The NBA Finals and Stanley Cub are underway, the baseball season is going strong, football season is almost here and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio starts in August. It is a great time for any casual sports fan. But the reason I love sports is because of the incredible athletes that lay it all on the line for their team, fans and their family.
Growing up as a kid I love sports because of the many once in a generation athletes that have come and gone. They remind us of super heroes. We grow up as kids idolizing these athletes who can do things that are seemingly impossible. Like any superhero, you wish you were them. Whether you are on the court and you try to jump like Michael Jordan, throw a football like Peyton Manning or even run a 100 meter dash like Usain Bolt. These guys are the reason why we love sports. There are thousands of professional athletes in that past and the present that are great in their individual sport and will end remembered for a lifetime for their larger than life talent .
Here is a list of my favorite athletes who were the reason I love playing sports today.
10. Kyrie Irving
This might be a surprise but right now Kyrie Irving is currently my favorite basketball player. Ever since he was drafted 1st overall in the 2011 NBA Draft to the Cleveland Cavaliers he has been my favorite player to watch. Yes Irving has his flaws, he struggles on defense at times and he tends to be focus on scoring instead of getting his teammates involve. By who am I to be critical, Irving is a bad boy. Irving arguably has the best handles in the game. He is considered the "Lay Up King" because of his acrobatic finishes around the hoop. He is a flat out scorer and a ultra competitor. In his second season in the NBA, Kobe Bryant was impressed by Irving's scoring mentality while practicing for Team USA. Irving only played nine games in college and coming to the NBA people questioned if he was ready. As a three-time All-Star, 2012 Rookie of the Year, the 2014 All Star Game MVP, 2014 FIBA World Cup MVP and has a opportunity to win a NBA Championship at the age of 24, maybe the league wasn't ready for him. Irving's signature Nike sneakers are pretty nice too.
9. Floyd Mayweather
I'm going to be honest, I was never interested in boxing. The only thing I enjoyed boxing related was the movie The Hurricane that starred Denzel Washington. All that changed when I started watching Floyd Mayweather fight. A lot of people hated the fact that Mayweather was cocky, flashy and arrogant. That is what I like about him, no matter how much he trash talked his opponent he backed it up because of his incredible boxing skills and the fact that he was unblemished in his 20 year boxing career. The first time I watched Mayweather fight was May 1, 2010 against "Sugar" Shane Mosley. At the time I knew little to nothing about boxing. During the first two rounds Mosley was beating Mayweather. Mosley punched Mayweather so bad that his knees buckled. But this is why I started to admire Mayweather, he is extremely intelligent. He could crack any DaVinci Code. In the middle of his fight he could figure out a boxer's best attribute and eliminate it. After the second round Mayweather dominated the fight and made Mosley look like an amateur. Mosley kept missing and Mayweather landed endless counter punches which led to him winning by unanimous decision. I respected him after that fight because he proved it is not how you start but how you finish. Mayweather finished his career 49-0.
8. Kobe Bryant
Believe it or not I used to hate Kobe Bryant. I knew he was a incredible basketball player but I just believed he was incredibly selfish at times. It took me years to come to the realization that Bryant may have a big ego but his passion for the game of basketball and the will to win is incredible. I have watched Kobe for almost his entire career but I believe the best game I've ever seen him play was his last game ever against the Utah Jazz this past NBA season. The guy scored 60 points! Kobe was 37-years-old, played 20 seasons, won five championships, won gold at the Olympics, just recovered from a horrible Achilles and shoulder injury that caused him to miss almost two full seasons and still had the will and drive to score 60 in his final game. Much respect to the great 'Black Mamba'.
7. Michael Vick
If you were a kid born in the 1990s and enjoy football like myself, you had to love Michael Vick. Even if you weren't born in the 1990s you still loved to watch Vick play. The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus was called religiously called the "Greatest Show on Earth." I thought that was lie because when Vick played for the Atlanta Falcons it was no bigger show than him. Vick revolutionized the quarterback position. He was raw lightning, the fastest and most elusive player I have ever seen. Not only could he run like Forrest Gump but he had a rifle of an arm. He didn't have the best accuracy but with a easy flick of the wrist Vick could easily throw 80 yards. To this day I wish we could go back in time and see him play in his prime. He was a video game, he was unreal, he was a icon, he was Michael Vick.
