It takes two: The 25 most iconic duos in sports

Since these Edmonton Oilers' superstars started playing together in 2015-16, McDavid has totaled 1,082 points and Draisaitl 947 -- ranking first and second, respectively, in the league during that span. Draisaitl's 397 goals rank third, while McDavid's 361 are fifth, in the NHL since they've teamed up. Not to mention, no player in the NHL has recorded more assists than McDavid's 721 assists since he broke into the league in 2015-16. In addition, the Oilers have reached the Western Conference finals three times since 2022, and the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 and '25.

Also known as the "Bash Brothers." Canseco and McGwire starred together with the Oakland A's for parts of seven seasons (1986-'92), and helped the franchise win its most recent World Series in 1989. Though these sluggers were aided by performance-enhancing substances, they earned that moniker for crushing baseballs out of the park and bashing their forearms in celebration. In 1987, McGwire hit 49 homers and Canseco clubbed 31. The following year, Canseco hit 42, while McGwire went deep 32 times. They combined for 76 home runs in 1990. In the annals of Major League Baseball, McGwire ranks 11th with 583 home runs, while Canseco is sitting in the top 40 at 462.

Drexler and Olajuwon were star teammates at the University of Houston, but they fell short of bringing the Cougars a national title, notably in 1983. However, the pair, known for its thunderous dunks and above-the-rim dominance, got the job done in the NBA. Reunited when the Houston Rockets acquired Drexler during the 1994-95 campaign, he and Olajuwon combined to average 53.5 points during 22 postseason games. It all culminated with a Rockets sweep of the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals.

According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Manning and Harrison teamed up for a record 112 touchdowns during their 11-year career (1998-2008) -- all with the Indianapolis Colts. Though the pair, which was part of a legendary trio that included running back Edgerrin James, managed to win just one Super Bowl (XLI), it was tough to contain as the premier duo of its kind, regardless of era. Overall, Manning and Harrison hooked up for 953 completions-receptions that totaled 12,766 yards during their Hall-of-Fame careers.

Stockton and Malone played 18 seasons together, all with the Utah Jazz. And though they never brought an NBA championship to Utah, this legendary duo led the club to five division titles and back-to-back appearances in the NBA Finals (1997, '98). Both Hall of Famers, the two combined for 24 All-Star nods, while Stockton is the NBA's all-time assists leader with 15,806 and Malone sits seventh with 14,968 rebounds.  

There have been great WNBA duos over the years, but the tenacity and inside-out game of Taurasi and Griner was among the best in basketball -- whether the women's or men's game. The two stars teamed together beginning in 2013, when Griner was a rookie, with the Phoenix Mercury. A year later, they helped the franchise win its third WNBA title. Taurasi, an 11-time All-Star and the WNBA's all-time leading scorer, has been a mentor to Griner, a 10-time All-Star selection, over the years. Their bond -- on and off the court -- remains truly something special. 

Arguably the greatest beach volleyball duo -- regardless of gender -- in the sport. May-Treanor and Walsh are the only players in the sport to win three Olympic gold medals (2004, '08, '12). In addition, the pair won 21 straight Olympic matches, and also won three consecutive world championships (2005, '07, '09). During one stretch, they won 112 consecutive overall matches and 19 tournaments in a row. Walsh is the all-time leader with 135 international victories, while May-Treanor is right behind with 112.

Chicago Blackhawks took Toews with the third overall pick in the 2006 NHL Draft, and Kane as the overall No. 1 selection in '07. By 2010, the Blackhawks were Stanley Cup champions. Toews and Kane led the resurgence for this Original Six franchise, which included Cup triumphs in 2013 and 2015. Kane, still skating with Detroit, posted 446 goals and 779 assists while shining in parts of 16 seasons with Chicago. Toews, who'll return to the NHL with his native Winnipeg in 2025-26, recorded 372 goals and 511 assists in his 15 seasons as a Blackhawk, and serving as, perhaps, the most beloved captain in team history.

