that the Huskies hold the record for the longest win streak as they rule women’s basketball, having won six of the past eight championships. The streak began in the 2008-2009 season as star forward Maya Moore led them to an undefeated season. UConn would go undefeated again in 2010, and wouldn’t lose again until 12 games into their next season where they fell to Stanford. As of 2016, the Huskies were again on a 75 game win streak. Will they break their own record? Time will tell.

While Inter Milan and Barcelona hold their own records, having won 17 and 16 straight games in their respective leagues, Bayern Munich’s run was even more stunning as they won 19 straight during the 2013-2014 Bundesliga season. With world-class players like Mario Gotze, Thomas Muller, and Arjen Robben leading the squad, and with the help of star goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, Bayern Munich absolutely torched the Bundesliga by finishing with an astounding 29 wins, 3 draws, and only 2 losses. Not only that; they were also the fastest team to clinch a Bundesliga title in just 27 matches. Despite a semi-final blowout loss in the Champions League against Real Madrid, it was a glorious season Bayern supporters won’t soon forget.

#3: Pittsburgh Penguins (1992-93) 17 Straight Wins

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The story of the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins, who hold the NHL record with 17 straight wins, is an emotional one. Their star player Mario Lemieux was making his return to the ice after missing 3 months following his diagnosis of Hodgkin’s disease. Lemieux led the Penguins on a 17 game run to help them clinch their first, and to this day only, President’s trophy with 119 points in the season. Just as amazing as their run was the fact that Lemieux had the highest point total for the NHL that season at 120, despite having missed a quarter of the games that year. Although they fell to the New York Islanders in the playoffs, their legacy and their impressive record live on.

#2: New England Patriots (2003-04) 21 Straight Wins

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When you have arguably both the greatest head coach and quarterback of all time, in Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, you’re naturally going to have a lot of success. In the 2003 season, the Patriots looked destined for mediocrity as they started off 2-2. They then went on a tear, winning every game for the rest of the season, culminating with a Super Bowl win over the Carolina Panthers. The Patriots run would continue in 2004 with six wins in their first six games, bringing their total win streak to 21. The Patriots would go on to win the Super Bowl again that year, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles. However, the streak finally ended on Halloween 2004 at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Before we get to our top pick here are a few honorable mentions: - De La Salle High School Football (1992-2004) 151 Straight Wins - Richard Petty (1967) 10 Straight NASCAR Wins - Geelong (1953) 23 Straight Wins - Byron Nelson(1945) 11 Straight PGA Tour Wins

Before the 1972 season, the Lakers were seemingly always the runners-up having lost to the Boston Celtics six times in the NBA Finals during the 1960s. However, with the help of future hall of famers Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Gail Goodrich, LA went on an insane 33 game winning streak to reverse the franchise’s fortunes. The Lakers regularly blew out their opponents with an average margin of victory of 16 points during the streak. The run helped propel the Lakers to a 69-13 record and an NBA championship. Since their historic run, only the Miami Heat in 2012 and the Golden State Warriors in 2015 have come close to the Lakers’ record. Do you agree with our list? Who do you think has the most impressive win streak? For more victorious Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.