Most important current Bay Area sports figures

It's easy to determine the most important current Bay Area sports figure.

But who's second and third? Who's fifth and 10th? Glad you asked. Following is the latest ratings of sports figures for major Bay Area professional teams.

It's sports figures, not just athletes: Announcers are eligible, as are coaches and managers. Heck, a mascot could make it someday (hint: Not this day).

This list obviously changes over time. For instance, six of the 10 figures on my 2018 list are now gone: one (Buster Posey) retired, two (Derek Carr and Jon Gruden) left for Las Vegas and three (Joe Thornton, Madison Bumgarner, Kevin Durant) departed as free agents. Another member of the 2018 list (Jimmy Garropolo) is about to be traded.

And away we go . . .

10. Tomas Hertl, Sharks. I had to pick at least one NHL player and he's the best in San Jose. For years, Joe Thornton was the most beloved Sharks player, but now it's Hertl, who just finished his ninth season and is just 28.

9. Trey Lance, 49ers. The best bet on this list to make a big leap in the next year. The 49ers quarterback: the glamour position on the area's glamour team.

8. Ken Korach, A's. It would be nice to pick an Oakland player, but ownership is bent on trading off everyone who can get anything in return. Korach has been the radio voice of the team since 1996 and is quietly as good (or better) at radio play-by-play as Jon Miller or Dave Flemming of the Giants.

7. Nick Bosa, 49ers. A freakishly great defensive end who (if he stays healthy) will be one of the NFL's top players for the next several years. One of the greatest defensive linemen in team history.

6. Draymond Green, Warriors. The Warriors have been led by Green, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry for 10 seasons. For perspective, only six NBA players have spent the last 10 seasons with the same team, meaning that group makes up half of that list. Green is the heartbeat and the NBA's best defensive player.

5. Brandon Crawford, Giants. Grew up in Pleasanton, joined the Giants in 2011, played on two World Series champions and was the best player on last year's 107-win team. Quietly a Giants legend.

4. Klay Thompson, Warriors. He spent more than 900 days off the court with two major leg injuries and somehow became even more popular. Like Curry and Green, fans feel like they've seen him grow up.

3. George Kittle, 49ers. This could have been Deebo Samuels' spot had he not gotten into a baffling contract squabble with the Niners this offseason that end with him being traded. Kittle is an aggressive, athletic, one-of-a-kind tight end who thrills fans with his skills. And joy.

2. Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow, Giants. The beloved Giants TV broadcasters have been a pairing since the early 1990s and the tragedy in recent years (illness for Krukow, cancer for Kuiper, followed by Kuiper's wife's death last winter) has made them even more treasured. Maybe the most beloved local sportscasters in America.

1. Stephen Curry, Warriors. The greatest-ever Bay Area basketball player, a modern-day version of Willie Mays (had Mays started his career in San Francisco). Arguably the most popular NBA player, he's the top Bay Area sports figure by the same margin by which he'll ultimately hold the NBA 3-pointer record: It's not even close.

Reach Brad Stanhope at bradstanhope@outlook.com.