By Rory Carroll
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Kansas City Chiefs cemented their status as an NFL dynasty while MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers and the NBA’s Boston Celtics captured elusive titles in the major U.S. sports leagues this year.
Led by the coach-quarterback duo of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs captured their third Super Bowl in five years in a thriller in February.
After the San Francisco 49ers booted a field goal to open overtime, Mahomes marched the Chiefs down the field and, with a sold-out Allegiant Stadium on the edge of their seats, sealed the win with a three-yard strike to Mecole Hardman.
The win made pop queen Taylor Swift’s mad dash after a performance in Tokyo to Las Vegas to watch boyfriend Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce all worthwhile.
The Chiefs are now gunning for an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat this season and looked primed to do so after amassing an NFL best 11-1 record behind the unparalleled play of three-time Super Bowl MVP Mahomes.
Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani had a season for the ages in his first year with the team and capped it off by helping deliver a World Series title to Los Angeles for the first time since 2020.
The Japanese superstar, who signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the team last December, became the first player in history with 50 or more home runs and 50 or more stolen bases in the same season en route to his third unanimous MVP award.
In a World Series showdown with the New York Yankees, Dodgers’ first baseman Freddie Freeman overcame an ankle injury to hit a walk-off grand slam in Game One as Dodger Stadium erupted.
The Yankees looked poised to extend the series when they held a 5-0 lead in Game Five but a parade of baffling errors in the fifth inning opened the door for the visiting Dodgers.
The Dodgers took full advantage of the Yankees’ miscues to emerge with a 7-6 win to break hearts of pinstriped fans in the Bronx with a 4-1 series win.
The showdown between the two marquee franchises was a boon for the league, with Ohtani driving record TV ratings in Japan.
The Celtics dominated the NBA’s 2023-2024 regular season, cruised through the playoffs and made quick work of the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals to raise a record-breaking 18th championship banner.
Jaylen Brown was named Finals MVP after averaging 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and five assists in the series, while Jayson Tatum recorded 31 points and 11 assists in the Game Five blowout to end a title drought that dated back to 2008.
In the NHL, the Florida Panthers averted an epic collapse after leading the best-of-seven series 3-0 to edge the Edmonton Oilers in seven games.
Panthers’ left wing Carter Verhaeghe scored one goal and assisted on another while goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves in the decider to claim the franchise a first Stanley Cup title.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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