Who's the Real Titletown?

Their teams have won the most championships.

Who's the Real Titletown?

Pittsburgh Steelers fans at Point State Park in 1980

Pro sports fans have to deal with a lot of highs and lows. In some cities, fans are rewarded with championships on a regular basis. In other cities, those titles are few and far between.

But who can claim the ultimate title of Titletown? These cities have won the most championships.

30. Atlanta – 2 Championships (Tie)

Note: Rankings are based on titles won in seven North American sports leagues — the National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, Women's National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, National Women's Soccer League and Major League Soccer.

Current teams: Atlanta Falcons (NFL), Atlanta Braves (MLB), Atlanta Hawks (NBA), Atlanta Dream (WNBA), Atlanta United FC (MLS)

Super Bowl championships: None

MLB championships: 1 (1995)

NBA championships: None

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: None

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: 1 (2018)

City's greatest pro athlete: Hank Aaron, Atlanta Braves

Bottom line: You can't think about pro sports championships in Atlanta without thinking about what might have been. Most notable is the Atlanta Falcons blowing a 28-3 lead late in the second half of a Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots.

What should be equally disappointing for Atlanta fans is that the Braves only came out of the 1990s with one World Series title. That's because the Braves lost in the World Series four other times in the same decade. Ouch.

30. Indianapolis — 2 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: Indianapolis Colts (NFL), Indiana Pacers (NBA), Indiana Fever (WNBA)

Super Bowl championships: 1 (2006)

MLB championships: None

NBA championships: None

WNBA championships: 1 (2012)

NHL championships: None

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athlete: Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts

Bottom line: Old-school fans in Indianapolis might take exception to us listing just two championships. The Indiana Pacers won three championships in the ABA before making the leap to the NBA.

Two athletes brought the city into the modern era, but only one came away with a title. Quarterback Peyton Manning put the city on his back and led the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl victory after Hall of Famer Reggie Miller came close with the Pacers but couldn't get a ring.

29. Cleveland — 3 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: Cleveland Browns (NFL), Cleveland Guardians (MLB), Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA)

Super Bowl championships: None

MLB championships: 2 (1920, 1948)

NBA championships: 1 (2016)

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: None

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athlete: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

Bottom line: Almost no one alive remembers the two World Series championships won by the Cleveland Guardians (formerly the Indians). But almost every sports fan alive remembers the Cleveland Cavaliers winning the 2016 NBA championships.

That's because it was done in such a dramatic fashion, with NBA Finals MVP and native son LeBron James leading his team back from a 3-0 deficit to the seemingly unbeatable Golden State Warriors. Then J.R. Smith went a week without wearing a shirt.

27. Phoenix — 4 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: Arizona Cardinals (NFL), Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB), Phoenix Suns (NBA), Phoenix Mercury (WNBA), Arizona Coyotes (NHL)

Super Bowl championships: None

MLB championships: 1 (2001)

NBA championships: None

WNBA championships: 3 (2007, 2009, 2014)

NHL championships: None

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athlete: Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury

Bottom line: Phoenix has had plenty of chances to win more championships — they've lost in the Super Bowl once and the NBA Finals three times. But their championship total wouldn't be nearly as hefty if not for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and their three titles.

That being said, Phoenix's most memorable sporting moment remains the 2001 World Series, when it ended with a walk-off win for the Arizona Diamondbacks against the New York Yankees.

27. Portland — 4 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: Portland Trail Blazers (NBA), Portland Thorns FC (NWSL), Portland Timbers (MLS)

Super Bowl championships: None

MLB championships: None

NBA championships: 1 (1977)

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: None

NWLS championships: 2 (2017, 2021)

MLS championships: 1 (2015)

City's greatest pro athlete: Bill Walton, Portland Trail Blazers

Bottom line: No championship looms larger in Portland than the 1977 NBA title won by Bill Walton and the Trail Blazers, who were coached by the great Dr. Jack Ramsay.

What's kept Portland in the championship discussion has been its pro soccer teams. In the last six years, Portland has brought home three pro soccer titles — two in the NWLS and one in the MLS.

But it's still Walton's town.

