30 Greatest Sports Duos of All Time

There are no shortage of sports duos, but which are the best ever?

30 Greatest Sports Duos of All Time

Luis Suarez congratulated by Barcelona's Lionel Messi — Barcelona's Lionel Messi, right, congratulates Luis Suarez after scoring a goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Deportivo Coruna and Barcelona at the Riazor stadium in A Coruna, Spain, on April 20, 2016.

When you search for dynamic duos, you can find them in virtually every team sport out there, and the duos can come in many different ways. In basketball, you could have a big man, little man combo or even a great shooting backcourt. In football, you can have a QB-WR duo or, perhaps, a dynamic backfield of two running backs. In baseball, the duo may be a middle-of-the-lineup pair or even a pitcher-catcher battery. There is no shortage of sports duos, but which are the best ever?

We’ve gone through every sport from the aforementioned as well as tennis, wrestling and even beach volleyball to find the best pairs of teammates. Sometimes, these teammates live up to the original Dynamic Duo of Batman and Robin, in which one is the clear-cut leader and the other plays second fiddle. Other duos listed had two “Batmans,” which may have eventually eroded their relationship — *cough* Kobe and Shaq. But they all made lasting impacts on each other, for better or for worse.

Here are the 30 greatest dynamic duos in sports history.

30. Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling

Randy Johnson congratulated by Curt Schilling

Sport: Baseball

Team(s): Arizona Diamondbacks

Years together: 4 seasons (2000-03)

Championships won together: 1

Famous words: "I take a lot of pride when I pitch after him. I want to pitch my a** off because of the standard Randy has set. They don't pay me to show up. They pay me to win.” — Curt Schilling

Bottom Line

Curt Schilling receives fist bump from teammate Randy Johnson

When 40 percent of your rotation consists of two guys who combined for 7,991 strikeouts, then you have opportunities like the Diamondbacks had in 2001 to win the World Series. Johnson was the premier power pitcher of his era, as he ranks second all-time in strikeouts, while Schilling was the premier power-control pitcher, leading the league five times in strikeouts-to-walk ratio.

In that 2001 World Series, Arizona manager Bob Brenly judiciously used Johnson and Schilling to start five games of the seven-game series, and the pair won all four games, giving the state of Arizona its only major pro sports championship.

29. Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis

Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis celebrate

Sport: Football

Team(s): Indianapolis Colts

Years together: 10 seasons (2003-12)

Championships won together: 1

Famous words: “You've pushed me every single day in practice and in games. I would not be the player I am today if it wasn't for you.” — Freeney on Mathis

Bottom Line

Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis celebrate sack

There had to be no scarier sight for a quarterback than to see Dwight Freeney coming from his left and Robert Mathis coming from his right. The two defensive ends were ferocious pass-rushers, especially when playing at home and on the turf of the RCA Dome and Lucas Oil Stadium.

The two combined for 199 sacks during their decade together, and both made the Pro Bowl together for three seasons. But they didn’t just take down the quarterback — they often created turnovers, as Mathis and Freeney rank first and third, respectively, in forced fumbles in NFL history.

28. Sony Michel and Nick Chubb

Sport: College Football

Team(s): Georgia Bulldogs

Years together: 4 seasons (2014-17)

Championships won together: 0

Famous words: “It gets to the point where we’re starting to think the same thing sometimes. Like, if I’m thinking a song, he might be thinking the same song, but I’ll sing it first and he’ll be like, ‘I was just thinking that.’ That’s when it kinda gets a little bit crazy.” — Michel on his bond with Chubb

Bottom Line

Michel and Chubb had different personalities and different running styles during their years together with the Bulldogs. Michel was more outgoing and fashioned himself as a rapper in his spare time, while Chubb was soft-spoken and had dreams of starting his own farm.

But they meshed beautifully in Athens. Together they rushed for 8,382 yards, which set the all-time FBS record for rushing yards by teammates. They surpassed the mark held by Eric Dickerson and Craig James at Southern Methodist University — a record that stood for 35 years.

27. Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler

Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon celebrate

Sport: College Basketball, Basketball

Team(s): Houston Cougars, Houston Rockets

Years together: 6 seasons (1981-83, 1995-98)

Championships won together: 1

Famous words: “He only introduced me to apple pie and ice cream.” — Olajuwon on what he learned from Drexler in college

Bottom Line

Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler high five

It’s very rare that two players are part of an iconic college team that can’t get over the hump, then become bitter rivals as pros for a decade, before rejoining forces and winning that elusive championship. But that describes Olajuwon and Drexler who were part of the Phi Slama Jama era at the University of Houston (UH) in the early ’80s. Those teams reached three straight Final Fours but never won a title, and a championship is also what eluded Olajuwon and Drexler for most of their NBA careers.

But that changed in 1994 when Olajuwon won a ring with the Rockets, and the following year the Rockets decided to revisit the pairing that existed around the block at UH. The team traded for Drexler, and he was the boost the team needed to repeat as champions. Fourteen years after first playing together as college teenagers — Hakeem and Clyde, and their Phi Slama Jama teammates — celebrated two of their own winning a championship together.

26. Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr

Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr share laugh

Sport: Hockey

Team(s): Pittsburgh Penguins

Years together: 7 seasons (1990-97, 2000-01)

Championships won together: 2

Famous words: “Sometimes you just have so much respect for a guy and you look up to him so much that you can’t believe you’re really playing with him. Every student needs a teacher, and [Lemieux] was my teacher.” — Jaromir Jagr

Bottom Line

In the 10 seasons from 1991-2001, either Lemieux or Jagr led the NHL in points nine times, and the only year one of them didn’t lead, some guy named Gretzky led. They were the prototypical duo of the sage veteran in Lemieux and the hockey prodigy in Jagr, and the latter’s famous words exemplify that.

What made this duo so successful is that Jagr knew when to lead and when to follow. He finished first in the NHL in points during the 1994-95 season, which Lemieux didn’t play in due to fatigue from radiation treatment. But when Lemieux returned the next year, Jagr took a backseat, and it was Lemieux who led the league in scoring. That kind of deference is needed to be a great duo.

25. Mark Clayton and Mark Duper

Mark Duper and Mark Clayton laugh at press conference

Sport: Football

Team(s): Miami Dolphins

Years together: 10 seasons (1983-92)

Championships won together: 0

Famous words: "They can't only concern themselves with one of us. They like to take chances, and we like it when they do. They can shut one of us down, but they can't shut both of us out." — Clayton on he and Duper

Bottom Line

O.J. McDuffie, Mark Clayton, and Mark Duper take a selfie

There have been many great WR duos like Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens or Cris Carter and Randy Moss. But those featured players at different stages of their careers, while the Marks Brothers entered the NFL just one year apart.

They accelerated the development of Dan Marino and helped him become the game’s premier passer despite neither Clayton nor Duper standing taller than 5-foot-9. It comes as no surprise that seven of Marino’s nine career Pro Bowl appearances came when he was throwing to the Marks Brothers.

24. Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio

Craig Biggio hugs Houston Astro Jeff Bagwell after the Astros defeated the Toronto Blue Jays

Sport: Baseball

Team(s): Houston Astros

Years together: 15 seasons (1991-2005)

Championships won together: 0

Famous words: “He helped make me who I was, and I think I helped him a little bit for who he was. But we had a special relationship on the field, and we still have one off the field.” — Bagwell on Biggio

Bottom Line

Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell wait on field for pitching change

If you drew up the perfect leadoff man, you’d get someone like Biggio, and if you pictured the perfect No. 3 hitter, you’d get someone like Bagwell. The Astros had the luxury of having Bagwell and Biggio — The Killer B’s — at the same time and they powered Houston’s offense.

During their 15 years together, Biggio ranked second in MLB in runs, while Bagwell ranked third. They also did it defensively on the right side of Houston’s infield and combined for five Gold Gloves. The only thing keeping them from a better ranking on this list is the lack of postseason success, as they won just three playoff series during their decade-and-a-half together.

