If we look at the top three most popular sports in the world, we would see that basketball is second. However, we would also notice that the other two sports have been around for much longer. Cricket was first created in the middle ages, while soccer has been around since the Ancient World.
Though basketball is much younger than the other two, it has already undergone significant changes, due to the abilities of certain players. In this article, we would like to take a look at some amazing players who’ve managed to change the game through their sheer talent.
Michael Jordan
Considered the greatest player of all time, we are sure that nobody is surprised to see Michael Jordan on this list. In the late 80s and 90s, MJ and the Chicago Bulls dominated the National Basketball Association, and many believe that they’ve still not been overcome to this day. Of course, debates rage eternal between LeBron James fans and Michael Jordan fans.
Jordan’s biggest contribution to basketball is the fact that he and his team made the game an international hit. Before the Bulls, basketball was a niche sport, enjoyed by a hundreds of thousands in a handful of countries. After the Chicago Bulls took the international stage, basketball began to grow into the multi-billion fan sport that it is today.
Jordan also helped to popularize basketball betting. By becoming the biggest star, he took the spot of favorite at most bookies. That meant that plenty of newbies could safely bet on the Bulls, whereas a lot of veterans wanted to see them toppled. Indeed, it is hard to say whether NBA odds would be the same today, were it not for Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls.
LeBron James
What Michael Jordan was to the 90s, LeBron is to the 2000s and 2010s. He has won four MVP awards, three Finals MVP, and 16 All-Star honors. As we said, many fans would debate whether he has overtaken Jordan as the G.O.A.T. of the game. Whether that is true or not, we leave up to personal preference. What we can say is that James’ influence on the game goes beyond the court.
LeBron James showed that basketball players are more than just athletes. Through a slew of incredibly shrewd and intelligent business decisions, James became one of the highest-paid athletes of all time, and certainly the top most-paid basketball player in the world in his prime. He collaborated with brands, organizations, etc. to create an impeccable image of himself.
It would be fair to say that many are now attempting to emulate this approach to basketball. By combining the physical excellence with the business side of the sport, a lot of up-and-coming players are rising through the ranks, which could certainly result in a future generation of G.O.A.T.s that rival both James and Jordan.
Shaquille O’Neal
The basketball player-turned-actor is most renowned for his massive stature. However, Shaquille O’Neal is much more than just a jolly giant. Size is not all you need in order to dominate the court and go down in history as one of the best center forwards in the league. You also need a degree of skill and strength that many believe has not been attained before or after O’Neal.
What the player is best remembered for today is his incredible toughness. Basketball players have to be strong, both mentally and physically, and dedicate a lot of hard work to maintaining said strength. Shaquille had both kinds of strength and more. His signature move, the black tornado, was a slam dunk that shattered records in a very real way.
Not only was Shaq one of the greats, but he also changed the sport in a very tangible way. On several occasions during games, Shaquille’s dunks generated so much power that he tore the basket board right off the hinges. Due to this, the NBA actually had to change their standards, and demand that the hinges of each basket be strengthened.
Larry Bird
As we said before, the NBA was not nearly as popular as it is today back in the 80s. However, that all began to change during the Larry Bird era. Bird would flaunt his skill and star power during games. He was famous for his trash talking before, during, and after games. While some found it crass, others adored his unbridled bravado. Love ‘im or hate ‘im, people would tune in for his games.
Of course, an unbacked bravado is just misguided arrogance. Luckily, Larry Bird had both the ego and the skill to back it up. Apart from popularizing the game, Bird also paved the way for the free style that many basketball players incorporate to this day. Despite his stature and height, Bird could freely switch between positions, and perform just as admirably in offense as he did in defense.
It is this position-less style of play that has overtaken modern basketball. The lack of any positions makes for a much more dynamic and engaging game, which gives basketball a unique identity, setting it apart from say soccer, football, and other similar team sports. Whether the sport would have moved in this direction without Larry Bird is questionable.
Honorable Mentions
Throughout basketball’s history, there have been many players who’ve performed admirably (or not so much), which resulted in the sport growing in popularity. The four players we’ve discussed so far are certainly influential. However, they are far from the only ones that deserve a mention. So, let us bring up some honorable mentions that we don’t have the time to go into detail on.
- The 1988 Detroit Pistons: The Detroit Pistons were influential, not because they were so loved, but because they were hated. Often called “The Bad Boys of Detroit,” the team’s shenanigans and dirty play earned them a horrific reputation, which of course brought in fans (haters) who wanted to see them fail.
- Magic Johnson: Larry Bird’s biggest rival, and an incredible talent in his own right, Johnson helped popularize the player rivalry that is so prevalent in the NBA to this day. He is also an incredible player and performer in his own right.
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Kareem’s incredible height and long arms earned him a reputation among the greatest.