23. Edmonton — 5 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: Edmonton Oilers (NHL)

Super Bowl championships: None

MLB championships: None

NBA championships: None

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: 5 (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990)

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athlete: Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers

Bottom line: The Edmonton Oilers had the greatest hockey player of all time for the first decade of his career and came away with four Stanley Cup championships behind Wayne Gretzky's brilliance.

The problem is, no matter how fondly Edmonton fans look back at that time, it's impossible to look at that era without remembering how it ended. When the Oilers shipped Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings after he won his fourth Stanley Cup in 1988.

23. San Antonio — 5 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: San Antonio Spurs (NBA)

Super Bowl championships: None

MLB championships: None

NBA championships: 5 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014)

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: None

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athlete: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

Bottom line: We have to give it up for San Antonio. All five of its championships have come from its lone pro sports franchise, the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs won all five of those titles behind perhaps the greatest power forward in NBA history, Tim Duncan. None of the titles were more memorable than when the Spurs ended the Miami Heat's shot at a three-peat by pulling off an upset in 2014.

23. Cincinnati — 5 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: Cincinnati Bengals (NFL), Cincinnati Reds (MLB), FC Cincinnati (MLS)

Super Bowl championships: None

MLB championships: 5 (1919, 1940, 1975, 1976, 1990)

NBA championships: None

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: None

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athlete: Pete Rose, Cincinnati Reds

Bottom line: The Cincinnati Bengals have been in the Super Bowl twice and lost both times, but it's the Cincinnati Reds that have come to define the city's sports fortunes. They own all five pro championships.

The Reds are most well known for the "Big Red Machine" era of the 1970s, when they won back-to-back World Series titles in 1975 and 1976 and won four National League pennants.

23. Tampa Bay — 5 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL), Tampa Bay Rays (MLB), Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)

Super Bowl championships: 2 (2002, 2020)

MLB championships: None

NBA championships: None

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: 3 (2004, 2020, 2021)

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athlete: Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning

Bottom line: Tampa Bay Lightning legend Steven Stamkos jumped to the front of his city's "greatest pro athlete of all time" list with back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021, but he could easily be supplanted if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win a second consecutive Super Bowl in 2021.

That would make it Tom Brady's title alone, making him the only athlete on this list to be the greatest pro of all time in two different cities. He shares the honor with another legend in Boston.

20. Baltimore — 6 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: Baltimore Ravens (NFL), Baltimore Orioles (MLB)

Super Bowl championships: 3 (1970, 2000, 2012)

MLB championships: 3 (1966, 1970, 1983)

NBA championships: None

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: None

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athletes: Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens, and Cal Ripken Jr., Baltimore Orioles

Bottom line: Baltimore has six pro championships spread out over two teams, including one that no longer exists, after the Baltimore Colts split for Indianapolis in 1984.

Baltimore's heartbreak over losing the Colts to Indianapolis went away when the city got the Baltimore Ravens to replace them, and they brought home two Super Bowl victories.

The Orioles have been no slouch either. They won a World Series in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

20. Minneapolis — 6 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: Minnesota Vikings (NFL), Minnesota Twins (MLB), Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA), Minnesota Lynx (WNBA)

Super Bowl championships: None

MLB championships: 2 (1987, 1991)

NBA championships: 4 (1950, 1952, 1953, 1954)

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: None

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athlete: Kirby Puckett, Minnesota Twins

Bottom line: It's been several generations of fans since the Minnesota Vikings reeled off four Super Bowl losses in a seven-year stretch from 1969 to 1976, and there aren't many people around who still have a clear recollection of the Minneapolis Lakers winning four NBA championships before the franchise moved to Los Angeles.

It hasn't been quite as long since the city's greatest pro sports moment of the modern era, when the Twins won a pair of World Series titles in a four-year stretch in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

20. Denver — 6 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: Denver Broncos (NFL), Colorado Rockies (MLB), Denver Nuggets (NBA), Colorado Avalanche (NHL), Colorado Rapids (MLS)

Super Bowl championships: 3 (1997, 1998, 2015)

MLB championships: None

NBA championships: None

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: 2 (1996, 2001)

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: 1 (2010)

City's greatest pro athlete: John Elway, Denver Broncos

Bottom line: It's amazing how much winning can wipe away bad memories. Just look at the city of Denver.

