Most Dysfunctional Champions in Sports History

No team is immune to feuds, coaching changes and locker-room problems — but drama can derail greatness.

Most Dysfunctional Champions in Sports History

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal — Kobe Bryant, left, and Shaquille O'Neal won three championships in eight seasons playing together with the Lakers.

Teammates are like family. You can’t pick them, and they sometimes fight.

Even successful teams — including those that might be dynasties — are not immune to feuds, coaching changes and off-the-field problems. But drama can derail greatness.

Some teams had plenty of conflict and still found a way to win. Others failed to live up their potential and left us wondering what could have been.

These teams are the most dysfunctional champions in sports history.

20. 2018 New England Patriots

Tom Brady, James White, Rob Gronkowski — Tom Brady, center, led the 2018 New England Patriots to another Super Bowl win.

Coach: Bill Belichick

Regular-reason record: 11-5

Postseason record: 3-0

Season finish: Won Super Bowl 53 over the Los Angeles Rams, 13-3

Bottom lines: The Patriots' 2018 season — which culminated with another Lombardi Trophy — didn't stick to the script.

While the players all were in sync, head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady reportedly had a rift, and future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski threatened to retired after almost being traded to the Detroit Lions. Being true professionals, they didn't let any differences get in the way of supreme greatness.

But now that Gronkowski has retired and Brady isn't getting any younger, how much longer can the Patriots keep winning?

19. 1995-96 Chicago Bulls

Michael Jordan was a fierce competitor — even with teammates.

Coach: Phil Jackson

Regular-season record: 72-10

Postseason record: 15-3

Season finish: Won NBA Finals over the Seattle SuperSonics, 4-2

Bottom line: The story is now the stuff of legend, but Steve Kerr and Michael Jordan threw down fisticuffs at a practice in 1995.

Jordan’s attitude and vocal nature had worn on Kerr, who ended up with a black eye and newfound respect from the GOAT.

They patched things up enough to have a bit of success in the end, winning three NBA titles as Bulls teammates.

18. 2001 Ajax

Rafael Van Der Vaart and Zlatan Ibrahimovic — Ajax midfielder Rafael Van Der Vaart, left, and Juventus striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic during a Champions League soccer match in 2004.

Coach: Ronald Koeman, Co Adriaanse (fired)

Regular-season record: 22-7-5

Postseason record: Lost in qualifying round (UEFA Champions League)

Season finish: Won Eredivisie League

Bottom line: Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Rafael Van Der Vaart won league titles together in their early years, but they are two egos that could not stand each other.

Their distaste culminated in an international match between Sweden and Holland in 2004, when Ibrahimovic took out Van Der Vaart on a hard slide, shredding his ankle. Van Der Vaart accused him of doing it on purpose.

In his 2013 book, "I Am Zlatan," Ibrahimovic said that if Van Der Vaart accused him again, "he'd break his legs, and this time, it will be on purpose." Yeah, no love lost there.

17. 2013 Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks Percy Harvin returns a kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 48.

Coach: Pete Carroll

Regular-season record: 13-3

Postseason record: 3-0

Season finish: Won Super Bowl 48 over the Denver Broncos, 43-8

Bottom line: A dynamite defense. Electrifying quarterback. And oodles of personality. The Seahawks seemed to have it all on their way to a dominant Super Bowl win.

That win featured a kickoff returned for a touchdown by Percy Harvin, but prior to that moment, Harvin was a headache in the locker room, butting heads with Doug Baldwin and Golden Tate.

Harvin and Tate had a fight the following year in training camp, and Harvin got sent off to football hell, aka Buffalo.

16. 1992 U.S. Men’s Basketball Team

Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler — USA's Scottie Pippen, left, with Michael Jordan, center, and Clyde Drexler, pose with their gold medals after beating Croatia in Barcelona at the 1992 Olympics.

Coach: Chuck Daly

Regular-season record: N/A

Postseason record: N/A

Season finish: Won gold-medal game against Croatia, 117-85

Bottom line: The GOAT makes another appearance.

It’s well known that Michael Jordan kept Isaiah Thomas off the original Dream Team, but another tidbit of dysfunction from that group is his disdain for Clyde Drexler, who was a late addition.

That Olympic team had 11 Hall of Famers, and teammates reportedly had to tell Jordan to back off the trash talk, since he would frequently remind Drexler's loss with the Portland Trail Blazers to the Chicago Bulls in the 1992 NBA Finals.

15. 2012 Baltimore Ravens

John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco — Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, right, looks at quarterback Joe Flacco during a game against the Denver Broncos in 2012.

Coach: John Harbaugh

Regular-season record: 10-6

Postseason record: 4-0

Season finish: Won Super Bowl 47 against the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31

Bottom line: For a time in 2012, it looked as if the once stable Ravens franchise was in a bit of a free fall. That ended in John Harbaugh relieving offensive coordinator Cam Cameron of his duties during the season.

The Ravens somehow held it together, and Joe Flacco put together an improbable playoff run that led to a Super Bowl win over Jim Harbaugh’s 49ers.

