Teams who won it all even after their star went down? | The Boneyard

Teams who won it all even after their star went down?

Jaydumo20

Jaydumo20

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The Pacers didn't win it all but it got me thinking. After a pretty ridiculous online discussion of whether there needs to be an asterisk next to OKCs win because of TH absence (absolutely not. Stop with the asterisk flinging)
I started thinking of teams that lost a star or key player during the year they won it all.

This could be from any sport. Who you got?
 
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Jim Plunket, backup qb Raiders, 1980. He came out of nowhere, won SB XV, then did it again three years later with same team. (And he’s not in the hall of fame.)
BYW, and maybe this is another thread, how many qbs have won the SB twice without being elected? (Eli doesn’t count, yet…)
 
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Biggest one that comes to mind is always the Willis Reid Knicks.

Kristaps Porzingis played sparingly from game 4 of the Heat series through the NBA Finals in 2024. He was nowhere near the dominant force that he was up to that point.
 
Husky25 said:
Biggest one that comes to mind is always the Willis Reid Knicks.

Kristaps Porzingis played sparingly from game 4 of the Heat series through the NBA Finals in 2024. He was nowhere near the dominant force that he was up to that point.
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People still talking about Porzingis like he's something he's not. Guy is headed to his fifth team before he turns 30. He is not that guy.
 
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2017 Eagles.
IMG_9349.jpeg
 
Here's a bit of a low key one, 2009 Yankees losing Xavier Nady, his replacement Nick Swisher. Swisher batted .249 in a loaded lineup hit 29 hrs and 82 rbi, just perfect for a number 8 hitter. A loose clubhouse guy who was well needed.

Also lost Chien Ming Wang for the year who had an era of 40, obviously was never the same pitcher after the Lisfranc injury from running the bases in interleague play.
 
Scoe said:
Here's a bit of a low key one, 2009 Yankees losing Xavier Nady, his replacement Nick Swisher. Swisher batted .249 in a loaded lineup hit 29 hrs and 82 rbi, just perfect for a number 8 hitter. A loose clubhouse guy who was well needed.

Also lost Chien Ming Wang for the year who had an era of 40, obviously was never the same pitcher after the Lisfranc injury from running the bases in interleague play.
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I forgot about that. Wang was one of the best yankees pitchers of the past 20 years when healthy. As a Rays fan, I hated facing him but he was such a stud
 
Imagine a thread that invokes the 90 Giants and the 01 Pats…nah, I’ll see ya around.
 
Surprised not to see the 2001 Patriots. Lost one of the best QBs in the NFL at the time in game #2. Bledsoe still went to a Pro Bowl with the Bills the next season and threw for over 4000 yards.

Edit: was mentioned. Not sarcastic here, he was clearly the best player on the team at that point.
 
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HuskyHawk said:
Surprised not to see the 2001 Patriots. Lost one of the best QBs in the NFL at the time in game #2. Bledsoe still went to a Pro Bowl with the Bills the next season and threw for over 4000 yards.

Edit: was mentioned. Not sarcastic here, he was clearly the best player on the team at that point.
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It's hard to think about Brady as a replacement.

Jalen Hurts was also a star on that bama team where tua replaced him, Even though it was what Saban preferred anyway.
I always felt bad for hurts and remember saying to myself "I hope one day he gets to shine over tua. Just as cosmic payback" safe to say that did in fact happen.... in a huge way. Tua who?
 
Jaydumo20 said:
It's hard to think about Brady as a replacement.

Jalen Hurts was also a star on that bama team where tua replaced him, Even though it was what Saban preferred anyway.
I always felt bad for hurts and remember saying to myself "I hope one day he gets to shine over tua. Just as cosmic payback" safe to say that did in fact happen.... in a huge way. Tua who?
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OK, but go back in time. Brady had been a 6th round draft pick in 2000 and was 4th string. They kept 4 QBs. Pre-season 2001, they signed Damon Huard to be the #2 and released Bishop, making Brady #3.
Terry Glenn was suspended. Bledsoe was far and away the best player on that roster when he got hurt.
 
HuskyHawk said:
OK, but go back in time. Brady had been a 6th round draft pick in 2000 and was 4th string. They kept 4 QBs. Pre-season 2001, they signed Damon Huard to be the #2 and released Bishop, making Brady #3.
Terry Glenn was suspended. Bledsoe was far and away the best player on that roster when he got hurt.
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I agree with you 100% I didn't express that well enough.
I meant that even though it's a correct answer, it's hard for people to look at the situation, in hindsight, as if Bledsoe were the better option. When he clearly was, at that time
 
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