23. Roger Staubach and Craig Morton

Craig Morton and Roger Staubach loosen up their throwing arms

Sport: Football

Team(s): Dallas Cowboys

Years together: 6 seasons (1969-74)

Championships won together: 1

Famous words: “Craig Morton was incredibly supportive and a true class act. I can’t thank him enough for that.” — Roger Staubach

Bottom Line

Roger Staubach and Craig Morton at practice

This duo is unique compared to others on this list and unique in terms of NFL history. Instead of competing side-by-side, Staubach and Morton were competing against one another, as each wanted control of the Cowboys’ starting quarterback position. Coach Tom Landry alternated the two as evenly down the middle as possible, and each player started 42 games from 1969-73.

They alternated games as starters and even alternated plays as starters for a couple of contests. The setup was unique but also successful, as together they led the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl championship and played in another Super Bowl.

22. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez

Lionel Messi embraces to his teammate Luis Suarez

Sport: Soccer

Team(s): FC Barcelona

Years together: 6 seasons (2014-20)

Championships won together: 13

Famous words: "The truth is that we speak a lot, but honestly we talk about our life. It was recently the birthday of one of my children, also his. We talked about life, the virus, everything, but very little about football, about the goals we miss or about tactical systems. We worry more about how the family is than about what happens in football." — Suarez on his relationship with Messi

Bottom Line

Luis Suarez is congratulated by Lionel Messi

How is this for dominance? During their six seasons together in La Liga, either Messi or Suarez led the league in assists all six years, and either one or the other led the league in goals in five out of the six years. They also claimed the La Liga championship in four of those seasons, and Suarez was the perfect complement on the right side to the left-footed Messi.

From Ronaldinho to Thierry Henry to David Villa, Messi has played with some great players, but none of them created as dynamic a duo as his pairing with Suarez.

21. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson

Sport: Basketball

Team(s): Golden State Warriors

Years together: 8 seasons (2011-present)

Championships won together: 3

Famous words: "Klay is my dog, I look at my career, and it's kinda hard to separate the things that have happened on the court and not put Klay in there. Our chemistry has taken us to all types of crazy heights that I don’t know if we ever expected.” — Stephen Curry

Bottom Line

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson celebrate

The Bash Brothers of Oakland A’s fame received consideration for this list, but their Bay Area counterparts — the Splash Brothers — get the nod due to their championship success. Curry and Thompson had similar childhoods as the sons of NBA players, and it’s clear that their fathers instilled the importance of shooting in their games.

It’s been said over and over, but it’s true — they are the best-shooting backcourt in NBA history. With both going into the Hall of Fame after they retire, they are also in the discussion for being the best backcourt in NBA history.

20. Matt and Jeff Hardy

Sport: Pro Wrestling

Team(s): The Hardy Boyz

Years together: 21 years (1993-2002, 2006-11, 2014-17, 2019)

Championships won together: 20

Famous words: “I am really lucky to have Jeff. He is my best friend in the whole world, not only my brother.” — Matt Hardy

Bottom Line

There are plenty of wrestling tag teams that were great duos such as The Road Warriors or The Dudley Boyz, but you can’t go wrong with picking two actual brothers in Matt and Jeff Hardy. They both debuted in WWF as teenagers and were jobbers to more established wrestlers until making their mark as part of Team Xtreme alongside Lita.

The Hardys were known for their innovative matches often involving tables, ladders and chairs and actually competed in the first-ever tag team ladder match in 1999. They’ve split up, reunited, split up, reunited, split up, reunited and split up since their inception, and seeing how this is pro wrestling, we shouldn’t be surprised to see them reunite once more (and then split up again).

19. Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan

Mickey Lolich greeted by Bud Harrelson and Bill Freehan

Sport: Baseball

Team(s): Detroit Tigers

Years together: 13 seasons (1963-75)

Championships won together: 1

Famous words: “The thing I like about [Freehan] is that he never lets his hitting interfere with his catching. Nothing demoralizes a pitcher more than to stand out there on the mound and see his catcher with a hangdog look on his face because he just struck out. If he looks disgusted, it makes you feel disgusted.” — Lolich

Bottom Line

Bill Freehan and Mickey Lolich in celebration

Lolich and Freehan weren’t the biggest of names, and they’re one of the few duos on this list without at least one player in the Hall of Fame. But they did something more often than any battery teammates in MLB history, and that’s simply being available. Lolich pitched and Freehan caught in a record 324 games together, which is more than any other pitcher/catcher combo ever.

