Over the years, fans have been treated to dominant stretches from the likes of the Golden State Warriors, New England Patriots and now the Kansas City Chiefs. Whilst all of these teams have put together simply dominant seasons, there have been plenty of occasions where a team has popped up from nowhere to steal the limelight. In this article, we will be looking at the best individual seasons from America’s four biggest sports.

What is the best winning percentage in a single season over the past 10 years in 4 Major Leagues? 

  1. 2015 - Carolina Panthers 15-1 (.938)

Four years after being the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, Cam Newton led the Carolina Panthers to a stunning 15-1 record. From an NFL winning percentage perspective, only the unbeaten Dolphins and Patriots can say they have done better. Newton was a dual-threat quarterbacking machine, passing for 3,837 yards and 35 touchdowns, whilst also rushing for 636 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. Such an impressive stat line landed him the prestigious NFL MVP Award.

Carolina led the league in scoring that year, and their 141.9 rushing yards per game were a big reason why. The Panther’s top three rushers, Jonathan Stewart, Cam Newton and Mike Tolbert all averaged over 4 yards per carry, with tight end Greg Olsen leading the way among the receivers.

Olsen was a reliable option at tight end and one of the best in the league at the time, posting 1,104 yards and 7 touchdowns. He was paired up with electric deep threat Ted Ginn Jr, who only needed 44 receptions to amass 739 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

It wasn’t until the penultimate week of the regular season that the Panthers suffered their first loss. They stormed to the number one seed in the NFC and didn’t lose again until the Super Bowl. After dispatching the Arizona Cardinals to the tune of 49 points to 15, Carolina’s high-powered offense could only muster up 10 points against Denver. Newton completed just 43% of his passes for no touchdowns and 1 interception. A disappointing end to a remarkable season.

  1. 2015 - Golden State Warriors 73-9 (.890)

The 2010s played host to a majestic dynasty for the Golden State Warriors, so it should come as no surprise that they hold the highest win percentage in the NBA in the last decade. Their best win percentage during this time came in 2015, which was the one year during a dominant four-season stretch that they did not win the finals.

Steph Curry was the star of the show for much of this period, and he was the NBA’s MVP for the 2015 season. He registered the most points per game (30.1), had the highest free throw percentage and led the league in steals. He was a truly dominant force on the court, helping the team achieve the best winning percentage in the history of the NBA.

The season featured impressive wins such as the 135-94 victory over Chicago, a 116-98 win over Los Angeles and a 132-98 victory over Cleveland. After making light work of Houston and Portland in the playoffs, it took all seven games to get past the Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round. This set up a hotly anticipated NBA Finals clash against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

After winning three of the first four games, the Warriors looked to be on track to win their second consecutive title. Unfortunately, a stunning comeback from the Cavaliers swung the contest back in their favor, giving them an unlikely Championship.

  1. 2016 - New England Patriots 14-2 (.875)

Tom Brady’s New England Patriots were always going to appear on this list. They already tied the highest win percentage in the NFL for their unbeaten 2007 season, but they also pop up in the third spot here. Their incredible 2016 campaign saw them overcome adversity to produce a 14-2 record and grab their fifth title.

After the drama surrounding Deflategate landed Brady a four-game suspension to start the season, he returned with vengeance. Brady’s replacements, Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett, managed to secure a 3-1 record to start the season, which Brady converted into a stellar 14-2 record and the number one seed in the AFC.

Despite missing the first four games, Brady still threw for 3,554 yards and 28 touchdowns, with only 2 interceptions. LeGarrette Blount hit 1,000 yards as a rusher and Julian Edelman did the same as a receiver. Life became harder for the team in the second half of the season as star tight end Rob Gronkowski was ruled out for the remainder of the year with a herniated disc.

Not willing to let that stop him, Brady propelled the Patriots through the Playoffs to set up one of the craziest Super Bowls in NFL history. After falling to a 28-3 deficit in the third quarter, he produced the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history to tie the game and eventually win it in overtime. The transition from 28-3 down to the 34-28 final scorecard has become an infamous storyline for Falcons fans and one of the greatest moments in NFL history.

  1. 2020 - Kansas City Chiefs 14-2 (.875)

The 2020 season for the Kansas City Chiefs was a continuation of Patrick Mahomes’ rise to the top of the NFL, as they attempted to defend their Super Bowl title and become the first team to go back-to-back since the early 2000s. Benefitting from having pass catchers such as Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, Mahomes and the Chiefs swept aside all but one of their regular season opponents with a full-strength squad. Their second loss came in week 17, as they rested players before the playoffs.

Kelce was simply dominant, posting 1,416 yards and 11 touchdowns, whilst speedy wideout Tyreek Hill burnt defenders for 1,276 yards and 15 touchdowns. They helped Patrick Mahomes put together a very strong 4,740-yard season with 38 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions.

In the playoffs, Kansas City grinded their way past Cleveland, before hammering Buffalo 38-24 to be crowned champions of the AFC. This set up a Super Bowl against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by Tom Brady. After dominating defenses all year long, the Chiefs couldn’t pick their way through the Buccaneers' defense, and the result was a very underwhelming scoreline of 31-9 in the favor of Tampa Bay. The win gave Tom Brady his seventh ring.

