Ali/Gretzky/Ruth all rank ahead of him, in my mind, for the way they raised their
sports. Jordan stepped in at a time when BBall was on its way up.
Well then, if raising a sport is the main criteria, Bird and Magic should be in the top 5. Before them, the NBA was fighting a lot of drug related problems and low attendance. It was in a lot of trouble, if not dying.
About Gretzky, I think Bobby Hull and Bobby Orr and a lot of others had hockey roaring pretty well before he came along. Ruth I have no qualms with.
I agree with the Jordan pick because he could do things that made him stand out in his sport, and dominate a game, more than any other. Period.
Tony |