14. 1998-99 Manchester United

Teddy Sheringham celebrates after scoring a goal with Manchester United.

Coach: Sir Alex Ferguson

Regular-season record: 22-13-3

Postseason record: Won UEFA Champions League

Season finish: Won Champions League final over Bayern Munich, 2-1

Bottom line: Despite winning multiple Premier League and Champions League titles together at Man U, Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham divided many locker rooms in their time.

This friction stems from when Cole was set to make his debut for the English national team, replacing Sheringham, who snubbed Cole on the handshake.

The two never spoke a word in all their time sharing the pitch.

13. 2015 Carolina Panthers

Josh Norman and Cam Newton — Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman hugs quarterback Cam Newton before a 2015 game against the Tennessee Titans.

Coach: Ron Rivera

Regular-season record: 15-1

Postseason record: 2-1

Season finish: Lost Super Bowl 50 to the Denver Broncos, 24-10

Bottom line: Before the Panthers got to the Super Bowl, they faced some early-season turmoil when loudmouth cornerback Josh Norman went after quarterback Cam Newton in a preseason scrimmage.

The two went on to lead their respective units to an NFC title, but the relationship still is salty to this day.

12. 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving — LeBron James, left, talks with Kyrie Irving during a Cleveland Cavaliers game against the Orlando Magic in 2016.

Coach: Ty Lue, David Blatt (fired)

Regular-season record: 57-25

Postseason record: 16-5

Season finish: Won NBA Finals over the Golden State Warriors, 4-3

Bottom line: LeBron James' homecoming to Cleveland would not have been complete without a championship, but his leadership style tends to rub some the wrong way.

Insiders described the Cavaliers' locker-room atmosphere during the 2015-16 season as tense, especially with James and Kyrie Irving. This development came as no surprise, given James’ passive-aggressive behavior and control over front-office moves and coaching decisions.

Still, the team held together and upset a wilting 73- win Warriors team in the NBA Finals.

11. 1997-98 Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls Dennis Rodman celebrates during a 1996 NBA Finals game against the Seattle SuperSonics in Seattle.

Coach: Phil Jackson

Regular-season record: 62-20

Postseason record: 15-6

Season finish: Won NBA Finals over the Utah Jazz, 4-2

Bottom line: This discord has nothing to do with Michael Jordan and everything to do with wild-child Dennis Rodman.

Rodman famously shoved Scottie Pippen in the back during a clash in 1991, when Rodman was a Piston. Pippen still held it against him.

Rodman claims that in his three years with the Bulls, he did not have one conversation with Pippen off the court.

While Rodman is prone to exaggeration, the statement says a lot about how the two felt about each other.

10. 1989 San Francisco 49ers

Steve Young, Joe Montana, Steve Bono — San Francisco quarterbacks Steve Young, left, Joe Montana and Steve Bono, right, hold court along the sideline during the Niners' NFC championship loss to the Dallas Cowboys at Candlestick Park in 1993.

Coach: George Seifert

Regular-season record: 14-2

Postseason record: 3-0

Season finish: Won Super Bowl 24 over the Denver Broncos, 55-10

Bottom line: Joe Montana made no bones about it — he did not want to tutor Steve Young with the 49ers.

Young was brought in to shadow and eventually take over for the Hall of Fame quarterback, and the two maintained a salty relationship, even through Montana’s MVP season in 1989.

Eventually, Young did take over in San Francisco, leading the 49ers to another Super Bowl win over the Chargers a few years later.

9. 2010 Spanish World Cup Team

2010 Spanish soccer team — Spain's national soccer team before a friendly soccer match against Poland in 2010. Top row left to right: Iker Casillas, Xabi Alonso, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Joan Capdevila, Alvaro Arbeloa . Bottom row: David Silva, Andres Iniesta, David Villa, Xavi Hernandez, Carles Pujol.

Coach: Vicente del Bosque

Regular-season record: 2-0-1 (group play)

Postseason record: 4-0 (Knockout stage)

Season finish: Won World Cup Final over the Netherlands, 1-0

Bottom line: Gerard Pique and Alvaro Arbeloa spent years clashing in El Clasico as members of Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively, and that animosity rolled over to their time as teammates for Spain during the national team's World Cup run in 2010.

The rivalry became so hateful that Spain captain Sergio Ramos intervened to put an end to the spat.

The trophy helped, too.

8. 2009 New York Yankees

Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez — New York Yankees teammates Derek Jeter, left, and Alex Rodriguez during Game 1 of the 2009 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Manager: Joe Girardi

Regular-season record: 103-59

Postseason record: 11-4

Season finish: Won World Series over the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-2

Bottom line: When the Yankees acquired Alex Rodriguez in the winter of 2003, most saw nothing but continued dominance for the pinstripes. That didn’t exactly happen.

Yes, the Yankees won the World Series in 2009, but Rodriguez clashed with longtime captain Derek Jeter.

Their tension may have gotten in the way of even more success in the Big Apple.