Sure, Duncan had some serious success while pairing in the post with David Robinson for the San Antonio Spurs, but Parker was there for that 2003 title. Together with Duncan, Parker and the Spurs won three more NBA championships (2005, '07 and '04). Another great inside-outside pair, Parker and Duncan had the kind of chemistry needed to win titles. Parker also proved himself as a capable scorer and earned NBA Finals MVP honors in 2007.

One of the great double play combinations in baseball history. Shortstop Alan Trammell and second baseman Lou Whitaker starred together, turning more than 1,500 double plays with the Detroit Tigers over approximately 19 seasons. It's the longest-running such combination in all of MLB. Whitaker, who played from 1977-'95, is a five-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove Award winner. He also won the Silver Slugger Award on four occasions. Meanwhile, Hall-of-Famer Trammell, whose career lasted from 1977 to '96, earned six All-Star nods, won four Gold Gloves and three Silver Slugger Awards. The two helped the Tigers win the 1984 World Series.

When it came to on-ice chemistry, there still aren't many better than Lemieux and Jagr, who also sported two of the great all-time mullets in sports history. Yet, the two superstars weren't usually linemates with the Pittsburgh Penguins, with whom they won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991 and '92. The two played for parts of seven seasons together in Pittsburgh, and in 1995-96, they combined for 310 points with Lemieux scoring 69 goals and Jagr notching 62 -- ranking first and second in the league, respectively, in each category. Lemieux and Jagr were again Nos. 1 and 2 in points for the Penguins the next season.

According to StatMuse, in the roughly six seasons these San Francisco 49ers legends played together, Montana and Rice combined for a 63.2 completion percentage. In regular season action, Montana and Rice teamed for 386 completions that totaled 6,710 yards while hooking up for 67 touchdowns. During the postseason, Rice caught 61 passes from Montana, including 12 touchdowns. Three of Rice's two Super Bowl victories came with Montana -- XXIII, XXIV. They won seven Super Bowls combined. 

Barring any unforeseen circumstance, Crosby and Malkin will again sport the black and gold of the Pittsburgh Penguins together for the 2025-26 campaign. They've been starring for the Penguins since 2006-07, and have become one of the most formidable duos in sports history. They've helped Pittsburgh win three Stanley Cups  (2009, '16, '17). Since joining Crosby and the Penguins in 2006, Malkin has totaled 514 goals and 832 assists. Crosby, who broke in a season earlier, has registered all but 102 of his regular-season points with Malkin as a teammate.

These two were the heart of the Boston Celtics' run of three NBA titles and five Finals appearances from 1980-81 to 1986-87. While Bird was the superstar, McHale started out as a guy who would do the dirty work. But from 1984-85 to 1989-90, McHale averaged nearly 21 points in each of those seasons. Credit Bird, by the way, with making it a point to help elevate McHale's game, especially on the offensive end, without compromising his own. 

Entering the 2025 season, Kelce has caught more than 680 passes for better than 8,100 yards and nearly 60 touchdowns since he started playing with Mahomes in 2018. The two are 17-4 in postseason play together and have those three Super Bowl titles (LIV, LVII, LVIII) to boot. While it remains to be seen just how much elite success these two superstars can accomplish together, what they've accomplished thus far is truly historic.

It seemed like Curry and Thompson, aka the "Splash Brothers," were destined to play their entire careers together with the Golden State Warriors. They first came together for the 2011-12 season and played a key role in the Warriors' four NBA titles and six total Finals appearances from 2014-15 to 2021-22. Thompson, however, struggled with injuries in recent years, and ultimately made his way to Dallas, leaving Curry alone with the Warriors after the pair's legendary 13-year run. The 678 combined made 3-pointers by Curry and Thompson in 2015-16 remain a single-season NBA record by teammates. 