When people talk about pro championships in Denver, they talk about the Denver Broncos, who won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998 behind Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, then added another Super Bowl win in 2015 with another Hall of Fame quarterback in Peyton Manning.

What don't they talk about? That the Broncos lost in the Super Bowl four times before winning their first one.

17. Miami — 7 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: Miami Dolphins (NFL), Miami Marlins (MLB), Miami Heat (NBA), Florida Panthers (NHL), Inter Miami FC (MLS)

Super Bowl championships: 2 (1972, 1973)

MLB championships: 2 (1997, 2003)

NBA championships: 3 (2006, 2012, 2013)

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: None

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athlete: Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

Bottom line: Miami has three distinct eras of pro championships — the Miami Dolphins' domination of the 1970s, the Miami Marlins' surprise World Series championships in 1997 and 2003 and the Miami Heat's two NBA titles behind Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh in the early 2010s.

While the Heat's titles are great, real Miami fans know the city's pro sports were defined by the Dolphins and head coach Don Shula in the 1970s.

17. Milwaukee/Green Bay — 7 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: Green Bay Packers (NFL), Milwaukee Brewers (MLB), Milwaukee Bucks (NBA)

Super Bowl championships: 4 (1966, 1967, 1996, 2010)

MLB championships: 1 (1957)

NBA championships: 2 (1971, 2021)

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: None

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athlete: Bart Starr, Green Bay Packers

Bottom line: We made an exception to our list and combined pro championships in just one spot — for the Wisconsin cities of Green Bay and Milwaukee.

The cities also own a World Series championship thanks to the Milwaukee Braves in 1957, but we are most obsessed with Milwaukee's newest champion, the Milwaukee Bucks and star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

In 2021, Antetokounmpo turned in one of the more brilliant performances in NBA Finals history. That included a 50-point performance in the championship-clinching win over the Phoenix Suns.

17. Dallas — 7 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: Dallas Cowboys (NFL), Texas Rangers (MLB), Dallas Mavericks (NBA), Dallas Wings (WNBA), Dallas Stars (NHL), FC Dallas (MLS)

Super Bowl championships: 5 (1971, 1977, 1992, 1993, 1995)

MLB championships: None

NBA championships: 1 (2011)

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: 1 (1999)

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athlete: Troy Aikman, Dallas Cowboys

Bottom line: Congratulations to the two other teams that have won championships in Dallas — the Mavericks and the Stars. But they will always be secondary championships to whatever the Dallas Cowboys have won.

No franchise in the NFL defines a city more than the Cowboys define Dallas, and their current Super Bowl drought of 26 years weighs heavy on the hearts of fans and their long-suffering owner, Jerry Jones.

14. Seattle — 8 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: Seattle Seahawks (NFL), Seattle Mariners (MLB), Seattle Storm (WNBA), Seattle Kraken (NHL), OL Reign (NWSL), Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)

Super Bowl championships: 1 (2013)

MLB championships: None

NBA championships: 1 (1979)

WNBA championships: 4 (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020)

NHL championships: None

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: 2 (2016, 2019)

City's greatest pro athlete: Sue Bird, Seattle Storm

Bottom line: Seattle owes half of its pro sports championships to its great WNBA franchise, the Seattle Storm, and two more to the most popular MLS team in the country with the Seattle Sounders.

It's the other two championships that get all the shine, however, with the Seattle Seahawks winning their lone Super Bowl in 2013 and the Seattle SuperSonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder) winning it all in 1979.

14. San Francisco — 8 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: San Francisco 49ers (NFL), San Francisco Giants (MLB), Golden State Warriors (NBA)

Super Bowl championships: 5 (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994)

MLB championships: 3 (2010, 2012, 2014)

NBA championships: None

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: None

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athlete: Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers

Bottom line: Until Bay Area native Tom Brady and the New England Patriots established the greatest dynasty in NFL history, it was the San Francisco 49ers behind Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Ronnie Lott who owned that title.

The 49ers won four Super Bowls in the 1980s with genius head coach Bill Walsh, and San Francisco then got another boost in the championship category when the Giants won three World Series titles in a four-year period in the early 2010s.

If the Golden State Warriors somehow manage to win another title, it will be San Francisco's to celebrate. The team recently moved across the bay from Oakland to a new arena.

