The Five Most Influential Athletes of Your Lifetime

[JJ Husker]

Pete Maravich

Peter Forsberg

Tommie Frazier

Joe Montana

Magic Johnson

Tough to reduce it to only 5.

Oops. I might have to replace Magic with Bjorn Borg. And to be clear, these are athletes who were most influential to me personally, not necessarily most influential overall. 

 

[Madcows]

because greatness is not confined to a specific gender or species. 

Was he a Great horse? Yes.  Inspirational...ehh, he's a horse.

 

[teachercd]

Was he a Great horse? Yes.  Inspirational...ehh, he's a horse.

Ummm and because gender and species are fluid!!!

 

[Lorewarn]

Left field answer, the #1 answer in my own life by a landslide is Tony Hawk

 

[MyBloodIsRed16]

Left field answer, the #1 answer in my own life by a landslide is Tony Hawk

Yes, his performance in Gleaming the Cube was inspirational.

 

[krc1995]

Oops. I might have to replace Magic with Bjorn Borg. And to be clear, these are athletes who were most influential to me personally, not necessarily most influential overall. 

Which is exactly the question.  
 

If the prompt were the most objectively influential athlete anyone could google who has made the most off of endorsements. 
 

For me, it’s who’s book would I read, movie would I watch, link would I click, or image would I analogize when comparing greatness. 

 

[The Dude]

1. Micheal Jordan

2. Tiger Woods

3. Hulk Hogan

4. Bo Jackson

5. Wayne Gretzky

5b: Caitlin Clark - single-handedly popularizing girls basketball is arguably more difficult than popularizing hockey.

 

[The Dude]

Left field answer, the #1 answer in my own life by a landslide is Tony Hawk

 That's a great pick.  The only reason I didn't list him as my #4 is because the video game deserves a lion's share of the credit.

 

[teachercd]

 That's a great pick.  The only reason I didn't list him as my #4 is because the video game deserves a lion's share of the credit.

There is an interview of him talking about how much money he made off that game

 

[BigRedBuster]

3. Hulk Hogan

I assumed the question was about athletes who competed in a sport. 

 

[teachercd]

I assumed the question was about athletes who competed in a sport. 

Hahaha!

Cold blooded!

 

[The Dude]

I assumed the question was about athletes who competed in a sport. 

Haha yes.  This did cross my mind.  Pro wrestling isn't a sport, but the wrestlers are undeniably athletes.

 

[Nebfanatic]

Jordan

Brady

Phelps

LeBron

Biles