Latest news with #ThreePeat
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"I want them to win, just not when I'm still playing" - Michael Jordan on why stopping his rivals from winning rings made him proud
"I want them to win, just not when I'm still playing" - Michael Jordan on why stopping his rivals from winning rings made him proud originally appeared on Basketball Network. By the time he walked away from the game, Michael Jordan was 6-0 in the NBA Finals. But behind that perfection were names like Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, and John Stockton — Hall of Famers left without rings simply because they happened to share an era with Jordan. Had MJ not stepped away in 1993, Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler could have also been in the same company. Facing Jordan in the Finals always resulted in heartbreak for the opposition. The Chicago Bulls asserted their dominance so well that none of the Finals series they played in reached Game 7. And Jordan took pride in that. "I joke around with my friends about it, Charles, Patrick and all of these guys. I take great pride in making sure that they don't win because that means you have a better chance to win, and that's the attitude that I take. I want them to win, I just don't want them to win when I'm still playing," said MJ, who completed two three-peats with the Bulls. Jordan's dominance during the '90s created an unmatched aura that continues to exist to this day. Facing him and the Bulls required the opposition to have more mental toughness and perseverance than anything else. Touching upon the credibility factor associated with winning the chip against him, Jordan cited the 1991 championship against Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. "I'd like for them to think that if they win a championship, it didn't feel quite the same because they didn't win it against Michael Jordan," he added. "It would mean the same thing. If we didn't have the opportunity to beat Magic Johnson in 1991." "I'm pretty sure I would have some thoughts about it. I would have gotten over it, but just being able to beat Magic Johnson, who was a king at that time of winning championships, gave our championship some credibility," explained Jordan, whose first NBA championship came against the course, Jordan wasn't untouchable from the start. Before the three-peats, there were the Detroit Pistons — the biggest roadblock on his way to the ultimate glory. Led by Isiah Thomas and coached by Chuck Daly, the Bad Boys held off the Bulls for three straight years, sending Jordan home bruised, battered, and without answers. Their defensive blueprint, famously known as The Jordan Rules, was designed to wear him down physically and mentally. Jordan finally broke through in 1991, sweeping the Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals and ending one of the most intense rivalries in NBA history. "We surprised a lot of people, and we surprised ourselves. We didn't feel we could sweep this team, but we knew we could beat them. We had to accept every beating, every push and every elbow they gave us and stay focused on our goal. I was glad to see our team stay so focused," Jorda said via the New York Times after beating the Pistons in 1991. It took time, pain and failure, but after that, no one could stop story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lightning 'not hiding' from historic three-peat
London Pulse have beaten Loughborough Lightning twice in their three meetings this season [Getty Images] Loughborough Lightning's chance to claim an unprecedented Netball Super League 'three-peat' makes them overqualified to be underdogs for Sunday's Grand Final, says head coach Vic Burgess. The Leicestershire outfit have a shot at becoming the first side to win three successive NSL titles when they face London Pulse in the decider at the O2 Arena in the nation's capital. Advertisement While Loughborough are two-time defending champions, Pulse topped the table at the end of the regular season and overcame Lightning 50-49 in the major semi-final just two weeks ago to seal a spot in the showpiece event. Loughborough, however, set up the high-stakes rematch by beating Manchester Thunder last weekend to reach their fifth straight Grand Final. "We have a lot of history, we know how to win in pressure situations and we step up to the plate when it's needed," Burgess told BBC Radio Leicester. "This is our fifth final in a row and we are going for a fourth championship. Advertisement "We have beaten Pulse once this season and they have beaten us twice but I don't think we are the underdogs. I think Pulse want it, but I actually think we want it more." And it is something of history-making proportions that Lightning desire on Sunday. "The opportunity to do the 'three-peat' is there because it is their right," Burgess said. "There is no point not talking about it because it is reality - if we do this, we do create some history. So why hide away from it?" Burgess says the narrow defeat by Pulse in their last meeting, which sent Lightning the long way round to reach the Grand Final, has worked to Loughborough's advantage. Advertisement "Leading up to the final we have put ourselves in the best position possible," she added. "We have had that extra game, and that intensity has kept us focused. "I know the players will be raring to get back on the court against Pulse again so we can right some wrongs. "The loss two weeks ago against Pulse in the major semi, that really did hit quite hard. It was a hard loss for everyone to take because it was one point and we had it [the advantage] at certain points in the game. No one wants to feel like that again." Goal keeper Alice Harvey has been with Loughborough throughout their recent years of dominance - with this set to be her fifth Grand Final appearance in as many years - but says "nothing is being taken for granted". Advertisement "This season has been hard and at no point did it ever feel like we were guaranteed to make the Grand Final," she told BBC East Midlands Today. "Just because we have so much success behind us doesn't mean it will continue. We know we have to stick to our structures, processes and everything that has worked so far. "I know it's not a given, but I am also in a team that pushes for high performance and making it into a Grand Final is the reward for that."
Fox Sports
05-02-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Chiefs reportedly secure an early Super Bowl win: The use of Pat Riley's 'Three Peat'
Super Bowl LIX has yet to be played, but the Kansas City Chiefs have secured a championship victory in merchandise. The team and the iconic ex-NBA coach/current executive Pat Riley have agreed to a deal that will allow Kansas City to make "Three Peat" merchandise if it wins Super Bowl LIX, an attorney for Riley told cllct on Tuesday. The exact details of the deal are unknown as Kansas City is seeking to become the first team to ever win three straight Super Bowls when it takes on the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday (6:30 p.m. ET on FOX). While the Chiefs' run for a three-peat has been one of the NFL's top storylines this season, they've had a hurdle in fully profiting off the phrase "Three Peat." Riley trademarked the term and five others adjacent to it when he coached the Lakers to their second consecutive title in the 1987-88 season. Like the Chiefs, Riley's Lakers made it back to the championship round that third season. However, they were swept by the Detroit Pistons in the 1989 NBA Finals. Riley left the Lakers in 1990 and later became the head coach of the New York Knicks and Miami Heat. He never led those teams to a three-peat, but he came close to accomplishing three titles in a row in his role as the Heat's president. Miami won the 2012 and 2013 NBA Finals before losing in the 2014 NBA Finals. While Riley has never accomplished a three-peat, a few other notable teams have in recent decades. The Chicago Bulls three-peated twice in the 1990s and the Lakers completed their three-peat in 2002. The New York Yankees also won three World Series in a row from 1998-2000. Riley profited off merchandise that used "Three Peat" during each of those team's title runs. However, the licensing fee Riley received was likely just 10-15% of the royalty on the wholesale price of those items, cllct reported. If the Chiefs are able to win their third straight Super Bowl on Sunday, "Three Peat" merchandise would reportedly be made by Fanatics, New Era, Wilson, Riddell and Wincraft and sold at Chiefs retail. As for whatever earnings Riley would make from the Chiefs' possible "Three Peat" products, the money would be allocated to his eponymous charity (Pat Riley Family Foundation), Riley's trademark lawyer John Aldrich told cllct. Related Stories: Can Kansas City Chiefs join the three-peat club? They're not alone in the chase Two years after reaching the Super Bowl, these Eagles are even better Patrick Mahomes is tearing down great QB legacies before they can even start Why a 'special' Saquon Barkley is the NFL's Most Valuable Player Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