14. Kansas City — 8 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: Kansas City Chiefs (NFL), Kansas City Royals (MLB), Sporting Kansas City (MLS)

Super Bowl championships: 2 (1969, 2019)

MLB championships: 2 (1985, 2015)

NBA championships: None

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: None

NWLS championships: 2 (2014, 2015)

MLS championships: 2 (2000, 2013)

City's greatest pro athletes: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs, and George Brett, Kansas City Royals

Bottom line: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes can claim the Kansas City GOAT pro athlete title with another Super Bowl victory. That's amazing considering he's entering his fifth pro season in 2021.

Before Mahomes, championships in the city were defined by the Kansas City Royals, who won the World Series in 1985 and 2015. But we have to give big props to the city's pro soccer teams.They won four championships between the NWLS and MLS franchises.

12. Houston — 10 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: Houston Texans (NFL), Houston Astros (MLB), Houston Rockets (NBA), Houston Dash (NWLS), Houston Dynamo FC (MLS)

Super Bowl championships: None

MLB championships: 1 (2017)

NBA championships: 2 (1994, 1995)

WNBA championships: 4 (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)

NHL championships: None

NWLS championships: 1 (2020)

MLS championships: 2 (2006, 2007)

City's greatest pro athlete: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets

Bottom line: You can't get into a discussion about pro sports championships in Houston anymore without addressing the elephant in the room. The 2017 World Series-winning Houston Astros are arguably the most hated pro sports franchise in the last 20 years.

That's a well-deserved tag. The Astros cheated their brains off to win that title.

The 1990s were the era for pro basketball in the city. Between 1994 and 2000, Houston won six NBA or WNBA championships.

12. Oakland — 10 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: Oakland Athletics (MLB)

Super Bowl championships: 2 (1976, 1980)

MLB championships: 4 (1972, 1973, 1974, 1989)

NBA championships: 4 (1975, 2015, 2017, 2018)

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: None

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athletes: Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors, and Reggie Jackson, Oakland Athletics

Bottom line: It's hard to look at the pro sports championships won by the city of Oakland without an honest take on the state of pro sports in the city today. In the last three years, Oakland has lost both its NFL and NBA teams after the Raiders moved to Las Vegas and the Warriors moved to San Francisco.

Don't be surprised if Oakland is without pro sports teams in the next five years. The Oakland Athletics have begun to make the first overtures to finding another home.

11. Washington D.C. — 12 Championships

Current teams: Washington Football Team (NFL), Washington Nationals (MLB), Washington Wizards (NBA), Washington Mystics (WNBA), Washington Capitals (NHL), Washington Spirit (NWLS), D.C. United (MLS)

Super Bowl championships: 3 (1982, 1987, 1991)

MLB championships: 2 (1924, 2019)

NBA championships: 1 (1978)

WNBA championships: 1 (2019)

NHL championships: 1 (2018)

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: 4 (1996, 1997, 1999, 2004)

City's greatest pro athlete: Art Monk, Washington Football Team

Bottom line: The nation's capital has seen six of its seven pro sports teams win championships and have seen a recent renaissance. They've won three titles in the last three years, including the first championships for the Washington Capitals, Washington Nationals and Washington Mystics.

That being said, no championship in D.C. means more than when the Washington Football Team wins a Super Bowl. All three of their previous Super Bowl wins came from 1982 to 1991 under head coach Joe Gibbs.

9. St. Louis — 14 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: St. Louis Cardinals (MLB), St. Louis Blues (NHL)

Super Bowl championships: 1 (1999)

MLB championships: 11 (1926, 1931, 1934, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006, 2011)

NBA championships: 1 (1958)

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: 1 (2019)

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athlete: Stan Musial, St. Louis Cardinals

Bottom line: The history of pro sports in St. Louis begins and ends with the St. Louis Cardinals. The franchise has won 11 World Series championships.

Anyone who has been to St. Louis can tell you that the fans there don't just love the Cardinals. The city also has an obsession with the St. Louis Blues, who brought home the first Stanley Cup in franchise history in 2019.

The NFL is a different story. St. Louis has been home to four different NFL teams with each leaving for greener pastures eventually, and that's despite the St. Louis Rams bringing home a Super Bowl win in 1999.

