By Neil Paine, | ESPN, 2024-10-21 18:55:00
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
俗话说，“过得好就是最好的报复”，没有哪支球队比纽约自由队更能体现这句话的真谛。
一年前，自由队在WNBA总决赛中被拉斯维加斯王牌队四场比赛击败，并在主场以一分之差输掉了决胜局。之后的一年里，自由队一直在反思这场失利，并从中吸取教训。这些教训在周日晚上得到了回报，自由队在明尼苏达山猫队的主场击败了对手，获得了球队历史上的第一个总冠军。
"我一直期待着这一刻的到来，这种感觉无与伦比，"布里安娜·斯图尔特(Breanna Stewart)在周日以 67-62 的加时赛获胜后说道。
在职业体育界，很少有机会一路走到总冠军的边缘，却功亏一篑，然后卷土重来，在第二次尝试中获胜。纵观四大职业联赛（NFL、NBA、MLB 和 NHL）以及 WNBA，像自由队这样在总决赛中失利，然后在第二年卷土重来的球队，已经成为我所说的"王者归来"的球队之一，总共只有 59 次。
但更罕见的是"复仇者"，他们不仅从上赛季总决赛的失利中反弹，而且在通往总冠军的路上击败了一年前击败他们的球队。自由队在半决赛中击败了王牌队，就做到了这一点（尽管在通往总冠军的路上，任何战胜拉斯维加斯的胜利都算数，无论是在哪一轮）。
纵观五大联赛，这种情况在历史上只出现过 30 次，其中包括 WNBA 的两次，现在自由队也做到了这一点（见图表）。
让我们根据他们当赛季的简单评分系统（SRS）等级，对这五大赛事中最好的复仇冠军进行排名；然后，在最后，我们将他们合并成一个单一的、跨运动的排名，看看自由队在伟大复仇故事的历史上处于什么位置。
WNBA（共 2 次）
1. 2017 年明尼苏达山猫队
前一年： 在 WNBA 总决赛中以 3-2 输给了洛杉矶火花队。
赛季 SRS： +10.22（2017 年 WNBA 第一名）
复仇之战： 在 WNBA 总决赛中以 3-2 击败火花队
2011 年、2013 年和 2015 年的冠军山猫队希望在 2016 年再添一座总冠军奖杯，但他们遇到了由坎迪斯·帕克(Candace Parker)和后起之秀恩妮卡·奥古米克(Nneka Ogwumike)领衔的强大的火花队，后者在一场经典的五场总决赛中投进了制胜球，以一分优势锁定了胜利和总冠军。
当 2017 年总决赛到来的时候，玛雅·摩尔(Maya Moore)、西尔维娅·福尔斯(Sylvia Fowles)、西蒙妮·奥古斯塔斯(Seimone Augustus)和明尼苏达队已经在等着洛杉矶队了，另一场史诗般的总决赛又将上演五场。在第四场比赛中死里逃生之后，摩尔和福尔斯在决赛中联手拿下 35 分和 30 个篮板，山猫队最终获胜，在七个赛季中获得了他们的第四枚总冠军戒指，并报了一箭之仇。
2. 2024 年纽约自由队
前一年： 在 WNBA 总决赛中以 1-3 输给了拉斯维加斯王牌队。
赛季 SRS： +8.06（2024 年 WNBA 第一名）
复仇之战： 在 WNBA 半决赛中以 3-1 击败王牌队
众星云集的自由队在 2023 年迎来了巨大的突破，他们引进了两届联盟最有价值球员布里安娜·斯图尔特，随着球队的转变，他们与卫冕冠军王牌队之间也逐渐形成了一种竞争关系。在整个常规赛中，不难看出这两支球队正处于总决赛的碰撞轨道上，但一旦进入总决赛，拉斯维加斯就统治了第一场和第二场比赛，并在关键的第四场比赛中坚持到了最后。
自由队将重返总决赛作为他们的目标，他们也轻松成为了联盟中常规赛战绩最好的球队。由于对阵形势的原因，他们无法在总决赛中与王牌队相遇，但自由队确实在第二轮遇到了他们，并且以相对有说服力的方式击败了他们，在第四场比赛中以 14 分的优势晋级。与明尼苏达队的总决赛并非走过场（萨布丽娜·伊奥内斯库(Sabrina Ionescu)在第三场比赛中的关键三分球彻底改变了系列赛的走势），但自由队已经走了太远，为了 dethroning 王牌队付出了太多，最终没有输掉比赛。
NBA（共 9 次）
1. 2017 年金州勇士队
前一年： 在 NBA 总决赛中以 3-4 输给了克利夫兰骑士队。
赛季 SRS： +11.35（2017 年 NBA 第一名）
复仇之战： 在 NBA 总决赛中以 4-1 击败骑士队
这支复仇之师的夺冠历程堪称经典。2016 年，勇士队以 73 胜的常规赛战绩创造了 NBA 纪录，并在西部决赛中经过七场苦战战胜了俄克拉荷马雷霆队，并且在与骑士队的比赛中以 3-1 领先，似乎即将以联盟历史上最伟大的赛季表现夺冠。但我们都知道接下来发生了什么：德雷蒙德·格林(Draymond Green)被禁赛，勒布朗·詹姆斯(LeBron James)王者归来，凯里·欧文(Kyrie Irving)关键时刻毫不手软，等等。
在经历了令人震惊的失利之后，勇士队进入了"复仇之旅"模式：首先，他们签下了凯文·杜兰特(Kevin Durant)（这仍然是 NBA 历史上最具争议的举动之一），然后以比前一个赛季更高的 SRS 横扫联盟。在横扫西部之后，勇士队在总决赛中再次对阵骑士队，他们在以 3-0 领先的情况下，在第五场比赛中锁定了总冠军，并为错失的总冠军戒指复仇。
凯文·杜兰特在 2017 年 NBA 总决赛第五场比赛中，勇士队击败骑士队后，杜兰特被评为总决赛最有价值球员，他在赛后庆祝。 埃兹拉·肖/盖蒂图片社
2. 2014 年圣安东尼奥马刺队
前一年： 在 NBA 总决赛中以 3-4 输给了迈阿密热火队。
赛季 SRS： +8.00（2014 年 NBA 第一名）
复仇之战： 在 NBA 总决赛中以 4-1 击败热火队
从各方面来说，这支马刺队可能不应该出现在这份榜单上，他们在 2013 年的总决赛中几乎锁定了胜局，当时他们以 3-2 领先，并在第六场比赛的最后时刻以 95-92 领先，迫使勒布朗·詹姆斯投篮不中。但克里斯·波什(Chris Bosh)和雷·阿伦(Ray Allen)联手将比赛拖入加时赛，迈阿密赢得了那场比赛，并最终夺冠。格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)的球队并没有因此而气馁，他们在 2014 年的总决赛中卷土重来，以联盟最高的 SRS 成绩重返总决赛，再次面对热火队。
这一次，他们没有给对手留下任何机会，在新科总决赛 MVP 科怀·伦纳德(Kawhi Leonard)的带领下，他们在系列赛的最后三场比赛中赢了对手 57 分。复仇从未如此甜蜜。
NBA 其他球队排名
| 排名 | 年份 | 球队 | 复仇系列赛 | SRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3. | 1983 | 76 人队 | 在总决赛中以 4-0 击败湖人队 | 7.53 |
| 4. | 1985 | 湖人队 | 在总决赛中以 4-2 击败凯尔特人队 | 6.48 |
| 5. | 1989 | 活塞队 | 在总决赛中以 4-0 击败湖人队 | 6.24 |
| 6. | 1973 | 尼克斯队 | 在总决赛中以 4-1 击败湖人队 | 6.07 |
| 7. | 2016 | 骑士队 | 在总决赛中以 4-3 击败勇士队 | 5.45 |
| 8. | 1979 | 超音速队 | 在总决赛中以 4-1 击败子弹队 | 2.69 |
| 9. | 1958 | 老鹰队 | 在总决赛中以 4-2 击败凯尔特人队 | 0.82 |
NFL（共 6 次，超级碗时代 0 次）
1. 1948 年费城老鹰队
前一年： 在 NFL 冠军赛中以 21-28 输给了芝加哥红雀队。
赛季 SRS： +15.45（1948 年 NFL 第二名）
复仇之战： 在 NFL 冠军赛中以 7-0 击败红雀队
老鹰队在其成立的前 14 个赛季中从未参加过季后赛，但在 1947 年，在教练厄尔·“油腻”·尼尔(Earle “Greasy” Neale)的带领下，这一切都改变了。在全明星跑卫史蒂夫·范布伦(Steve Van Buren) 1008 码和 13 次达阵的带领下，费城队进入了 NFL 冠军赛，对手是红雀队，而红雀队自从 1925 年夺冠后就再也没有进入过季后赛。然而，尼尔的球队在比赛初期就以 0-14 落后，最终输掉了比赛。
1948 年，老鹰队卷土重来，他们的净胜分大幅提高，并在费城白雪皑皑的希贝公园球场与芝加哥队再次相遇，争夺冠军。在 NFL 冠军赛历史上第一次有电视观众观看的情况下，范布伦在第四节拿下了比赛的唯一一分，费城队也报了一箭之仇，获得了球队历史上的第一个冠军。
2. 1943 年芝加哥熊队
前一年： 在 NFL 冠军赛中以 6-14 输给了华盛顿队。
赛季 SRS： +12.88（1943 年 NFL 第一名）
复仇之战： 在 NFL 冠军赛中以 41-21 击败华盛顿队
熊队是那个时代 NFL 的霸主，1942 年的熊队在常规赛中取得了 11 战全胜的战绩，SRS 值高达 +21.4（至今仍是联盟历史上最高的），这可能是他们最令人印象深刻的一个赛季。但在常规赛教练乔治·“爸爸熊”·哈拉斯(George “Papa Bear” Halas)远赴二战战场的情况下，芝加哥队卫冕两连冠的梦想被华盛顿队在冠军赛中打破。（这两支球队之间早有恩怨，包括芝加哥队在 1940 年的冠军赛中以 73-0 击败华盛顿队。）
虽然没有前一年那么有统治力，但 1943 年的熊队仍然以 8 胜 1 负 1 平的战绩领跑联盟，再次进入了冠军赛。这一次，他们报了一箭之仇，西德·拉克曼(Sid Luckman)战胜了"单臂将军"萨米·鲍格(Sammy Baugh)，传球 286 码，5 次达阵，带领球队取得了胜利。
NFL 其他球队排名
| 排名 | 年份 | 球队 | 复仇比赛 | SRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3. | 1954 | 布朗队 | 在冠军赛中以 56-10 击败雄狮队 | 10.4 |
| 4. | 1951 | 公羊队 | 在冠军赛中以 24-17 击败布朗队 | 9.1 |
| 5. | 1939 | 包装工队 | 在冠军赛中以 27-0 击败巨人队 | 7.4 |
| 6. | 1934 | 巨人队 | 在冠军赛中以 30-13 击败熊队 | 3.9 |
MLB（共 5 次）
1. 1956 年纽约洋基队
前一年： 在世界大赛中以 3-4 输给了布鲁克林道奇队。
赛季 SRS： +1.1（1956 年 MLB 第二名）
复仇之战： 在世界大赛中以 4-3 击败道奇队
回到 50 年代，当时纽约是棒球的中心，洋基队在赢得了前五届世界大赛的冠军后，在秋季经典赛中被中断了一年，其中包括三次击败道奇队，以及另一支同城对手纽约巨人队。1955 年，洋基队和道奇队再次相遇，结果是一场七场大战，人们记住的是布鲁克林的球星（杰基·罗宾逊(Jackie Robinson)、杜克·斯奈德(Duke Snider)、罗伊·坎帕内拉(Roy Campanella)、皮·维·里斯(Pee Wee Reese)等）终于为球队赢得了第一个冠军。
时间快进到接下来的 10 月，道奇队和洋基队又一次相遇，这是他们在五个赛季中的第四次相遇，他们又一次打满了七场。然而，这一次，最大的新闻是洋基队的投手唐·拉森(Don Larsen)，他在第五场比赛中投出了世界大赛历史上唯一的一场完美比赛，并被评为最有价值球员。
2. 1923 年纽约洋基队
前一年： 在世界大赛中以 0-4-1 输给了纽约巨人队。
赛季 SRS： +1.2（1923 年 MLB 第一名）
复仇之战： 在世界大赛中以 4-2 击败巨人队
早在 1956 年的洋基队由曼特尔(Mantle)、贝拉(Berra)、拉森(Larsen)和福特(Ford)领衔的几十年前，布朗克斯轰炸机队就拥有了贝比·鲁斯(Babe Ruth)，但他们仍然在寻求球队历史上的第一个冠军，而且令人惊讶的是，这是他们连续第三次出现在秋季经典赛上。洋基队在 1922 年就有机会复仇，因为他们在 1921 年的世界大赛中也输给了约翰·麦格劳(John McGraw)的巨人队，但球队在系列赛中未能取得一场胜利，鲁斯在系列赛中 17 个打数仅击出 2 支安打。
但 1923 年对这支球队来说是一个全新的时代：首先，他们搬出了马球场，搬进了由鲁斯建造的新家——洋基体育场。其次，他们在世界大赛中充分把握住了机会，连赢三场，最终夺冠，这是他们最终获得的 27 个冠军（并且还在增加）中的第一个。
MLB 其他球队排名
| 排名 | 年份 | 球队 | 复仇系列赛 | SRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3. | 1931 | 红雀队 | 在世界大赛中以 4-3 击败运动家队 | 1.1 |
| 4. | 1958 | 洋基队 | 在世界大赛中以 4-3 击败勇士队 | 1 |
| 5. | 1943 | 洋基队 | 在世界大赛中以 4-1 击败红雀队 | 0.7 |
NHL（共 8 次）
1. 1984 年埃德蒙顿油人队
前一年： 在斯坦利杯决赛中以 0-4 输给了纽约岛人队。
赛季 SRS： +1.50（1984 年 NHL 第一名）
复仇之战： 在斯坦利杯决赛中以 4-1 击败岛人队
韦恩·格雷茨基(Wayne Gretzky)第一次赢得斯坦利杯的故事始于失败。在从世界曲棍球协会（WHA）转会而来之后，埃德蒙顿围绕着这位伟大的球员打造了一支新兴的争冠球队，格雷茨基在他进入 NHL 的前几个赛季中都赢得了最有价值球员奖，并且一路上创造了联盟单赛季进球、助攻和得分的新纪录。但是 1982 年的油人队在季后赛第一轮就被洛杉矶国王队爆冷淘汰（他们在第三场比赛中令人难忘地浪费了 5-0 的领先优势），而 1983 年高歌猛进的油人队在决赛中被更加全面的岛人队横扫。
这对埃德蒙顿来说是一个巨大的警钟，让他们意识到自己需要在哪些方面改进，在接下来的春天，格雷茨基和油人队对如何才能赢得胜利有了更好的认识。再次面对纽约，埃德蒙顿在第一场比赛中就以 1-0 的比分取得了胜利，这在油人队历史上是很少见的，他们在五场比赛中赢得了斯坦利杯，这是他们在五个赛季中赢得的四个冠军中的第一个。
1984 年 5 月 19 日，在北国体育馆，埃德蒙顿队的马克·梅西埃(Mark Messier)在击败岛人队赢得 1984 年斯坦利杯后，手持康恩·斯迈斯奖杯。照片由 Focus on Sport/Getty Images 拍摄
2. 1956 年蒙特利尔加拿大人队
前一年： 在斯坦利杯决赛中以 3-4 输给了底特律红翼队。
赛季 SRS： +1.08（1956 年 NHL 第一名）
复仇之战： 在斯坦利杯决赛中以 4-1 击败红翼队
在教练迪克·欧文(Dick Irvin)的带领下，加拿大人队围绕着年轻的莫里斯·理查德(Maurice Richard)、后卫道格·哈维(Doug Harvey)和字面意义上的"大力射门"发明者伯尼·“轰轰”·杰弗里昂(Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion)等人，从 1946 年的冠军阵容中重新崛起。在赢得 1953 年的斯坦利杯之后，他们本应在未来几年继续统治 NHL，但蒙特利尔在 1954 年的决赛中在七场比赛中输给了戈迪·豪(Gordie Howe)领衔的底特律队。这两支球队在下个赛季再次相遇，加拿大人队在纸面实力上看起来更加强大，但在赛季末，理查德和裁判克里夫·汤普森(Cliff Thompson)之间发生了一起冲突，理查德打了汤普森的脸，导致汤普森昏迷不醒，结果理查德被禁赛到赛季结束，包括季后赛。（这也引发了几天后在蒙特利尔广场发生的骚乱。）
失去了他们的球星，蒙特利尔在七场比赛中再次输给了底特律，欧文也在之后离开了球队。但随着理查德的回归，并在电台讲话中发誓要成为一名更好的领袖，加拿大人队在 1956 年对红翼队实施了复仇，他们连续第五次赢得斯坦利杯，开启了一个王朝。
NHL 其他球队排名
| 排名 | 年份 | 球队 | 复仇系列赛 | SRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3. | 1950 | 红翼队 | 在半决赛中以 4-3 击败枫叶队 | 0.78 |
| 4. | 1943 | 红翼队 | 在半决赛中以 4-2 击败枫叶队 | 0.75 |
| 5. | 1933 | 游骑兵队 | 在决赛中以 3-1 击败枫叶队 | 0.52 |
| 6. | 1924 | 加拿大人队 | 在决赛中以 2-0 击败参议员队 | 0.34 |
| 7. | 2009 | 企鹅队 | 在决赛中以 4-3 击败红翼队 | 0.28 |
| 8. | 1922 | 圣帕特里克队 | 在决赛中以 1-0 击败参议员队 | 0.03 |
最强王者
现在我们已经收集了所有像自由队这样"复仇者"的案例，我们可以通过比较他们的 SRS 分数，在不同的运动项目中对他们进行排名。（因为不同运动项目的得分水平差异很大，我们不能简单地比较不同联盟的原始数据。）
为此，我们将执行所谓的标准化，即计算球队的 SRS 在每个赛季中高于或低于联盟平均水平多少个标准差。由此得出的指标被称为"z 分数"，它可以让我们公平地对所有复仇冠军进行排名。
根据这个指标，最具统治力的复仇冠军是 2017 年的勇士队。（这并不奇怪。）而今年 WNBA 的总冠军自由队在 30 支球队中排名第 12 位，z 分数为 +1.53，高于平均水平，排在 1923 年的洋基队和 1943 年的熊队之间：
五大赛事 z 分数比较
| 运动项目 | 年份 | 球队 | SRS z 分数 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NBA | 2017 | 金州勇士队 | 2.71 |
| MLB | 1958 | 纽约洋基队 | 1.85 |
| WNBA | 2017 | 明尼苏达山猫队 | 1.83 |
| NHL | 1984 | 埃德蒙顿油人队 | 1.77 |
| NBA | 2014 | 圣安东尼奥马刺队 | 1.67 |
| NHL | 1950 | 底特律红翼队 | 1.66 |
| NBA | 1983 | 费城 76 人队 | 1.65 |
| NBA | 1985 | 洛杉矶湖人队 | 1.65 |
| NHL | 1956 | 蒙特利尔加拿大人队 | 1.63 |
| MLB | 1956 | 纽约洋基队 | 1.58 |
| MLB | 1923 | 纽约洋基队 | 1.53 |
| WNBA | 2024 | 纽约自由队 | 1.53 |
| NFL | 1943 | 芝加哥熊队 | 1.36 |
| NFL | 1948 | 费城老鹰队 | 1.34 |
| NFL | 1951 | 洛杉矶公羊队 | 1.18 |
| NBA | 1989 | 底特律活塞队 | 1.17 |
| MLB | 1943 | 纽约洋基队 | 1.12 |
| NBA | 2016 | 克利夫兰骑士队 | 1.11 |
| MLB | 1931 | 圣路易斯红雀队 | 1.1 |
| NBA | 1973 | 纽约尼克斯队 | 1.1 |
| NFL | 1954 | 克利夫兰布朗队 | 1.02 |
| NHL | 1933 | 纽约游骑兵队 | 1.02 |
| NHL | 1943 | 底特律红翼队 | 0.9 |
| NFL | 1939 | 绿湾包装工队 | 0.87 |
| NBA | 1979 | 西雅图超音速队 | 0.83 |
| NHL | 2009 | 匹兹堡企鹅队 | 0.65 |
| NHL | 1924 | 蒙特利尔加拿大人队 | 0.54 |
| NFL | 1934 | 纽约巨人队 | 0.49 |
| NBA | 1958 | 圣路易斯老鹰队 | 0.25 |
| NHL | 1922 | 多伦多圣帕特里克队 | 0.06 |
点击查看原文：Ranking Liberty's WNBA 'Revenge Tour' against other titles
Ranking Liberty’s WNBA ‘Revenge Tour’ against other titles
If you apply the quote living well is the best revenge, no team is living it better than the New York Liberty.
A year after being vanquished in four games by the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA Finals, losing the deciding game by a point on their home floor, the Liberty spent a year ruminating on the defeat – and learning from it. Those lessons paid off Sunday night, as the Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx on their home floor to secure the franchise’s first title.
“I’ve been manifesting this moment for a while. There’s no feeling like it,” Breanna Stewart said after Sunday’s 67-62 overtime win.
Rare is the chance in professional sports to make it all the way to the edge of a championship, fall short, then climb back and win on a second try. Across the big four pro leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL) and the WNBA, a team like the Liberty, who lost the Finals, then came back and won the next year, has become what I’ll call one of those “Return Winners” just 59 times in total.
But rarer still is the “Revenge Winner,” a champion who not only bounces back from losing the previous season’s Finals, but who does it while going through the team that beat it a year earlier. The Liberty did this when they beat the Aces in the semifinals (though any win over Las Vegas en route to the title would have qualified, regardless of the round).
Across the five major leagues, that situation has only played out 30 times in history – including twice in the WNBA specifically, now that the Liberty have pulled off the feat (see chart).
Let’s rank the best of these revenge titlists in each of the five sports leagues, based on their Simple Rating System (SRS) grade from the season in question; then, at the end, we’ll combine them into a single, cross-sport ranking to see where the Liberty stand in the annals of great revenge tales.
WNBA (2 total)
1. 2017 Minnesota Lynx
Previous year: Lost WNBA Finals to Los Angeles Sparks, 3-2\
Season SRS: +10.22 (1st in WNBA in 2017)\
The Revenge: Beat Sparks 3-2 in WNBA Finals
The 2011, 2013 and 2015 champion Lynx were looking to add yet another title to their collection in 2016, but they ran up against a loaded Sparks team led by Candace Parker and breakout star Nneka Ogwumike – the latter of whom capped off a classic five-game Finals with the winning shot to secure a one-point victory and the title.
When the 2017 Finals rolled around, Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles, Seimone Augustus and Minnesota were waiting for L.A. again, and another epic Finals unfolded across five more games. After surviving elimination in Game 4, Moore and Fowles combined for 35 points and 30 rebounds in the finale as the Lynx prevailed, earning their fourth ring in seven seasons with a side of revenge.
2. 2024 New York Liberty
Previous year: Lost WNBA Finals to Las Vegas Aces, 3-1\
Season SRS: +8.06 (1st in WNBA in 2024)\
The Revenge: Beat Aces 3-1 in WNBA Semifinals
The star-studded Liberty staged a huge breakout in 2023 after adding two-time league MVP Breanna Stewart, and with the franchise’s turnaround came a burgeoning rivalry with the defending champion Aces. Throughout the regular season, it was easy to see the two teams were on a Finals collision course – but once they got there, Las Vegas dominated Games 1 and 2 and hung on to win the deciding Game 4.
The Liberty made it their mission to get back, and they were easily the league’s best regular-season team. Because of how the bracket shaped up, they couldn’t meet the Aces in the Finals, but the Liberty did get to meet them in Round 2 – and dispatched them in relatively convincing fashion, winning Game 4 by 14 to advance. The Finals against Minnesota were hardly a formality (Sabrina Ionescu’s clutch logo 3 in Game 3 completely changed the series), but the Liberty had come too far and worked too hard at dethroning the Aces to lose in the end.
NBA (9 total)
1. 2017 Golden State Warriors
Previous year: Lost NBA Finals to Cleveland Cavaliers, 4-3\
Season SRS: +11.35 (1st in NBA in 2017)\
The Revenge: Beat Cavs 4-1 in NBA Finals
This is the revenge title to end all revenge titles. After setting a NBA record with 73 regular-season wins in 2016, the Warriors survived the Oklahoma City Thunder in a seven-game West final and appeared poised to cap off the greatest season in league history with a 3-1 lead over the Cavaliers. But we all know what happened next: Draymond Green suspended, LeBron James resurgent, Kyrie Irving clutch, etc.
Following the stunning loss, the Warriors went into Revenge Tour mode: First, signing Kevin Durant (in what remains one of the NBA’s most controversial moves), then laying waste to the league with an even higher SRS than they’d had the season before. Up against the Cavaliers yet again in the Finals after sweeping their way through the West, the Warriors took a 3-0 lead before sealing up the title – and their retribution for the ring that got away – in Game 5.
Kevin Durant celebrates after being named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player after his Warriors defeated the Cavaliers in Game 5 to win the 2017 NBA title. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
2. 2014 San Antonio Spurs
Previous year: Lost NBA Finals to Miami Heat, 4-3\
Season SRS: +8.00 (1st in NBA in 2014)\
The Revenge: Beat Heat 4-1 in NBA Finals
By all rights, these Spurs probably shouldn’t be on this list – they had the 2013 Finals all but locked up when they held a 3-2 series lead and forced a LeBron James miss while up 95-92 in the closing seconds of Game 6. But Chris Bosh and Ray Allen teamed up to force an improbable overtime, and Miami won that game en route to the title. Gregg Popovich’s squad was undeterred, however, bouncing back to lead the league in SRS and returning to face the Heat again in the 2014 Finals.
This time around, they left nothing up to chance, winning the last three games of the series by a combined 57 points behind the efforts of breakout Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard. Revenge never tasted so sweet.
NBA Ranking the rest
| Rank | Year | Team | Revenge Series | SRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3. | 1983 | 76ers | Beat Lakers 4-0 in Finals | 7.53 |
| 4. | 1985 | Lakers | Beat Celtics 4-2 in Finals | 6.48 |
| 5. | 1989 | Pistons | Beat Lakers 4-0 in Finals | 6.24 |
| 6. | 1973 | Knicks | Beat Lakers 4-1 in Finals | 6.07 |
| 7. | 2016 | Cavaliers | Beat Warriors 4-3 in Finals | 5.45 |
| 8. | 1979 | SuperSonics | Beat Bullets 4-1 in Finals | 2.69 |
| 9. | 1958 | Hawks | Beat Celtics 4-2 in Finals | 0.82 |
NFL (6 total, 0 in Super Bowl era)
1. 1948 Philadelphia Eagles
Previous year: Lost NFL Championship to Chicago Cardinals, 28-21\
Season SRS: +15.45 (2nd in NFL in 1948)\
The Revenge: Beat Cardinals 7-0 in NFL Championship
The Eagles had never known a playoff game in their first 14 seasons of existence, but that all changed under coach Earle “Greasy” Neale in 1947. Behind 1,008 yards and 13 TDs from All-Pro halfback Steve Van Buren, Philly made the NFL championship game against the Cardinals, who themselves hadn’t made the playoffs since winning the 1925 title. Neale’s bunch fell behind 14-0 early, though, and never recovered in the loss.
Returning even better in 1948, the Eagles vastly improved their point differential and found themselves in a title-game rematch with Chicago at snowy Shibe Park in Philadelphia. As the first TV audience in NFL championship history watched, Van Buren provided the game’s lone score in the fourth quarter, and Philly got its revenge with the first championship in franchise history.
2. 1943 Chicago Bears
Previous year: Lost NFL Championship to Washington, 14-6\
Season SRS: +12.88 (1st in NFL in 1943)\
The Revenge: Beat Washington 41-21 in NFL Championship
The Bears were a dominant NFL power during this era, and the 1942 team – with its perfect 11-0 record and +21.4 SRS (still the highest in league history) during the regular season – might have been the most impressive version of all. But with regular coach George “Papa Bear” Halas away fighting in World War II, Chicago’s reigning two-time champions were upset by Washington in the title game. (The two franchises already had history and bad blood, including the time Chicago beat Washington 73-0 for the 1940 championship.)
While not quite as dominating as a year earlier, the 1943 Bears still led the league in SRS and went 8-1-1 to make the title contest again – and this time, they got their revenge as Sid Luckman outdueled Slingin’ Sammy Baugh, posting 286 yards and 5 TD passes in the victory.
NFL Ranking the Rest
| Rank | Year | Team | Revenge Game | SRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3. | 1954 | Browns | Beat Lions 56-10 in Championship | 10.4 |
| 4. | 1951 | Rams | Beat Browns 24-17 in Championship | 9.1 |
| 5. | 1939 | Packers | Beat Giants 27-0 in Championship | 7.4 |
| 6. | 1934 | Giants | Beat Bears 30-13 in Championship | 3.9 |
MLB (5 total)
1. 1956 New York Yankees
Previous year: Lost World Series to Brooklyn Dodgers, 4-3\
Season SRS: +1.1 (2nd in MLB in 1956)\
The Revenge: Beat Dodgers 4-3 in World Series
Back in the '50s, when New York was the center of the baseball universe, the Yankees were coming off a one-year interruption in Fall Classic appearances after winning each of the previous five – beating the Dodgers for three of those, and the other crosstown rival New York Giants for another. Yankees-Dodgers was on the menu yet again in 1955, and the result was a seven-game classic remembered for Brooklyn’s stars (Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, etc.) finally earning the franchise’s first title.
Fast-forward to the following October, and it was Dodgers-Yankees once more – for the fourth time in five seasons – and they went the distance again. This time, though, the big story was Yankee pitcher Don Larsen, who was named MVP after winning Game 5 with the only perfect game in World Series history.
2. 1923 New York Yankees
Previous year: Lost World Series to New York Giants, 4-0-1\
Season SRS: +1.2 (1st in MLB in 1923)\
The Revenge: Beat Giants 4-2 in World Series
Decades before the '56 Yankees were led by Mantle, Berra, Larsen and Ford, the Bronx Bombers were in the World Series with Babe Ruth – and still looking for the franchise’s first championship, remarkably enough, in their third consecutive Fall Classic appearance. The Yankees had a shot at revenge already in 1922, having also lost the '21 Series to John McGraw’s Giants, but the team failed to register a single victory as Ruth went 2-for-17 in the series.
But 1923 was the dawn of a new era for the franchise in every way: First, they moved out of the Polo Grounds and into the new House That Ruth Built, Yankee Stadium. Second, they made the most of the World Series berth, winning three straight to close out the championship – No. 1 of what would eventually become an MLB-best 27 titles (and counting).
MLB Ranking the Rest
| Rank | Year | Team | Revenge Series | SRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3. | 1931 | Cardinals | Beat A’s 4-3 in World Series | 1.1 |
| 4. | 1958 | Yankees | Beat Braves 4-3 in World Series | 1 |
| 5. | 1943 | Yankees | Beat Cardinals 4-1 in World Series | 0.7 |
NHL (8 total)
1. 1984 Edmonton Oilers
Previous year: Lost Stanley Cup Final to New York Islanders, 4-0\
Season SRS: +1.50 (1st in NHL in 1984)\
The Revenge: Beat Islanders 4-1 in Stanley Cup Final
The story of Wayne Gretzky’s first Stanley Cup victory starts in defeat. After coming over from the WHA, Edmonton built an up-and-coming contender around the Great One, with Gretzky winning MVP in each of his first few NHL seasons – and setting new league records for goals, assists and points in a season along the way. But the 1982 Oilers were upset by the L.A. Kings in Round 1 of the playoffs (after memorably blowing a 5-0 lead in Game 3), and the high-flying 1983 Oilers were swept by the more well-rounded Islanders in the Final.
It was a giant wake-up call for Edmonton about where they needed to improve, and the following spring, Gretzky and the Oilers had a better idea of what it took to win. Facing New York again, Edmonton set the tone with an un-Oiler-like 1-0 shutout in Game 1, and won the Cup in five games – the first of what would end up being four titles in five seasons.
Edmonton’s Mark Messier holds the Conn Smythe Trophy after defeating the Islanders for the 1984 Stanley Cup at the Northlands Coliseum on May 19, 1984. Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images
2. 1956 Montreal Canadiens
Previous year: Lost Stanley Cup Final to Detroit Red Wings, 4-3\
Season SRS: +1.08 (1st in NHL in 1956)\
The Revenge: Beat Red Wings 4-1 in Stanley Cup Final
Under coach Dick Irvin, the Canadiens had reloaded from their championship in 1946 around young Maurice Richard, defenseman Doug Harvey and literal slap shot inventor Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion, among others. After winning the 1953 Cup, they were poised to reign for years to come, but Montreal lost the 1954 Final to Gordie Howe and Detroit in seven games. The two teams were on a collision course again the following season, with the Habs looking even stronger on paper, but a late-season incident between Richard and referee Cliff Thompson – in which Richard punched Thompson in the face, knocking him unconscious – resulted in Richard being suspended for the rest of the season, including the playoffs. (This also sparked a riot at the Montreal Forum a few days later.)
Without its star, Montreal again fell to Detroit in seven games, and Irvin left the team afterward. But with Richard back and vowing in a radio address to be more of a leader going forward, the Canadiens exacted their revenge on the Red Wings in 1956, sparking a dynasty by winning the first of five consecutive Cups.
NHL Ranking the Rest
| Rank | Year | Team | Revenge Series | SRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3. | 1950 | Red Wings | Beat Maple Leafs 4-3 in Semifinals | 0.78 |
| 4. | 1943 | Red Wings | Beat Maple Leafs 4-2 in Semifinals | 0.75 |
| 5. | 1933 | Rangers | Beat Maple Leafs 3-1 in Final | 0.52 |
| 6. | 1924 | Canadiens | Beat Senators 2-0 in Final | 0.34 |
| 7. | 2009 | Penguins | Beat Red Wings 4-3 in Final | 0.28 |
| 8. | 1922 | St. Patricks | Beat Senators 1-0 in Final | 0.03 |
Best of the best
Now that we have gathered all our cases of Liberty-like Revenge Champs, we can rank them across different sports by comparing their SRS scores on equal footing. (Because scoring levels vary a lot between sports, we can’t just compare the raw numbers to each other across leagues.)
To do that, we’ll perform what’s called standardization, which involves calculating how many standard deviations above or below the league average the team’s SRS was in each season. The resulting metric is known as a “z-score,” and it allows us to rank all of our avenging champions fairly.
By this metric, the most dominant revenge title belonged to the 2017 Warriors. (Not really a surprise there.) And this year’s WNBA Finals champion Liberty come in 12th out of 30 teams, with a +1.53 z-score that sits above the group average, sandwiched between the 1923 Yankees and the 1943 Bears:
Z-Score Comparison Across Five Leagues
| Sport | Year | Team | SRS Z-Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| NBA | 2017 | Golden State Warriors | 2.71 |
| MLB | 1958 | New York Yankees | 1.85 |
| WNBA | 2017 | Minnesota Lynx | 1.83 |
| NHL | 1984 | Edmonton Oilers | 1.77 |
| NBA | 2014 | San Antonio Spurs | 1.67 |
| NHL | 1950 | Detroit Red Wings | 1.66 |
| NBA | 1983 | Philadelphia 76ers | 1.65 |
| NBA | 1985 | Los Angeles Lakers | 1.65 |
| NHL | 1956 | Montreal Canadiens | 1.63 |
| MLB | 1956 | New York Yankees | 1.58 |
| MLB | 1923 | New York Yankees | 1.53 |
| WNBA | 2024 | New York Liberty | 1.53 |
| NFL | 1943 | Chicago Bears | 1.36 |
| NFL | 1948 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1.34 |
| NFL | 1951 | Los Angeles Rams | 1.18 |
| NBA | 1989 | Detroit Pistons | 1.17 |
| MLB | 1943 | New York Yankees | 1.12 |
| NBA | 2016 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 1.11 |
| MLB | 1931 | St. Louis Cardinals | 1.1 |
| NBA | 1973 | New York Knicks | 1.1 |
| NFL | 1954 | Cleveland Browns | 1.02 |
| NHL | 1933 | New York Rangers | 1.02 |
| NHL | 1943 | Detroit Red Wings | 0.9 |
| NFL | 1939 | Green Bay Packers | 0.87 |
| NBA | 1979 | Seattle SuperSonics | 0.83 |
| NHL | 2009 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 0.65 |
| NHL | 1924 | Montreal Canadiens | 0.54 |
| NFL | 1934 | New York Giants | 0.49 |
| NBA | 1958 | St. Louis Hawks | 0.25 |
| NHL | 1922 | Toronto St. Patricks | 0.06 |
By Neil Paine, via ESPN