Their most memorable game together was Game 7 of the 1968 World Series, in which Lolich had a complete game win as Freehan had a late-inning RBI double to seal the victory.

18. Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito

Bobby Orr guards the front of the net as Phil Esposito scrambles

Sport: Hockey

Team(s): Boston Bruins

Years together: 9 seasons (1967-75)

Championships won together: 2

Famous words: “Once when we were killing a penalty against the Oakland Seals, Bobby took the puck behind our net, tussled with one of their guys and lost one of his gloves. He went around by the blue line, came back, picked up his glove, still had the puck, killed well over a minute of that penalty — and then he scored. Greatest thing I ever saw.” — Esposito on Orr

Bottom Line

Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito pose for photographers in the dressing room

Either Orr or Esposito led the NHL in assists in all eight of their full seasons together, showing their selfless play for the betterment of the team. That strategy certainly worked as the Bruins first ended an eight-year playoff drought in 1968 and then ended a 29-year Stanley Cup drought in 1970.

The two Ontarians brought the Bruins’ its most success in franchise history, but they both departed on bad terms. Esposito was traded in 1975 due to him not wanting to relinquish playing time to younger players, and Orr left the following year after a contract mishap in which Orr’s agent never told him about a potential return offer from Boston.

17. Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz

David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez react after Ortiz hit a two-run home run

Sport: Baseball

Team(s): Boston Red Sox

Years together: 6 seasons (2003-08)

Championships won together: 2

Famous words: “I can tell you right now the three best things that happened in my career: without a doubt going to play for Boston. The second one, being blessed by God. And the third one, playing with [Manny Ramirez].” — David Ortiz

Bottom Line

Boston Red Sox' David Ortiz sits with teammate Manny Ramirez

Known for their big bats and even bigger personalities, Ramirez and Ortiz helped end the Curse of the Bambino by bringing the Red Sox their first World Series championship in 86 years. In route to winning that 2004 World Series, they became the first pair of AL teammates to hit 40 home runs, have 100 RBIs and bat .300 since 1931.

They also tied the single-season mark by hitting back-to-back homers six times during that season. Four years later they brought Boston its second World Series of the decade, and both players made the All-Star Game five of their six years together.

16. Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker

Lou Whitaker flips the ball to Alan Trammell

Sport: Baseball

Team(s): Detroit Tigers

Years together: 19 seasons (1977-95)

Championships won together: 1

Famous words: “My whole career, I have been linked with one person. For all those years, it was Lou and Tram. Lou, it was an honor and a pleasure to have played alongside you for all those years. The hope, my hope, is that someday, you will be up here as well." — Trammell during his Hall of Fame induction speech

Bottom Line

You can’t have a list of great duos without a great double-play combination. These two longtime Tigers played 1,918 games together, the most ever by a second baseman and shortstop. They combined for 428 home runs, 11 All-Star selections, seven Gold Gloves, seven Silver Sluggers and brought Detroit its last World Series championship in 1984.

Trammell was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018 and, seeing how similar his career numbers were to Whitaker’s, it seems only a matter of time until Whitaker is also elected in by the Veteran’s Committee.

15. Marcus Allen and Bo Jackson

Marcus Allen and Bo Jackson sit on sidelines

Sport: Football

Team(s): Los Angeles Raiders

Years together: 4 seasons (1987-90)

Championships won together: 0

Famous words: "I didn’t want to split time; I wanted to play full time. So, I basically said, ‘Let me play fullback.’ I thought we’d be unstoppable as a duo.” — Marcus Allen on sharing a backfield with Bo Jackson

Bottom Line

Imagine being the only person, ever, to have won the Heisman, an NCAA Championship, the Super Bowl, a Super Bowl MVP and an NFL MVP ... and you can’t get off the bench! That was the case for Marcus Allen when Bo Jackson was playing part-time for the Raiders.

Allen so desperately wanted to get on the field that he volunteered to play fullback and create running lanes for Jackson. Since only one player at a time can carry the ball, this is a duo that looked better on paper than in reality, as each player limited the other’s touches.