9. Philadelphia — 14 Championships (Tie)

Current teams: Philadelphia Eagles (NFL), Philadelphia Phillies (MLB), Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), Philadelphia Flyers (NHL), Philadelphia Union (MLS)

Super Bowl championships: 1 (2017)

MLB championships: 7 (1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, 1930, 1980, 2008)

NBA championships: 4 (1955, 1956, 1967, 1983)

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: 2 (1974, 1975)

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athlete: Julius Erving, Philadelphia 76ers

Bottom line: Philly is the toughest pro sports town in the United States, meaning they also have the most obnoxious, diehard fans.

Accuse us of recency bias all you want, but the most memorable of the city's 14 pro sports championships came when the Eagles pulled off the upset victory over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl following the 2017 season.

By far the most frustrating team to be a fan of in Philly? Has to be the 76ers.

8. Pittsburgh — 16 Championships

Current teams: Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL), Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB), Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)

Super Bowl championships: 6 (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 2005, 2008)

MLB championships: 5 (1909, 1925, 1960, 1971, 1979)

NBA championships: None

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: 5 (1991, 1992, 2009, 2016, 2017)

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athletes: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Jack Lambert, Pittsburgh Steelers

Bottom line: Pittsburgh is a football town thanks to the six Super Bowl victories by the Pittsburgh Steelers — four in the 1970s behind the Steel Curtain defense and two more behind future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in 2005 and 2008.

Pittsburgh still has 10 more championships outside of the Steelers.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have five, although they haven't won one since 1979, and the Pittsburgh Penguins have five and won a championship in every decade since the 1990s.

7. Toronto — 17 Championships

Current teams: Toronto Blue Jays (MLB), Toronto Raptors (NBA), Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Toronto FC (MLS)

Super Bowl championships: None

MLB championships: 2 (1992, 1993)

NBA championships: 1 (2019)

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: 13 (1918, 1922, 1932, 1942, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1967)

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: 1 (2017)

City's greatest pro athlete: Dave Keon, Toronto Maple Leafs

Bottom line: The amazing thing about Toronto is that it's the only Canadian city with a championship in one of the top three pro sports leagues outside of hockey.

Toronto doesn't have an NFL team, but it does have championships in the NBA and MLB after the Raptors won an NBA title in 2019. While the Maple Leafs have won 13 Stanley Cup championships, they haven't won a title since 1967.

Few titles would mean more to a fan base than if the Leafs could ever win another Cup in the NHL.

6. Chicago — 20 Championships

Current teams: Chicago Bears (NFL), Chicago Cubs (MLB), Chicago White Sox (MLB), Chicago Bulls (NBA), Chicago Sky (WNBA), Chicago Blackhawks (NHL), Chicago Red Stars (NWSL), Chicago Fire FC (MLS)

Super Bowl championships: 1 (1985)

MLB championships: 6 (1906, 1907, 1908,1917, 2005, 2016)

NBA championships: 6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: 6 (1934, 1938, 1961, 2010, 2013, 2015)

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: 1

City's greatest pro athlete: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls

Bottom line: It says a lot about NBA legend Michael Jordan that his six championships — a pair of three-peats — stand so tall above all the other titles won in the city.

The Chicago Bears winning the Super Bowl in 1985 is one of the most memorable NFL championship teams in history. The Chicago Cubs winning a World Series title in 2016 — their first since 1908 — was one of the more compelling MLB stories in the last 20 years.

None of them hold a candle to Jordan, Pippen, Phil Jackson and the Bulls.

5. Detroit — 21 Championships

Current teams: Detroit Lions (NFL), Detroit Tigers (MLB), Detroit Pistons (NBA), Detroit Red Wings (NHL)

Super Bowl championships: None

MLB championships: 4 (1935, 1945, 1968, 1984)

NBA championships: 3 (1989, 1990, 2004)

WNBA championships: 3 (2003, 2006, 2008)

NHL championships: 11 (1936, 1937, 1943, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008)

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athlete: Isiah Thomas, Detroit Pistons

Bottom line: Detroit is an old-school town with old-school values, and if the Detroit Lions weren't one of the all-time worst NFL franchises, they would probably have the clean sweep of NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL championships.