6. Phillip Rivers
You probably wasn't expecting to see this name. But Philip Rivers is my favorite football player. Yes, I'm bias because I am a die hard San Diego Charger fan but even if Rivers wasn't the quarterback for that team I would still like him. Many people don't watch him because he plays in San Diego but Rivers has to be one the best competitors not just in the NFL but in sports. He hates to lose and he is a great leader. At 34 years old he still plays the game like he is 10 years old playing in the backyard. Over the years I've noticed that Rivers plays football with so much joy. After a touchdown, if he is the reason or not you will often catch him running around the field, jumping on lineman and high fiving anybody in sight. If I played football, I wouldn't play quarterback like Rivers. But I would love to has his intangibles; toughness, durability, intelligence and competitiveness.
5. Rey Mysterio
Yes, I know the WWE is 95 percent fake but the other five percent belongs to Mysterio because there is nothing fake about him. As a kid I was a casual wrestling fan because I only wanted to watch one guy person. Mysterio has to be one of the most athletic people I've ever seen. The guy was 5'6", weighing about 160 pounds and beat up dudes that were twice his size. Mysterio was a human aerial assault, he was so exciting to watch because of his high-flying, "Lucha-Libre" style of wrestling. I admired him because he was always the underdog. He was "David" in a industry of many "Goliath". He made small guys like myself and millions of others believe that isn't the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog. Mysterio wrestled with his heart on his sleeve and will always be admired for that.
4. Dwayne Wade
When you talk about athletes who have the will, passion and intestinal fortitude one guy comes to mind. That is superstar Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade. I think Wade will go down as one the most unselfish superstar athletes in history. He sacrifices his salary, his numbers and being the alpha male of the team to make sure the Miami Heat constantly win year in and year out. I remember when Lebron James joined him in Miami and lost in the 2011 Finals to the Dallas Mavericks. Wade realized that the team couldn't win with two alpha males so he allowed Lebron to have that alpha role for the team. Wade let go of his pride and knew that team success was bigger than individual success. The Miami Heat won back to back NBA Championships as a result of his actions. Wade is the third best shooting guard in NBA history and as a die hard Miami Heat fan his ability to lead and win is truly respected.
3. Ray Lewis
I'm from Baltimore, Maryland and shockingly I'm not a die hard Ravens fan. But the one man who made me support my hometown team no matter what was future Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis. Baltimore is a blue collar, hard working and tough city. Lewis was perfect for this city because he shared similar traits with Baltimore when he played football. He was a hard worker with incredible passion and extreme confidence. He had a huge impact with many of the youth that live Baltimore and gave them hope to become something great in life. I love Lewis on the field but I love what he did off the field more. He helped take Baltimore to football immortality by winning two Super Bowls. My love and Baltimore's love for Lewis will never die
2. LeBron James
Arguably the best all-around basketball player of all time. I have a tremendous amount of respected for Lebron James in a world where it seems like nobody gives it to him. Every year, no matter where he plays he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. The constant pressure this guy endured since being on the cover of Sports Illustrated when he was 17 years old has been incredible. But he has surpassed everyone's expectations. Everything was setup and made for him to fail but that wasn't an option for him. We all know James is all-time great basketball player but the way he handles himself off the court is commendable. James has endless individual accolades but what makes him great is ability to make everyone around him better. James is the type of guy who would make a big dinner but will offer everyone a plate before he eats. He is so unselfish, that makes him so great. I will always be a Lebron James supporter.
1. Allen Iverson
Where do I begin with Allen Iverson. My childhood hero, the guy who I wanted to be just like. I played basketball and ran track as a kid. Every time I had a game or a track meet I wanted to be just like Iverson. To give it my all, to play every game like it was last and to be fearless. Iverson is the best athlete I've ever seen in my life but the one thing I learned from watching him throughout his career is there is nothing wrong with being you. People wanted Iverson to be something he wasn't because of who he is and where he came from. Iverson was considered a rebel, he did things his way. He had tattoos, he had braids and he was product of the hip-hop culture because of the way he dressed. Whether people liked it or not Iverson was his own man and changed for nobody. I loved him for that. I remember going to my first NBA game when I was 11 years old, having a chance to see my hero in person. He didn't disappoint, as he scored 48 points against the Washington Wizards. I lost my voice the day after because I never stopped screaming. This six-foot guard, from Georgetown is pound for pound the greatest basketball player ever. It was a honor watching him play.
