What Exactly Is A Dynasty?
We all know what a dynasty is, right? You could probably list a dozen off the top of your head. In a few instances, there is very little debate to be had, if any. Most others though, there is an argument to be made. Against. Common knowledge would tell you that a dynasty is a team that has a 5+ year stretch, winning at least 3 Titles. Seems reasonable. Where the debate comes in, is what can eliminate a team from being a dynasty.
There are a few in which you will get no debate about. The Mount Rushmore if you will. The 50’s-60’s Celtics won 11 out of 13, including 8 in a row. The 60’s-70’s UCLA Bruins won 10 out of 12, including 7 in a row. The 90’s Bulls won 6 out of 8. It’s generally accepted these were true dynasties, almost impossible to argue against.
Our next group did not have the sustained success that the Rushmores did, but general consensus would be they are dynasties. The late 90’s Yankees won 4 out of 5. The 80’s 49ers won 4 out of 8. The 70’s Steelers won 4 out of 6. None quite the longevity the teams above did, but tough not to say they were dynasties. Same core, while winning half the titles in a span of a half-decade or more. We will leave these teams be.
There are about a dozen others in the last 50 years or so that can be debated. Several of them, if not most of them, the majority of people will say were dynasties. Here are arguments to me made against that claim.
Too Long Of A Stretch
Sustaining success over the course of a decade (or longer) is what all teams strive for. When you have a team that competes for a Title over a span like that, you are doing everything right. Several teams have won 5 Titles stretched over many years. As a fan, that’s as good as it gets; competing every year. Think of the Spurs from 99-14, the 80’ Lakers AND the 00’s Lakers. They all won 5 Championships, but over a relatively long stretch of time. Dynasty or not? Probably, but an argument could be made it was too long of a timeframe.
Not Long Enough
While ripping off 3 Championships in a row (or even 3 out of 4) is an amazing accomplishment, does that mean a team is dynastic? The 70’s A’s, 80’s Celtics, the 90’s Cowboys, and the early 00’s Lakers fall into this category. Like I said, 3 in a row is remarkable, but is a stretch of 3 or 4 years long enough to be considered a dynasty? It’s a great, great run, but a dynasty?
Too Many Losses
Even the great teams over the years come up a little short. It happens. But losing multiple Championships, how much does that hurt your dynasty label? The 10’s Warriors, the 10’s LeBron’s (yes, he was his own dynasty), and the 80’s Lakers all won 3 or more Championships, but they all lost multiple Finals as well. Unless your last name is Jordan, perfection is rarely achieved. But can you barely be over .500 in the Finals, and still be a dynasty? Similar to the “too long of a stretch” argument, you would be thrilled if your team has this level of success over any stretch of time, but…dynasty? Maybe not.
That said, aside from the teams where there is NO debate, the most impressive dynasty in my lifetime is the current Patriots. Ironically they fall into 2 of the categories above, but their current (at the time if this writing) 18 year run is, well, unheard of. 18 years, 9 Super Bowl appearances, 6 Super Bowl Titles. Let that sink in. In the last 18 years, the Patriots have made the Super Bowl half the time. Never before has a team made a nearly 2 decade run like this, and may never again. Again, I know this contradicts some of my points above, but hey, it’s my list.
There is another team worth mentioning, a team that I, like probably all of you, don’t think of when talking about dynastic teams. The San Francisco Giants, who won in 2010, 2012, & 2014. Why are they never brought up in this conversation? I have always wondered that. Their accomplishment is marginally different than the 10’s Warriors, 90’s Cowboys, or the 80’s Celtics…all who are widely considered dynasties. Something to chew on.
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