INTRO:
We’ve got the NBA and NHL playoffs going on. The MLB season is in full swing. Plus, we’ve had some close race finishes. So close that it was in the records book!
Today, I’ve gathered 14 AMAZING Substack writers to tell you their favorite player, and why.
Are you ready to dive into the sports world?! Be sure to like and share this post with all your friends!
Roundup:
|| Writes
These days I'm an NBA guy primarily, but growing up I followed other sports just as avidly. That includes baseball, football, boxing, and tennis, with each of them holding an equal claim on my heart back then. In terms of one athlete, the one who meant the most to me growing up was Muhammad Ali -- my childhood overlapped with the end of his career. Ali had a long and complicated life, one that is worthy of the many books I've read and movies and documentaries I've watched about him. And while I can't endorse everything he did -- which includes the shameful way he treated some opponents -- I am still inspired by his wit, his grit, his charisma, his talent, and the way he used his later years to bring joy to others.
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My favorite NBA player to watch is Nikola Jokić, and it’s not particularly close right now — although Victor Wembanyama is coming up in the rear-view mirror.
In a league full of the world’s most athletic humans, Jokić trundles around like a particularly large, particularly pale mole-person, lurching and flailing in equal measure. It’s hilarious. But the outward silliness belies one of the fiercest competitors in the game, someone with the endurance of a steam engine and the angular mind of a geometrist.
Jokić does something new every night, whether it’s prematurely jumping for the tip-off four times or tossing literal curveballs for across-the-court dimes. Come for the faux-bumbling tomfoolery, stay for the killer instinct, fadeaway game-winners, and sexy passes…
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My favorite player growing up was Mike Modano of the Dallas Stars. In terms of the things kids like to watch, he was as cool as it gets -- flying up and down the ice faster than anyone in the league, with his jersey flapping behind him, shooting bullets at the opposing goalie. But as I got older, I began to appreciate the finer points of his game as well. Here was a guy who'd been a superstar his whole life, the No. 1 pick in the draft, a 50-goal scorer by the age of 23, but he was willing to sacrifice his numbers during his prime and become a complete all-around player in order to pursue a championship. And he finally got one in 1999, bringing a Stanley Cup to a warm-weather locale for the first time. As a kid who grew up in Atlanta, GA, it was so exciting to see hockey begin to thrive in an environment like the one I lived in, and I had Modano (among others) to thank for that.
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Wyatt Teller. Football is inherently changing at a troubling rate. Each spring, the league passes a new rule designed to sew hesitation and doubt into the brains of defensive players. This year, it's the banning of the "hip-drop tackle," a term created 14 minutes ago. It's no coincidence that commissioner Roger Goodell has kids in flag football uniforms on the draft-day stage. That's exactly where the NFL is heading. Sadly. So during these troubling times, I find myself gravitating toward the old-school players who bring a brand of violence that drew us all to the sport to begin with -- Cleveland Browns guard Wyatt Teller is everything you could want. He uproots linebackers with a level of belligerence that'd make players in the 60s and 70s proud. He snarls and laughs and sets a tone. From breaking sternums, drinking whiskey and hunting gators, what is there not to love? Teller is Football.
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After years of watching Novak Djokovic decimate opponents, racking up Grand Slams, and breaking every record known to man, we can likely say he’s the GOAT – but only statistically. Despite the Serb’s dominance, he was never my favorite tennis player or athlete. Instead, that honor goes to the most graceful player to ever touch a racket, Roger Federer.
Of course, I’m not alone. The RF hats – from a bygone Federer/Nike era, no less – are still rampant around the grounds, adorned upon the heads of both children and adults alike, clamoring for a time when the Swiss Maestro graced the tour. I also count myself among that crowd – though maybe for slightly different reasons.
I aspired to one day stand where he stood as a professional tennis player. Early on in Roger’s career, he struggled mightily with the mental side of the sport, having outbursts, breaking rackets, and more, a stark contrast to who we think of when we think of him. While I didn’t break rackets, I was equally self-defeating. I aspired to get over the hump as he once did. Thankfully, I got the chance to prove it during the beginning of my full-fledged pro career.
Unfortunately, my career has been cut short by injuries and as-of-yet-undiagnosed illnesses, but the admiration factor is still there. Even in retirement, Roger still floats around the (unfortunately increasingly fragmented) sport itself, bringing about the popular Laver Cup event, where I predict Rafael Nadal will retire later this year. After all, it’s a nice gesture for Roger’s most legendary rival to hang up the racket at his compatriot’s event; it’s some good old-fashioned closure.
