Wow, That Was Fast: Quickest Teams to Win League Titles
The Vegas Golden Knights capped off a remarkable rise for the young franchise, routing the Florida Panthers 9-3 on Tuesday and hoisting the Stanley Cup for the first time in their brief six-year history.
With the victory, Vegas joins a small list of organizations that have experienced championship glory in a relatively short period.
Here are some of the fastest teams to reach the pinnacle in their respective sports.
Chicago Fire (1 Year)
First MLS Season: 1998
First Championship: 1998
Upon joining Major League Soccer in 1998, the Chicago Fire made an immediate impact, capturing the MLS Cup and US Open Cup in their inaugural season. While MLS was still in its early stages, Chicago’s performance deserves recognition, particularly given the league’s rapid growth since its inception, which now boasts 29 clubs.
Milwaukee Bucks (3 Years)
First NBA Season: 1968-69
First Championship: 1970-71
Among the four major North American sports, the Milwaukee Bucks’ journey from expansion outfit to championship organization is often considered the gold standard. Led by star center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (known then as Lew Alcindor), he was selected No. 1 overall in 1969 thanks to a coin-flip win over fellow expansion team, the Phoenix Suns. With point guard Oscar Robertson, Abdul-Jabbar led the Bucks to NBA glory in only their third season. Following a franchise-best 66-16 regular season record, Milwaukee steamrolled through the playoffs, dropping just two of its 12 games en route to an eventual sweep of the Baltimore Bullets in the Finals.
Arizona Diamondbacks (4 Years)
First MLB Season: 1998
First Championship: 2001
Boasting one of the greatest one-two punches in baseball history, the Diamondbacks rode the arms of Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling to a thrilling seven-game World Series victory over the mighty New York Yankees in 2001, Arizona’s fourth season of play. The pair started all four of the D-Backs’ wins, recording a combined 1.37 ERA and earning co-MVP honors.
Baltimore Ravens (5 Years)
First NFL Season: 1996
First Championship: 2000
The Ravens were technically considered an expansion team when then-Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell relocated the franchise to Baltimore before the 1996 season. A legal settlement required Modell to leave the name and records of the Browns in Cleveland before the club rejoined the league in 1999. Led by one of the NFL’s all-time great defenses, Ray Lewis and company downed the New York Giants 34-7 in Super Bowl XXXV. During the regular season, Baltimore allowed a mere 165 points (10.3 PPG), an NFL record across a 16-game schedule.
Florida/Miami Marlins (5 Years)
First MLB Season: 1993
First Championship: 1997
Perhaps the most surprising entry on this list is the Florida Marlins. In just their fifth season, they etched their name into baseball lore by capturing the 1997 World Series in seven games over the heavily favored Cleveland Indians due to an Edgar Renteria walk-off single in the 11th. Before their championship triumph, the Marlins, despite steady improvement, had not had a winning record since entering the league in 1993. However, the celebration was short-lived as management deployed an offseason fire sale ahead of the 1998 season. This resulted in a 54-108 record, the worst mark by a defending World Series champion in MLB history.