14. Willie Mays and Willie McCovey

Willie Mays and Willie McCovey pose for a picture

Sport: Baseball

Team(s): San Francisco Giants

Years together: 14 seasons (1959-72)

Championships won together: 0

Famous words: "People have a false impression of what a great player is nowadays. If somebody puts up great numbers, they think he's great. But if you saw Willie play, you would see games where he would win it for us, and he wouldn't even get a hit. He did things that nobody else does. That's what makes a great ballplayer." — Willie McCovey

Bottom Line

Willie McCovey congratulated by Willie Mays

Both Willie M’s. Both from Alabama. Both prolific home run hitters who combined for 801 long balls as teammates. That’s about where the similarities end between these two Hall of Famers.

Mays was a 5-foot-10, five-tool player who may be the greatest all-around baseball player of all-time. McCovey was a 6-foot-4 slugger who was known for his bat and only his bat. But they were peanut butter and jelly in a lineup with Mays in the three-hole and McCovey batting cleanup. Either Mays or McCovey won the NL home run title six times in between 1962 and 1969.

13. Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison

Marvin Harrison and Peyton Manning walk off field together

Sport: Football

Team(s): Indianapolis Colts

Years together: 11 seasons (1998-2008)

Championships won together: 1

Famous words: “When Peyton got here (in Indianapolis), I saw a quarterback who works as hard as I do ... I thought, 'This could be something.'” — Marvin Harrison

Bottom Line

Peyton Manning smiles with Marvin Harrison

The NFL has been around for over 100 years and no quarterback-receiver duo has been as prolific as “Manning to Harrison.” The two combined for the most receiving yards (12,766), receptions (953) and receiving touchdowns (114) in league history, and some of those records may never be broken.

They were also known for always being in sync on the field, and so much so, that during a Monday Night Football game in 2005, the Bengals’ Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson drove from Cincinnati to Indianapolis just to watch the two in action.

12. Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier

Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky plan their moves

Sport: Hockey

Team(s): Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers

Years together: 10 seasons (1979-88, 1996-97)

Championships won together: 4

Famous words: “We know the Hall of Fame player and unselfishness of Mark Messier … but his work ethic and his desire and his commitment to the team probably only paralleled to that of Gordie Howe. He was big, strong, tough — and yet — had a great deal of finesse.” — Wayne Gretzky

Bottom Line

Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier hold up the Stanley Cup trophy

Wayne Gretzky and any other hockey player is a great duo, but Mark Messier takes the cake as The Great One’s greatest teammate. They were born just eight days apart and were teenagers when they first played together. They then built a dynasty in Edmonton in their 20s, winning four Stanley Cups together and then linked up one last time in their mid-30s in New York.

Their relationship extended beyond the ice, as evident by Messier eulogizing Gretzky’s father when he passed in March 2021.

11. Jack Lambert and Jack Ham

Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers get together for photograph

Sport: Football

Team(s): Pittsburgh Steelers

Years together: 9 seasons (1974-82)

Championships won together: 4

Famous words: "[Jack Lambert] was the most complete middle linebacker ever to play." — Jack Ham

Bottom Line

If you combine Ham’s famous words with the Steelers’ defensive coordinator calling Jack Ham “the best damn outside linebacker who ever played”, then that adds up to the two Jacks being the “most complete damn linebacker duo to ever play.”

Lambert got most of the attention with his aggressive style of play and toothless grin, but Ham was just as good, and his 32 interceptions are the third-most by a linebacker in NFL history. Both players were inducted into the Hall of Fame in their first years of eligibility.

10. Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris

Roger Maris congratulated by Mickey Mantle

Sport: Baseball

Team(s): New York Yankees

Years together: 7 seasons (1960-66)

Championships won together: 2

Famous words: "Roger Maris was as good a man and as good a ballplayer as there ever was." — Mickey Mantle

Bottom Line

Known as the M&M Boys, Mantle and Maris both chased Babe Ruth’s single-season home run mark of 60 long balls during the 1961 season. Maris would be the one to eclipse it with 61 homers while Mantle finished with 54, but their 115 home runs together is the all-time record for home runs by teammates in a season.

While they were competitive in chasing Ruth’s record, Mantle and Maris were good friends off the field. They even shared an apartment together in Queens during their historic 1961 season with outfield Bob Cerv as the third roommate.

