Unless you’re an Oakland Raiders fan—I kid, I kid—there’s a strong possibility that you’ve witnessed your team having a one-year turnaround that turns your frowns upside down. Or, maybe it takes those good times and makes you remember that nothing lasts forever. Sports has a funny way of reminding us fans that, with just a little bit of good or bad luck and some unforeseen circumstances, a team can end up on the other side of the spectrum fast, either going from worst to first or vice versa. In all of the years it has occurred, though, there have been some that are better than others—and these are those teams, as they’re the biggest one-season turnarounds ever. I know there was an NHL lockout between the end of the 2003-04 season and the 2005-06 Stanley Cup Final, but that doesn’t mean that what the Carolina Hurricanes accomplished that 2005-06 season is any less impressive. After going just 28-34-14 in 2003-04 and firing their head coach, the Canes really took advantage of that extra year to help rebuild by upgrading their roster to finish 52-22 in 2005-06 and win a Stanley Cup. Led by veteran Rod Brind’Amour and young gun Eric Staal, Carolina was able to close out its first Cup title in epic fashion, winning both the Eastern Conference and Stanley Cup finals in seven games. It may lose a little luster because it didn’t directly follow the Canes’ awful season, but because it was the next NHL season played, you’ve got to give this team some cred. They may not have completed their mission of capturing an NBA championship, but the 2001-02 New Jersey Nets did become one of the biggest one-season turnarounds in the history of the NBA. Following a dismal 2000-01 season where they finished 26-56 and 12th in the Eastern Conference, the Nets were able to pull off a franchise-changing trade that saw them become the top team in the East for two straight seasons. Adding point guard Jason Kidd through a blockbuster trade and getting Kerry Kittles back after a knee injury improved the roster tremendously, as did key contributions from young guys like Richard Jefferson and Kenyon Martin. Improving by 26 wins to finish 52-30 in 2001-02, the Nets reached the NBA Finals—where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers—and showed that a deep and talented roster could do special things. Growing up an Ohio State Buckeyes football fan, when the men’s basketball program found itself in the Final Four unexpectedly during the 1998-99 season, I remember how fun it was to follow along with players like Scoonie Penn and Michael Redd. Of course, years later, it turned out the team had to vacate the run because of NCAA infractions, but if you saw the Bucks’ run through the NCAA tourney, you know it really happened, so the results were real. And the team had a remarkable turn of events from the 1997-98 season…
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