  1. 2019 - Baltimore Ravens 14-2 (.875)

If you’re going to dominate in the NFL, you could do with having a playmaker at quarterback. In 2019, that is exactly what Baltimore had. Lamar Jackson, in just his second season, was simply unstoppable. He passed for 3,127 yards, 36 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions, whilst also running for 1,206 yards and 7 more scores on the ground. He was the epitome of a dual-threat quarterback.

Most of the damage was done on the ground in 2019. Jackson led the way with 1,206 yards, but Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards also chipped in with, 1,018 yards and 711 yards respectively. Both players averaged over 5 yards per carry. The Ravens really could do whatever they wanted on the ground.

After starting the season with a 2-2 record, Baltimore won 12 straight to close out the season. They were worthy winners of the number one seed in the AFC and looked set for a deep playoff run. Unfortunately, a shock 28-12 loss to Tennessee brought the sparkling season to a surprising early end. From Super Bowl favorites to ugly playoff question marks in a couple of weeks, it was a painful way to close out the 2019 season for the Ravens.

  1. 2022 - Kansas City Chiefs 14-3 & Philadelphia Eagles 14-3 (.824

In an attempt to not make this article too NFL-heavy, I am going to combine the 14-3 seasons for Kansas City and Philadelphia. Both teams dominated in 2022, and their reward was a date in the Super Bowl.

Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts produced two very high-level quarterbacking seasons, with Mahomes’ 5,250 yards and 41 touchdowns proving enough to win him the MVP Award. Jalen Hurts was not far behind him, passing for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns, whilst also rushing for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.

Both teams averaged over 29 points per game, placing them as the two highest-scoring teams for the season. This fed into one of the most exciting back-and-forth Super Bowls we have seen in recent years, as the two sides battled out a 73-point classic. It was Kansas City who came out on top, edging the victory with a Harrison Buttker field goal to make it 38-35 in the dying moments.

  1. 2022 - Boston Bruins 65-17 (.823)

The highest win percentage in NHL in the last 10 years belongs to the Boston Bruins in 2022. In their 99th year in the league, the Boston Bruins welcomed in a new coach, Jim Montgomery. They also bolstered their on-ice ranks through the return of David Krejci and the additions of Pavel Zacha, Tomas Nosek and Dmitry Orlov, amongst others.

The Bruins dominated all year long, totaling 135 points and setting several records along the way. Their 14 consecutive wins to start the season were the most ever by any team, and they became the fastest team in NHL history to reach 80 and 100 points on the year.

Unfortunately, their regular season success did not translate into the playoffs. The Bruins fell to the Florida Panthers, who took down Boston in overtime of game 7 after trailing the series 3-1. A disappointing end to a very promising season.

  1. 2014 & 2016 - Golden State Warriors 67-15 (.817)

The Golden State Warriors have already appeared once on this list, and they appear again for their incredible efforts in 2014 and 2016. Both of these seasons resulted in titles for the team, but it was 2014 that was the most remarkable.

In just their first season under Steve Kerr, the Warriors posted their best-ever single-season record, also becoming the 10th team in NBA history to win 67 or more games. The sharpshooting duo of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson led the way, with Draymond Green proving to be a rock on defense.

After earning the top seed in the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors easily swept aside the New Orleans Pelicans and the Memphis Grizzlies, before defeating the Houston Rockets to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1975. Here they faced the Cleveland Cavaliers, who they defeated by 4 games to 2. What a first year for Steve Kerr, and it didn’t stop there.

The Warriors would win two more titles in the next three years, including one in their other 67-15 season in 2016. Another great American dynasty.

  1. 2017 - Houston Rockets 65-17 (.793)

2017 looked to be Houston’s year in the NBA, as they smashed their previous record of 59 wins in a season. After acquiring Chris Paul prior to the 2017 season, the Rockets reeled off 65 wins, with superstar James Harden leading the way. The Rockets were known for their fast-paced, high-scoring gameplay, which ultimately helped them clinch the number one seed for the first time in franchise history.

James Harden was the star of the show. He led the league in scoring with 30.4 points per game, which helped land him the prestigious MVP award.

The Rockets eased their way through the first two rounds of the playoffs, setting up a Conference Finals clash against the Golden State Warriors. Despite Harden leading the way in points in six of the games, the Rockets fell just short.

  1. 2020 - Los Angeles Dodgers 43-17 (.717)

Our 10th spot goes to the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose 43-17 record gives them the highest win percentage in MLB in the last 10 years. They don’t actually have the next best win percentage as it pertains to this list, but it didn’t feel right to not give Baseball any representation. The 2020 Dodgers team stormed to a 43-17 record, which led to a thrilling World Series win.

After seven fruitless trips to the playoffs, the Los Angeles Dodgers finally got across the line in 2020. It came off the back of a dominant season under the management of Dave Roberts. The roster was littered with stars such as Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger, Clayton Kershaw and Corey Seager, who finally helped the Dodgers deliver on their potential.

Across the season, which was shortened to 60 games because of the COVID pandemic, the Dodgers led the league in runs scored, whilst also boasting one of the lowest earned run averages from their pitchers. This meant a deep playoff run was always on the cards for Los Angeles, and they eventually set up a World Series date with the Tampa Bay Rays.

With the likes of Kershaw, Betts and Seager all coming good on the big stage, the Dodgers secured a 4-2 series win to become champions.

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