During the 1980s, Gretzky and Messier helped the Edmonton Oilers win four Stanley Cups (1984, '85, '87, '88). Now, Gretzky had some stellar linemates with the likes of Jari Kurri and Glenn Anderson, but when it came to a superstar 1-2 punch, it was all about Gretzky and Messier. The two played 698 NHL games together, and according to StatMuse, Gretzky registered more than 1,500 points, while Messier posted over 900 during the 10 seasons (nine with Edmonton and  one with the New York Rangers) they played together. 

Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling were a dominant pitching pair, and the three-headed monster of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz was pretty special. However, when it comes to the ultimate pitching duo, look no further than the Dodgers' Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. The Hall of Famers were Dodgers together from 1956 to 1966, and helped lead the franchise to World Series titles in 1959, 1963, 1965, as well as four NL pennants. The left-handed Koufax, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, and righty Drysdale, a nine-time All-Star and 1962 Cy Young recipient, also held out together in 1966.

There may not be a better pass-catching duo than Brady and his dependable tight end Gronkowski, who teamed to win four Super Bowls (XLIX, LI, LIII, LV) while starring for New England and Tampa Bay. According to StatMuse, Brady and "Gronk" played 163 games together, including the playoffs. Over that time, the two combined for more than 700 completions-receptions, which totaled better than 10,600 yards and resulted in more than 100 touchdowns. 

There were plenty of stars during the Boston Celtics' dynasty, with coach Red Auerbach in charge from the 1950s and '60s. However, together, Russell and Cousy were stalwarts during Boston's run of six NBA championships and seven title-series appearances from 1956-57 to 1962-63. During that span, the dominant Russell averaged at least 16.6 points in six of those seasons, while the smooth-moving Cousy scored 20 or more per game in two campaigns. 

There is no sibling combo better in all of sports. Serena won 23 Grand Slam tournament singles titles, while Venus brought home seven. Together, they have won 14 Grand Slam doubles championships, and each has four Olympic gold medals — three of which were won in doubles play. Though Serena holds the advantage when the sisters squared off on the court, the potency that the two combined was genuinely remarkable.

O'Neal gave an honest and genuine tribute speech at Bryant's 2020 memorial service. This duo also endured a well-documented rivalry. In fact, when it comes to teammate rivalries, Shaq and Kobe take the cake. Their time together with the Lakers was dramatic, and it was about who deserved a bigger role on the team, along with the associated praise. However, their rivalry and egos helped fuel Los Angeles to three straight NBA titles (2000, '01, '02). Bryant won two more titles for the Lakers without Shaq, who also claimed one with Miami. Yet, as O'Neal noted in the aforementioned memorial speech, the two truly respected each other's talent and hunger to win.

The true architects of "Showtime" in Los Angeles, this legendary duo helped the Lakers dominate the 1980s by winning five NBA titles and reaching the Finals another three times while together. There was also a mutual respect for each other, something that stars of today tend to struggle with, as egos and paychecks often cloud their judgment. No teammates played off each other better than Magic and Kareem. 

Check out the stellar documentary "The Last Dance" for a glimpse into the relationship between these two Hall of Famers, who helped the Bulls win six NBA titles during the 1990s. Jordan is arguably the greatest player in NBA history, but he admits he owes a significant portion of that success to Pippen. Hailing from a small town in Arkansas, Pippen is regarded as one of the game's all-time great defenders and averaged 20.3 points from 1990-91 to 1997-98. However, Pippen might not harbor the same mutual respect for his legendary teammate.

These two legends played together with the New York Yankees for 12 seasons. Though their friendship became strained over the years, primarily due to the differences in the way they lived their lives off the diamond. Yet, they're arguably the greatest duo to star for the same team in any sport. Part of the Yankees' famed 1927 "Murderers' Row," Ruth and Gehrig combined for more than 1,200 home runs and better than 4,200 RBIs with New York, and won three World Series titles (1927, '28, '32) together. For his 17-year career, all with the Yankees, Gehrig batted .340 with 493 home runs. Meanwhile, Ruth clubbed a historic 714 homers and batted .342 during his iconic career (1914-'35).