Even though sports are a hotbed for creativity and boldness, most athletes are placed into a metaphorical box of restrictions and rules they need to abide by. Point guards in basketball are supposed to pass the ball and keep shots to a minimum. Quarterbacks in football stay in the pocket and let their receivers and running backs sprint. Baseball players choose either pitching or hitting. Then there are players who completely break the mold.
These unicorns from the past and the present are some of the most jaw-dropping players ever!
1. Shohei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani made history as the highest-paid player in baseball history when the Los Angeles Dodgers signed him this offseason, and he deserves every cent of his salary. Ohtani combines pitching and hitting in a way that hasn’t been since Babe Ruth a century ago. The Japanese phenom is as likely to prevent a home run on the mound as he is to hit one behind home plate!
2. Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain’s mythical stature goes well beyond his 100-point game or 50 points per game season. Wilt completely towered over the 1960s NBA with unheard-of athleticism and height, and he utilized his track and field background to outscore and leap his peers. Despite all his gifts, Wilt often shot a finger roll instead of dunking the basketball.
3. LeBron James
LeBron James was the most hyped prospect in basketball history because he combined a center’s strength with a point guard’s speed. When James streaked down the court in his prime, opposing players often ducked their heads in fear of embarrassment. LeBron also possesses a savant-like IQ on the court and has backed up every prediction from two decades ago.
4. Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson may not be the best boxer ever, but he broke more barriers in the ring than almost anyone. Tyson’s speed and strength were unfair. He was impossible to get a hand on and almost always delivered a knockout punch. With a few more years at the top and fewer distractions in his personal life, he could have taken full advantage of his template-shattering talents.
5. Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth was the original Shohei Ohtani. Pitching for the Boston Red Sox, Ruth was a flamethrower, unlike anyone before him. While in New York, he switched to solely hitting and essentially invented the home run. Ruth modernized baseball in a way no other player could ever dream of.
6. Serena Williams
Serena Williams overpowered the women’s tour for two decades with a stellar first serve and beautiful groundstrokes. Williams elevated the WTA to a place few previous tennis players did with stunning athletic makeup. Today, most women’s tennis players try to emulate the style Williams started with her sister, Venus.
7. Cam Newton
Cam Newton looked like a linebacker but played quarterback incredibly effectively. Newton’s enormous frame forced defenders to bounce off him, and his runs to the end zone cemented his strength over his competitors. Unfortunately, Newton’s lack of a pocket presence curtailed his prime by the time he turned 30 years old.
8. Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal looked more like a model than a tennis player when he came onto the ATP Tour. The Spaniard’s muscles rippled out of his shirts and he played tennis like a football running back. His intensity and physical nature contrasted previous legends like Roger Federer and even future ones such as Novak Djokovic.
9. Julius Erving
Julius Erving brought basketball above the rim, unlike any other small forward before him. He attacked the rim, effortlessly gliding and maneuvering through bigger players and showing future legends like Michael Jordan and LeBron James how they would succeed in the league.
10. Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson looked more like an NBA center than a pitcher, but this height advantage changed his career trajectory. The ball looked like it was coming at batters much faster than in reality, although his pitch speed often topped out above everyone else’s, too.
11. Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor revolutionized the linebacker position by tackling the quarterback at a rate never seen before. His nose for the ball was as influential as any other player’s skills on the field, often curbing the other team’s ability to score. Linebackers have been expected to rack up sacks ever since Taylor.
12. Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi’s small stature helped him shatter soccer lore and perhaps obtain GOAT status. Messi’s footwork, genius, and perseverance have never been combined into one player before or since his debut. A World Cup win with Argentina cemented his legacy in 2022.
13. Connor McDavid
Connor McDavid blasted into the NHL as one of the most breathtaking prospects of the 21st century. His scoring, passing, and skating speed all resemble those of the greats, but his style also stands out as unique among current stars in the game.
14. Aaron Donald
Aaron Donald weighs 280 pounds but moves like a cheetah on the football field. Donald’s defensive force at the line has made the Los Angeles Rams one of the most frightening teams in the NFC for a decade.
15. Michael Vick
Years after his retirement, football fans worshiped Michael Vick for showing the world how fun and unstoppable a mobile quarterback can be. When Vick tucked the ball and took off, he was only halted at his own discretion. Every athletic passer in history after Vick aspired to follow in his footsteps.
16. Secretariat
Secretariat possessed the special ability to transcend the horse racing category and make non-fans of the sport interested. Secretariat would pace himself in races, often separating from the rest of the pack in the second half of a competition. His Triple Crown win proved his incredible athleticism and super-equine speed.
17. Stephen Curry
Steph Curry didn’t invent the three-point shot, but his reliance on the long-distance bomb changed how basketball has been played in the last ten years. Before Curry, defenses knew they didn’t have to worry about guarding before about 25 feet from the basket. Curry contorted the court and started launching from 40 feet away, and the game has never been the same.
18. Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods stormed the PGA Tour with bold drives down the course and precision putting. A prodigy of the highest degree, Woods lived up to every expectation since he went professional at 16. He may not be the best golfer ever, but he’s certainly the most talented.
19. Caitlin Clark
Caitlin Clark just broke the women’s NCAA scoring record, but her influence on the court goes far beyond numbers. Clark has expanded the potential of scoring in women’s basketball. Fans are lining up to watch her games hours before tipoff. She tries things no other player is brave enough to attempt, and she’s changing the game forever.
20. Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki broke the mold with his court style and his European heritage. The German forward began the trend of taller players shooting from the perimeter and helped inspire a whole generation of overseas players to play basketball.
21. Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson ushered in the era of the short, mobile quarterback. Standing only 5’11’’, Wilson scrambled and passed from the pocket with equal adeptness in his prime. Teams tried to find the next Wilson by drafting Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and other similar-styled players, but nobody can recreate when Russ cooks.
22. Victor Wembanyama
Victory Wembanyama looks like one of those avatar basketball players kids would create on a video game growing up. The French center stands nearly 7’5’’ tall, but his dribbling, ball handling, shooting, and perimeter defense are all skills that no other player his height has ever possessed. The Spurs are very lucky to have found their next franchise icon.
23. Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson controlled the pace of a basketball game from the unheard-of vantage point of a 6’9’’ frame. Point guards were never supposed to be taller than about 6’4’’ before Johnson, but the creative Michigan State alum opened the doors for all unorthodox players in the NBA.
24. Nate Archibald
Nate Archibald lived up to his “tiny” nickname by turning his biggest hindrance into his greatest strength on the basketball court. Archibald’s small stature aided him in his ability to dash by inferior players and lead the NBA in scoring and assists. Small guards like Chris Paul owe a lot to Archibald.
25. George Mikan
George Mikan would look pretty ordinary in 2024, but he ushered in the era of centers at the dawn of the NBA. Mikan’s height and ability to score around the hoop showed coaches and general managers that an inside presence would be the most efficient way to put up points on the court.
Source link
#Athletes #Broke #Mold #Wealth #Geeks