9. Bill Russell and Bob Cousy

Bill Russell hoists teammate Bob Cousy in a victory hug

Sport: Basketball

Team(s): Boston Celtics

Years together: 7 seasons (1956-63)

Championships won together: 6

Famous words: "We never bonded. In hindsight, I should have shared his pain more. Deep down there was a sense of guilt. Why didn't I do more? Why didn't I reach out more?" — Cousy on his relationship with Russell

Bottom Line

As evident by Cousy’s famous words, he and Russell weren’t the best of friends off the court even though they had an amicable relationship. However, they perfectly complemented each other on the court, with Cousy running the offense and Russell powering the defense.

Russell was infamous for blocking shots but keeping the ball in bounds and grabbing the rebound so that he could get the ball into Cousy’s hands to start a fast break. Cousy would then push the ball down the court and deliver it to another Celtic to finish for an easy bucket. That formula worked splendidly for the Celtics, as they led the NBA in pace six of the seven seasons Russell and Cousy were together, and it resulted in six rings.

8. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings

Miss May Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings celebrate win in Summer Olympics

Sport: Beach Volleyball

Years together: 11 seasons (2001-09, 2011-12)

Medals won together: 7

Famous words: “What it came down to was we were afraid of disappointing each other. That’s not possible for Misty to disappoint me, and vice versa. Once we realized that, it was like, ‘We’ve been so silly.’ But I think we had to go through that.” — Walsh Jennings on the breakthrough of her partnership with May-Treanor

Bottom Line

Misty May Treanor dives over her teammate Kerri Walsh Jennings

The most dominant team in beach volleyball history, Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor won three Olympic gold medals and three World Championships together. They rank first and second, respectively, in beach volleyball victories and career winnings, while their pairing has won twice as many matches as any other pairing in women’s beach volleyball history.

Perhaps the duo’s most impressive accomplishment is that they had a 112-match win streak that lasted for 13 months and included them winning 19 straight tournaments.

7. Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant

Sport: Basketball

Team(s): Los Angeles Lakers

Years together: 8 seasons (1996-2004)

Championships won together: 3

Famous words: “I enjoyed the times we played together. I wish we could have gotten to seven championships. But it is what it is. We’re still the most respected and most dominant one-two punch in Lakers history.” — Shaq on playing with Kobe

Bottom Line

Kobe Bryant goes up for shot as Shaquille O'Neall looks on

The fact that Shaq and Kobe could appear on both a “best duos” list and a “teammates that hated each other” list shows how volatile their relationship was. O’Neal was the most dominant player of his era, while Bryant was the most talented, and it took Phil Jackson, the Triangle Offense, some sage and incense for them to assimilate.

Just as Magic Johnson and Showtime were perfect for Los Angeles, the same can be said about Shaq, Kobe and the soap opera-like dynamic to their relationship.

6. Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale

Don Drysdale gives Sandy Koufax Cy Young Award

Sport: Baseball

Team(s): Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers

Years together: 11 seasons (1956-66)

Championships won together: 3

Famous words: “I think we were good for each other, like a good doubles tennis team. We had some good times.” — Koufax on his relationship with Drysdale

Bottom Line

Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax share a laugh

The core of the Dodgers’ success from the late 1950s through the mid-’60s was the dominant duo of Koufax and Drysdale. Koufax was from Brooklyn, New York, and Drysdale was from Los Angeles, and the Dodgers, coincidentally, moved from Brooklyn to L.A. in 1958, which only strengthened the bond between the two players.

They were the two best strikeout pitchers in the game, and they combined to win seven of eight NL strikeout titles from 1959-66. Koufax and Drysdale also won four of five Cy Young awards from 1962-66, and those came at a time when there was only one Cy Young awarded to all of MLB.

5. Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski

Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady celebrate together after the NFL Super Bowl 55

Sport: Football

Team(s): New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Years together: 10 seasons (2010-18, 2020-present)

Championships won together: 4

Famous words: “He’s one of the most unique people. Just being around him, he’s so positive. I think everybody wishes in their next life they come back as Rob just because he’s got such a great personality about him, just his way of being positive.” — Brady on Gronk

Bottom Line

Tom Brady celebrates his touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski

When the greatest quarterback in NFL history throws to the greatest tight end in NFL history, you get results like the four Super Bowls Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski have won together on two different teams. They are the most prolific postseason QB-receiver duo in NFL history, as Brady’s 14 touchdown passes to Gronk in the playoffs are the most ever between two players.

