Fansided

Top 50 sports franchises in the world

By Brad Weiss

NEW YORK - APRIL 14: A logo honoring the New York Yankees 27 World Series titles is seen on the dugout during their game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on April 14, 2010 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - APRIL 14: A logo honoring the New York Yankees 27 World Series titles is seen on the dugout during their game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on April 14, 2010 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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INGLEWOOD, CA – DECEMBER 4: Wayne Gretzky #99 of the Los Angeles Kings on December 4, 1994 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. (Photo By Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CA – DECEMBER 4: Wayne Gretzky #99 of the Los Angeles Kings on December 4, 1994 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. (Photo By Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images) /
49

Los Angeles Kings

, NHL

Los Angeles was awarded a franchise back in 1966, and the Kings were founded a year later. Jack Kent Cooke and his Kings joined the NHL in the expansion of 1967, and they played in the Forum with the Lakers. The Kings made the move to the Staples Center with the Lakers and Clippers as well, and their Triple Crown Line from 1975-88 really put the franchise on the map. However, in 1988 they traded for Wayne Gretzky, and that changed everything.

Gretzky was a bonafide star with the Edmonton Oilers, and brought an incredible winning pedigree with him to Los Angeles. He was as a very sellable commodity, and being in La La Land only heightened his popularity across the country. Gretzky would lead the Kings to the Stanley Cup finals in 1993, but in 1995, the franchise went bankrupt, and a rough patch ensued after that.

Under Coach Darryl Sutter, Kings Hockey enjoyed a rebirth in the 2010s. The team won the Stanley Cup in both 2012 and 2014, while establishing themselves as a dominant figure in the sport once again. That Triple Crown Line from the 1970s and 1980s produced Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne, who is one of 19 Kings currently enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Dionne is the all-time points leader for the Kings, with fellow legend Luc Robitaille in second place.

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