The most memorable of Detroit's title teams is the back-to-back NBA champion Detroit Pistons in 1989 and 1990. "The Bad Boys" came to define an era of sports in the city although history hasn't been very kind to these teams. We blame Michael Jordan.

4. Montreal — 24 Championships

Current teams: Montreal Canadiens (NHL)

Super Bowl championships: None

MLB championships: None

NBA championships: None

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: 24 (1916, 1924, 1930, 1931, 1944, 1946, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1986, 1993)

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athlete: Maurice Richard, Montreal Canadiens

Bottom line: All 24 of Montreal's pro sports championships belong to a single franchise, the NHL's Montreal Canadiens.

The Canadiens are a full 11 Stanley Cup championships ahead of the team with the second-most in NHL history, the Toronto Maple Leafs. What's amazing is that Montreal hasn't always been a one-team town.

The Montreal Expos were a MLB franchise for 35 years, from 1969 to 2004, but never won a National League pennant.

3. Los Angeles — 31 Championships

Current teams: Anaheim Ducks (NHL),Los Angeles Rams (NFL), Los Angeles Chargers (NFL), Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB), Los Angeles Angels (MLB), Los Angeles Lakers (NBA), Los Angeles Clippers (NBA), Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA), Los Angeles Kings (NHL), Angel City FC (NWSL), Los Angeles FC (MLS), Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)

Super Bowl championships: 1 (1983)

MLB championships: 7 (1959, 1963, 1965, 1981, 1988, 2002, 2020)

NBA championships: 12 (1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2020)

WNBA championships: 3 (2001, 2002, 2016)

NHL championships: 3 (2007, 2012, 2014)

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: 5 (2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014)

City's greatest pro athlete: Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Bottom line: Forget that Los Angeles has 12 pro sports franchises, including the Angels and Ducks, which call Anaheim home. The only one that really, truly matters to the people in the City of Angels is the Los Angeles Lakers, with the Dodgers a close second.

The championships the Lakers have won bring up an interesting NBA argument because the franchise's 17 championships now tie them with the Boston Celtics for the most in NBA history, although the first five for the Lakers were won in Minneapolis.

That begs the question — when a team wins a championship, does it belong more to the city or to the franchise?

2. Boston — 39 Championships

Current teams: New England Patriots (NFL), Boston Red Sox (MLB), Boston Celtics (NBA), Boston Bruins (NHL), New England Revolution (MLS)

Super Bowl championships: 6 (2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, 2018)

MLB championships: 10 (1903, 1912, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1918, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2018)

NBA championships: 17 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2008)

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: 6 (1929, 1939, 1941, 1970, 1972, 2011)

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athletes: Bill Russell, Boston Celtics, and Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Bottom line: There was no better time to be a pro sports fan (maybe in the history of pro sports) than if you were a fan of the Boston pro teams beginning in the early 2000s.

Here's what Boston sports fans have been able to experience in the last 20 years — six Super Bowl victories, four World Series titles, one NBA championship and one Stanley Cup championship.

Must be rough.

1. New York — 50 Championships

Current teams: New York Giants (NFL), New York Jets (NFL), New York Yankees (MLB), New York Mets (MLB), New York Knicks (NBA), Brooklyn Nets (NBA), New York Liberty (WNBA), New York Rangers (NHL), New York Islanders (NHL), New York Red Bulls (MLS), New York City FC (MLS)

Super Bowl championships: 5 (1968, 1986, 1990, 2007, 2011)

MLB championships: 35 (1905, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1933, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1969, 1977, 1978, 1986, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009)

NBA championships: 2 (1970, 1973)

WNBA championships: None

NHL championships: 8 (1928, 1933, 1940, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1994)

NWLS championships: None

MLS championships: None

City's greatest pro athlete: Babe Ruth, New York Yankees

Bottom line: Four different teams have won World Series championships for the city of New York — the New York Giants, New York Yankees, New York Mets and Brooklyn Dodgers.

While the Yankees and their 27 championships stick out above all the rest, when the other New York teams win titles, it's a history-making moment. The 1994 New York Rangers winning the Stanley Cup ended a 50-year drought. Willis Reed's heroic walk back out to the court in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals for the New York Knicks. And the New York Giants pulling off the biggest upset in Super Bowl history when they took down the unbeaten New England Patriots in 2008.

Start spreading the news, New York is the home of champions.