7. 2017-18 Real Madrid

Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo — Real Madrid teamates Gareth Bale, left, and Cristiano Ronaldo walk on the pitch during a training session at the Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine, in 2018 ahead of the Champions League final soccer match between Real Madrid and Liverpool.

Coach: Zinedine Zidane

Regular-season record: 22-10-6

Postseason record: 9-2-2 (UEFA Champions League)

Season finish: Won UEFA Champions League final over Liverpool, 3-1

Bottom line: Cristiano Ronaldo may be the best player to ever lace up the cleats, but he’s not the easiest chap to get along with.

Ronaldo notably clashed with teammate Gareth Bale (who also had a falling out with manager Zinedine Zidane), and was the lone Madrid player on the field to not celebrate with Bale after Bale scored a clinching goal in the Champions League final.

6. 1994 U.S. Women’s Figure Skating Team

Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding — U.S. figure skaters Nancy Kerrigan, left, and Tonya Harding work out during an Olympic practice session at Hamar Olympic Amphitheater in Hamar, Norway, in 1994.

Coach: N/A

Regular-season record: N/A

Postseason record: N/A

Season finish: Nancy Kerrigan wins silver medal

Bottom line: Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan, while not competing in a team sport, were technically teammates when Harding allegedly hired someone to remove Kerrigan from the Olympics by force.

It’s one of the craziest tales in sports history.

Kerrigan rebounded to take the sliver at the 1994 Winter Olympic games.

5. 2007 Boston Red Sox

Mike Lowell, Manny Ramirez, Julio Lugo — Boston Red Sox players Mike Lowell, left, Manny Ramirez, center, and Julio Lugo during Game 4 of the 2007 World Series against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver.

Manager: Terry Francona

Regular-season record: 96-66

Postseason record: 11-3

Season finish: Won World Series over the Colorado Rockies, 4-0

Bottom line: The 2007 Boston Red Sox may have been one the Red Sox's most talented teams in franchise history, but they didn’t get to a World Series championship easily.

The team faced constant in-fighting centering around the attitude of outfielder Manny Ramirez.

Ramirez’s act grew old on the front office, and the team shipped him off to the Los Angeles Dodgers the next season after fights with other players and team personnel.

4. 2004 Philadelphia Eagles

Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens — Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb and wide receiver Terrell Owens wait for play to resume during a preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2005.

Coach: Andy Reid

Regular-season record: 13-3

Postseason record: 2-1

Season finish: Lost Super Bowl to New England Patriots, 24-21

Bottom line: Donovan McNabb was beloved in Philadelphia. Soft-spoken and hard-working, he was the epitome of what they wanted in a signal-caller, until the T.O. show came to down and divided the locker room down the middle.

Even though the Eagles reached the Super Bowl in Terrell Owens’ first season in Philly, he and McNabb were never close.

The strain came to a head after their loss to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, when Owens, who was returning just weeks after breaking his ankle, chastised McNabb for tiring out at the end of the game.

The Eagles released Owens after the 2005 season.

3. 2002 San Francisco Giants

Jeff Kent and Barry Bonds — San Francisco Giants second baseman Jeff Kent gets congratulated by teammate Barry Bonds, right, after Kent hit a two-run home run against the Anaheim Angels in Game 5 of the 2002 World Series.

Manager: Dusty Baker

Regular-season record: 95-66

Postseason record: 10-7

Season finish: Lost World Series to the Anaheim Angels, 4-3

Bottom line: The greatest player on the planet in 2002 was Barry Bonds, and he was quite aware of it.

Bonds frequently rubbed teammates the wrong way, but in a 2002 game against the Padres, the pressure reached a boiling point, when Jeff Kent, a similarly disliked teammate, Kent got into a shoving match with Bonds in the dugout.

The two later hit back-to-back homers in that game. Despite all the dysfunction, the Giants nearly won the World Series, losing to the Angels in seven games.

2. 2002 Oakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders linebacker Bill Romanowski runs with the football after recovering a fumble in a playoff game against the New York Jets in 2003.

Coach: Bill Callahan

Regular-season record: 11-5

Postseason record: 2-1

Season finish: Lost Super Bowl 37 to Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 48-21

Bottom line: The last really good group of Oakland Raiders was an absolute mess of personalities.

Prior to playing in the Super Bowl, their Pro Bowl starting center, Barrett Robbins, disappeared.

Add that to the fighting with Bill Romanowski and other players, and it’s a wonder this team reached the heights it did, even with all that talent in the fold.

1. 2003-04 Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal — What might have been if Kobe and Shaq could have co-existed for more than eight seasons with the Lakers?

Coach: Phil Jackson

Regular-season record: 56-26

Postseason record: 13-9

Season finish: Lost in NBA Finals to the Detroit Pistons 4-1

Bottom line: Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant didn't like each other, but the Lakers still managed to get through a semi-strong Western Conference and into the NBA Finals.

Bryant’s lack of trust in O’Neal took full bloom against Detroit Pistons, and the team went down in five games, even though they were a heavy favorite.

Shaq never played another game in purple and gold.

What if Kobe and Shaq could have co-existed for more than just eight seasons?