They may, somewhat, be a product of their time as football has opened up offensively over the last dozen years with rules favoring offenses. But you have to believe that these two would have been successful together no matter what era they played in.

4. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen

Michael Jordan celebrates with teammate Scottie Pippen

Sport: Basketball

Team(s): Chicago Bulls

Years together: 10 seasons (1987-93, 1995-98)

Championships won together: 6

Famous words: "Whenever they speak Michael Jordan, they should speak Scottie Pippen. Everybody says I won all these championships. But I didn't win without Scottie Pippen. That's why I consider him my greatest teammate of all time." — Michael Jordan

Bottom Line

Chicago Bulls' Scottie Pippen embraces exhausted Michael Jordan

The ultimate Batman and Robin, both of these players knew their roles and fulfilled them perfectly to the tune of six championships in eight seasons. Pippen was the ultimate glue guy who played point forward, defended the other team’s best player and served as a second option on offense.

Jordan was … the GOAT. But his famous words about Pippen say a lot about why their partnership was so successful because not every player, especially a Hall of Fame player, would have been willing to take a secondary role on a team.

3. Venus and Serena Williams

Sport: Tennis

Years together: 24 years (1997-present)

Grand Slams won together: 14

Famous words: “My first Grand Slam started here, and getting to 23 here, but playing Venus, it’s stuff that legends are made of. I couldn’t have written a better story.” — Serena after defeating Venus at the 2017 Australian Open final

Bottom Line

Venus Williams and Serena Williams at their match against each other

What made this duo so great? Well, it’s easier: They are sisters. They grew up playing with and against each other and were nearly unstoppable as a doubles team. The Williams Sisters won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, including multiple at every Grand Slam tournament, and that ranks second all-time among women’s doubles teams.

The Williams Sisters also completed the all-elusive Golden Slam, which includes completing the Career Grand Slam and also winning an Olympic gold medal. But they didn’t just win one gold medal, as they won four as partners, which is the most among any athlete, male or female, to compete at the Olympics.

2. Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Magic Johnson greets Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during Lakers photo day

Sport: Basketball

Team(s): Los Angeles Lakers

Years together: 10 seasons (1979-89)

Championships won together: 5

Famous words: “Hey Earvin — I would have to agree as my college years were incredible, but playing for The Lakers and having you as my teammate was a G.O.A.T friendship.” — Kareem on Magic saying he was the GOAT of college basketball

Bottom Line

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Earvin Magic Johnson play defense

When arguably the greatest point guard and the greatest center in NBA history team up, you get Showtime. Magic and Kareem were 12 years apart in age and had wildly different personalities, but they meshed so well on the court during the Showtime Era that you would think they were brothers. T

hat’s what makes a great duo, and much of the credit should go to Abdul-Jabbar for realizing when the Lakers were becoming Johnson’s team, which meant he needed to take a backseat. Abdul-Jabbar handed the reins of the Lakers over to Johnson in the late ’80s, and it resulted in back-to-back championships for the team in 1987 and 1988. Many Lakers fans would have liked a similar transfer of power between another Lakers duo roughly 15 years later…

1. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig

Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig pose together at a spring training game

Sport: Baseball

Team(s): New York Yankees

Years together: 12 seasons (1923-34)

Championships won together: 4

Famous words: “The Babe is one fellow, and I'm another, and I could never be exactly like him. I don't try, I just go on as I am in my own right.” — Lou Gehrig

Bottom Line

The late 1920s Yankees were nicknamed Murderers’ Row, and Ruth and Gehrig were the biggest killers of the baseball. During their 12 years together, Ruth led MLB in home runs (511) and Gehrig (348) ranked second.

Together, they hit more home runs during that stretch than nine of the 15 other teams in baseball. But Ruth and Gehrig were more than just home run hitters, as they were all-around great players and ranked first and second, respectively, in MLB WAR during their dozen years together.