The NFL has yet to witness a modern-day three-peat in the Super Bowl era. This Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs aim to become the first team to achieve this feat when they battle the Eagles in Super Bowl 59. Should they succeed, their celebration will be made sweeter thanks to a deal with Miami Heat executive Pat Riley. If you aren’t familiar with the story, Riley trademarked the phrase “three-peat” during his tenure as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers after they clinched back-to-back championships. Ironically, the Lakers never secured three titles in a row under his leadership; however, the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, accomplished this twice in the 1990s, sometimes overcoming Riley’s Knicks in the process. The Lakers eventually achieved their own three-peat from 2000 to 2002 with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
With the Chiefs pursuing their third consecutive championship, speculation has arisen about whether they can utilize the beloved phrase to describe the potential achievement. According to Darren Rovell at cllct, they indeed have that opportunity. Any royalties received by Riley will benefit his foundation.
Riley’s trademark attorney, John Aldrich, mentioned to cllct on Tuesday that there is an agreement with the NFL to use “Three Peat” if the Chiefs accomplish the feat. Although Aldrich would not disclose the specific percentage of royalties, he confirmed that the plan remains to allocate them to the Pat Riley Family Foundation, as has been customary in the past.
Riley initially filed for the “Three Peat” trademark at the start of the 1988-89 season, shortly after the Lakers won their second championship. However, he never profited from it, as the Detroit Pistons defeated his Lakers the following year.
Four seasons later, Riley received a payout when Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls secured their third consecutive title in June 1993, marking the first time an NBA team won three in a row since the Celtics achieved this in 1966.
The “three-peat” remains one of the most elusive symbols of a sports dynasty. Not even Tom Brady and the New England Patriots achieved this during their dominant run in the 2000s. The NFL has seen it before, however, with the Green Bay Packers clinching three straight NFL championships from 1929 to 1931 and again from 1965 to 1967, winning Super Bowl I and II as part of that run.
Of course, all this speculation could be rendered irrelevant if the Philadelphia Eagles emerge victorious on Sunday. For Pat Riley, this outcome might alleviate one concern amidst the ongoing Jimmy Butler drama in Miami.
