KSL Sports Ranked: The Greatest Hot Streaks In Sports History

Jul 17, 2023, 11:45 AM

Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz wears Say Her Name on the back of his jersey. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

BY CHANDLER HOLT

KSL Sports

SALT LAKE CITY – There are a lot of things that make people fans of sports.

There is one thing in sports that has crazy highlights, great teamwork, and displays of dominance… The Hot Streak.

From individual runs to powerhouse teams, here are some of the greatest hot streaks in sports history.

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Hot Streaks From Local Teams, Athletes

1996 BYU Football Team Has Near-Perfect Season

The Cougars went 14-1 in the 1996 College Football season, won the Western Athletic Conference championship, and beat Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl.

On November 9, 1996, BYU had what was potentially their win of the year. They stomped Rice, scoring 49 points and not allowing the Owls to get on the scoreboard.

Led by head coach LaVell Edwards, BYU Football’s only loss came to the Washington Huskies in Seattle, Washington.

Real Salt Lake Surprises In 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs

In 2009, RSL snuck into the MLS playoffs.

Of the eight teams that made the postseason, Real Salt Lake had the least amount of points. However, the club caught their stride at the perfect time.

They won two of their final three regular-season games and kept the momentum going in the playoffs.

RSL beat Columbus twice in one week to advance to the Conference Finals, moved past Chicago in a penalty shoot-out, and then crowned themselves champions with a win over the Los Angeles Galaxy in the final.

Our next #MLSCup shootout was in 2009 with @NickRimando & @realsaltlake coming up BIG against the Galaxy. pic.twitter.com/2tb6WhVBBQ

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 8, 2018

Donovan Mitchell, Jamal Murray Have All-Time Duel in 2020 NBA Playoffs

2020 was a dark year for sports.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused every major sports league to stop play for the safety of players and spectators alike.

Sports fans rejoiced when the NBA started up again in the Orlando bubble to finish the season and playoffs.

The Utah Jazz lost in the first round to the Denver Nuggets in seven games. But, the series will be remembered by fans for another reason.

The star guards for each team, Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray, had debatably the greatest first-round playoff duel of all time. Mitchell averaged 38.7 points with shooting splits that look like they could be fake.

The two guards combined for four 50-point games, the most in NBA playoff history.

The Donovan Mitchell x Jamal Murray duel in the bubble was crazy. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Dndr52ay41

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 16, 2022

Some Of The Greatest Hot Streaks Ever

Boston Celtics Build NBA’s First Dynasty

Although the competition may not be comparable to today’s standards, showing respect to the pioneers of the game is a must.

The Celtics won 8-straight NBA championships from 1959-1966. They won two more times in 1968 and 1969 to make it 10 championships in 11 years. Boston beat Los Angeles in seven of those years.

Led by Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, and Red Auerbach, Boston was a force to be reckoned with.

Even though the NBA had less than ten teams during Boston’s run, the record is impressive nonetheless.

Wayne Gretzky Scores Point In 51 Consecutive Games

Sports fans love to debate. Because of this, people usually can’t determine who the greatest is in any given sport.

The vast majority of people will agree that Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer and Babe Ruth is the greatest baseball player. Wayne Gretzky is up there with the undisputed GOATs.

In the 1983-84 season, Gretzky recorded a point in 51 straight games. He broke his own record of 30 consecutive games when he set the untouched mark.

In 1989-90, Mario Lemieux scored a point in 46 straight games. Gretzky’s record stands to this day.

Gretzky’s points streak hits 51 games vs the #Devils #LetsGoOilers #HappyBirthday99 pic.twitter.com/8mUb0S8aks

— Vintage Oilers (@VintageOilers) January 26, 2019

Jo DiMaggio’s Baseball Hit Record Stands For Nearly A Century

In 1941, Hall of Fame Yankees center fielder Jo DiMaggio set a record that may end up standing for 100 years.

Joltin’ Joe recorded a hit in 56 consecutive games. The second-longest streak came in the 1800s. Baltimore’s Willie Keeler got at least one hit in 45 straight games.

The hit streak wasn’t even DiMaggio’s longest. In 1993, when DiMaggio played in the Pacific Coast League, he hit in 61 straight games.

His streak ended on July 17, 1941, against the Indians.

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Chandler Holt is a Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.