Golden Knights join short list of immediate expansion success stories with title - ESPN

When Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley said his plan for his new team was to win a Stanley Cup within six years, he likely didn't expect to be this spot on.

On Tuesday night, at the conclusion of the team's fifth season of NHL play, the Golden Knights hoisted the Stanley Cup in front of a sold out home crowd at T-Mobile Arena.

The victory concluded a run of success — three division championships, two conference championships, and now a Stanley Cup — for the once-expansion franchise that has few peers. Just five expansion teams in the history of the Big Four of North American men's professional sports have captured a title in an equivalent or quicker span. Here's a brief look at those five teams and their stories:

First NBA season: 1968

Time to title: 3 years

Claiming the honor of quickest expansion-to-championship run of any team on this list, it took the Bucks just three seasons to capture their first NBA title. Aiding Milwaukee's rapid ascent was the emerging stardom of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor). The Bucks won the rights to Abdul-Jabbar's services thanks to a victory in a coin-flip decision over the fellow expansion outfit Phoenix Suns. The addition of Abdul-Jabbar helped Milwaukee win 29 more games in season two compared to its inaugural campaign. Ahead of year three, the Bucks acquired point guard Oscar Robertson to complement Abdul-Jabbar, a decision that paid off. Milwaukee won a franchise-record 66 games that season. In the postseason, the Bucks would lose just two of the 12 games they played, eventually sweeping the Baltimore Bullets to take home the title. The championship marked the start of a 50-year title drought for the Bucks that stood until current star Giannis Antetokounmpo