Of course, that's not an official title, but any history of who is considered the greatest athlete in Bay Area major sports history would conclude that the greatest was Willie Mays from 1958 (when the Giants moved here) until 1990, when Joe Montana won his third title as the 49ers quarterback. Montana held that crown until this year, when . . . well, read on. With no further introduction, the top 10 athletes (on Bay Area major pro teams) in history:
10. Charles Woodson, Raiders. The Hall of Famer played the first eight and final three years of his NFL career with the Raiders. It wasn't in the Bay Area, but he's also the coolest Heisman Trophy winner in history.
9. Buster Posey, Giants. Upset Giants fans? Well, read the rest of the list and realize No. 9 is pretty good. Posey was the Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player and the best offensive player on three World Series champions. What's more, he was the public face of the Giants as they had their greatest period in team history.
8. Ronnie Lott, 49ers. Even critics of the "finesse" 1980s 49ers dynasty acknowledged Lott was intimidating. A brilliant rookie cornerback for the first Super Bowl winners, he became the NFL's most feared safety.
7. Rick Barry, Warrior. When he retired, Barry was one of the 15 greatest NBA players in history. His stature has reduced, but he was a spectacular player who led Golden State to its first championship. Not beloved, but great.
6. Jerry Rice, 49ers. It says something about this region's history that the guy many consider the greatest NFL player doesn't even make the top five. The margin between Rice and the next-best receiver in the NFL was always massive and his prime lasted twice as long as most NFL players.
5. Barry Bonds, Giants. Greatest hitter since at least Ted Williams (maybe ever), he hit for power, average and had arguably the best eye in baseball history. Of course, he got "help" later in his career and a huge cloud hovers over his legacy. But Bonds from 2000 to 2004? Unmatched.
4. Rickey Henderson, A's. Yes, I have him above Bonds. Rickey played 11 seasons in Oakland over two stints. He's the greatest leadoff hitter and greatest base stealer in baseball history. Plus, he's from Oakland.
3. Willie Mays, Giants. Baseball's greatest player would be the Bay Area's greatest, except he played his first six seasons (and won his only title) in New York. A brilliant hitter, fielder, showman and teammate, he sadly lost his only World Series in San Francisco.
2. Joe Montana, 49ers. Unless you were in the Bay Area in the 1980s, it's hard to understand how popular the 49ers were. If the 49ers were the Beatles, Montana was a combination of Lennon and McCartney – the guy who led them to their first championship and seemingly came through in the clutch every time. Still revered.
1. Stephen Curry, Warriors. Warriors fans are seeing something they won't see again in their life – from the team (including Klay Thompson and Draymond Green and Kevon Looney) and especially from Curry. Steph's shooting changed the modern NBA and he's been the centerpiece of four NBA champions (even the Kevin Durant teams rotated around Curry). Curry has played 14 seasons in the Bay (Mays played 15, Montana played 13) and is the greatest face-of-the-franchise player in American team sports history.
Reach Brad Stanhope at bradstanhope@outlook.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment