Batman and Robin. Bonnie and Clyde. Ant and Dec. Everyone loves an iconic duo, whether that be entertainment, film, music, or sport. Because of the love for a good duo, we asked AI to produce a list of the top 10 sporting duos of all time, and here's what it came up with.
Before we get into the top 10, here's what ChatGPT said when it took into consideration its selections: "Ranking the 10 greatest duos in sports history is subjective and depends on criteria like dominance, chemistry, legacy, longevity, and impact. This list blends those elements across different sports and eras, and includes both retired and active duos."
So, without further ado, let's take a look at which 10 duos made the list, and which sports they came from. Spoiler, American-based sports dominate.
10 Martina Navratilova & Pam Shriver
Tennis
Starting off with tennis, Navratilova and Shriver were the dominant doubles duo of the 1980s. Together they won seven Australian Opens, five Wimbledon titles, four US Opens, and four French Opens.
Their best year came in 1984, when they completed the Grand Slam by capturing all four Majors in the same year. Together, Navratilova and Shriver recorded a 109-match winning streak, and were the WTA's Doubles Team of the Year eight consecutive times between 1981 and 1988. Together they won 79 doubles titles, and became an iconic doubles team.
9 Steph Curry and Klay Thompson
Basketball
Steph Curry and Klay Thompson
Nicknamed "The Splash Brothers", Curry and Thomson played together for the Golden State Warriors in the NBA between 2011 and 2024. During their 13 years together, they won four NBA Championships, and Curry became one of the greatest players to ever play basketball.
They hold multiple NBA records, including most three-pointers made by a duo with 6,228, most three-pointers in NBA Finals history by a duo, and the only duo to make at least 250 three-pointers in a season, a feat they have achieved four times. While Thompson doesn't get the same level of hype as his partner, both will go down as all-time greats in the NBA.
8 Bill Belichick and Tom Brady
American football
Bill Belichick and Tom Brady
This is a duo so iconic that they have an entire era named after them. The New England Patriots dominated the NFL between 2000 and 2019, and a lot of that was down to their quarterback, Tom Brady, and head coach Bill Belichick. Together, the two competed in nine Super Bowls, and won six of them.
During those 19 years, they won 17 division titles, made 13 AFC Championship game appearances, and recorded the league's only undefeated 16-game season in 2007. Brady and Belichick both hold the record for the most Super Bowl appearances and wins for their respective positions, and during that time, Brady established himself as the face of the NFL. The Brady-Belichick era ended in 2020, when Brady left the Patriots to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
7 Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Basketball
Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were integral parts of the Los Angeles Lakers' "Showtime" era in the NBA, forming a legendary pairing that led the team to five NBA Championships during the 1980s.
Magic Johnson joined the Lakers in 1979, and was immediately excited to play alongside Abdul-Jabbar. The Lakers had a phenomenal record when both players were on the court, with a 73.9% win percentage. Both players became basketball icons in their own right, but as a duo they were unstoppable.
6 Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant
Basketball
Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant
Another dominant Los Angeles Lakers duo, this time with a little bit more tension. Shaq and Kobe are two of basketball's greatest, and together managed a three-peat for the Lakers between 2000 and 2002.
O'Neal was the Finals MVP in each of those appearances, and their contrasting playing styles are what made them a dynamic duo. They weren't always the best of friends, however, as tension over their roles at the Lakers led to Shaq being traded to the Miami Heat. After Shaq left, there was a big public feud between the two. Despite all of that, though, both became legends and will go down as one of the NBA's greatest duos.
5 Joe Montana and Jerry Rice
American football
Joe Montana and Jerry Rice
Joe Montana and Jerry Rice spent 10 years together at the San Francisco 49ers, and during that time they won two Super Bowls and created a dynasty in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Together they achieved numerous NFL records, with Rice becoming the all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. Rice had 386 catches for 6,710 yards and scored 67 touchdowns in 77 games with Montana in his career. Since the duo, the 49ers have struggled to recreate their success of the '80s and '90s.
4 Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez
Football
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez
Messi and Suarez are both known as the best players of their generation. Messi is the greatest player of all time, and, alongside Suarez, won four La Liga titles, four Copa del Reys, and, alongside Neymar, the MSN trio completed the treble in 2014/15, winning the Champions League.
The Barcelona teams of the early/mid 2010s will go down as the greatest of all time, and Messi and Suarez are at the forefront of that, with their goals contributing massively to Barcelona's success. They are still playing together to this day, however, they have seen less success at Inter Miami than they had at Barcelona.
3 Serena and Venus Williams
Tennis
Serena and Venus Williams
When you talk about legendary tennis players, Serena and Venus Williams are one of the first names that come to mind. Serena and Venus had a professional rivalry, but were also amazing as a duo. Both held the world number one spot, but Serena held it for 316 weeks compared to Venus' 11.
The sisters also faced each other 31 times in professional tournaments, with Serena holding a 19-12 advantage. As a doubles team, they won 14 Grand Slam titles, and remained undefeated together in Major finals, and also collected three Olympic gold medals and completed the doubles career Golden Slam.
2 Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski
American football
Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski
Brady and Gronk formed one of the greatest quarterback-tight end duos in NFL history, playing together for 11 seasons with both the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
They won four Super Bowls together, three for the Patriots and one for the Buccaneers in 2021, and they connected for a total of 105 touchdowns, making them the most prolific quarterback-tight end duo and the second-most prolific duo in NFL history behind Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison.
They also hold the record for the most playoff touchdowns by a quarterback-receiver duo with 14 touchdowns, surpassing Joe Montana and Jerry Rice's record of 12. But they aren't the greatest sporting duo of all time...
1 Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen
Basketball
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen created a dynasty with the Chicago Bulls between 1987 and 1998, winning six NBA Championships. Both were team leaders for the Bulls during their two three-peats, and they were undefeated in the NBA Finals, winning all six that they competed in.
While playing with Pippen, Jordan averaged 31.5 points per game, and together they are the only two players to win six NBA Finals playing for one team. Jordan is undoubtedly the more iconic player, but he does credit Pippen for a lot of his success. At the Bulls, they complimented each other's game perfectly and created a dynasty, cementing them as the greatest sports duos of all time.