Nobody has ever made the game look so easy and under control. Nobody has ever been able to get New York City to cheer for a so-called foreigner while playing against an American. Like Michael Jordan, who I also rank above my favorites of all time, the man transcended borders.
I’m grateful I got the chance to watch him live in Cincinnati a couple of years back, nosebleed seats and all. Despite his Serbian compatriot beating him out in almost every statistical category at this point, Roger still has a place in myriad fans' hearts, including mine.
|| Writes
As someone who covers the San Antonio Spurs, it would be all too easy to choose Victor Wembanyama and call it a day. While there is a veritable smorgasbord of phenomenal players in the NBA, one deserves his flowers more than most. You might not have expected to see Derrick White make an appearance, but the former Silver and Black standout is the perfect encapsulation of a glue guy. He is an elite team defender, hardnosed on-ball stopper, willing charge taker, unselfish passer, and crafty scorer who adjusts to any role his coaches ask of him. How can you not love watching him make winning plays for the Boston Celtics?
|| Writes
When it comes to my favourite player, my answer goes deeper than the guy I enjoy watching the most. In 2019, my Mum bought me two tickets (I was 9 at the time) to the Perth Wildcats. I was excited as I had blindly supported them for years without ever going to a game. By chance, the Wildcats were playing the Illawarra Hawks, the team blessed with the talents of LaMelo Ball. I fell in love with basketball that day, amid highlight reel play after play. When LaMelo Ball went to the NBA, my fandom went with him, altering the course of my life forever. Without him, I wouldn’t have developed the dream of covering the NBA, to which I am now working so hard towards.
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My favorite athlete is Cal Raleigh, catcher for the Seattle Mariners. I’m 26 years old, and up until 2022, my beloved but oh so tortured Seattle Mariners hadn’t reached the MLB playoffs since 2001, when I was three years old. The franchise’s futility had reached a point where missing the playoffs was just assumed. I didn’t get to a point where I had “hope.” But in 2022, the Mariners had a legitimate chance to make the playoffs, and a Cal Raleigh walkoff home run in one of the final games of the regular season clinched their spot in the postseason for the first time in my waking life. I’ve never, up to that point, gotten to see one of my teams have a moment like that, and because of how important it was to the entire fanbase, it made Cal my favorite athlete.
|| Writes
When it comes to having a favorite player, there are many things to consider, but I'm going to keep it short. Out of all the players in all the leagues, to me, it's Anthony Edwards. Despite the league being packed with stars, Anthony Edwards manages to shine as a true superstar. He consistently works on maintaining and developing a star that he has established. With his exceptional trash-talking skills and prowess in both offense and defense, he has become an elite competitor and a rising star in the advertising world. Moreover, he possesses the most sought-after basketball footwear in the industry - the Adidas Ae 1s. It may seem like an exaggeration, but the upcoming months have the potential to completely transform Edwards’ life, career, and the future of the NBA. This fact alone brings a sense of satisfaction. Since becoming the number one pick in 2020, he has consistently enhanced different aspects of his game each season. However, in his fourth year, Edwards made significant progress. He improved his free throw percentage by almost 7 points, bringing it to 83.6%. In addition, his productivity and ability to create scoring opportunities have shown improvement (his assists resulted in 1,024 points, slightly lower than starting point guard Mike Conley’s 1,049 points). Edwards has taken charge of a team that hasn’t experienced this level of achievement and enthusiasm since the early 2000s with players like Kevin Garnett and coach Flip Saunders, who later became the team president. Edwards never fails to amaze me with the chills he gives me during his performances, making it easy to be in awe of him. Edwards recorded personal bests in various playoff statistics during Minnesota’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns in the first round. His cool and calm demeanor is what made me a fan to begin with drawing comparisons to MJ and Kobe, and the comparisons are on the court as well. I remember being on a basketball court late at night as a kid putting up buzzer-beaters "just like Mike," and now I can see millions of kids wanting to be "just like Ant." To put it plainly, Edwards is no longer on the verge of making it in the NBA. He pays the mortgage here now, and because of all the things previously stated, he is my favorite player.
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I’m @rytheguy, and Bryce Harper is my favorite sports player. The story of me liking him is different than an expected I’m a Phillies fan and he’s good so I like him, but way different. When I was three, I lived in Vegas. I played tball, but Bryce’s cousin was the coach. I don’t remember anything about him or the team other than that I wouldn’t listen to the coach unless he called me Spider-Man 🤣. I also really liked reading books about Harper and his career. Fun fact, did you know Harper and Mike Trout hit their 100th home run at the exact same age. Days and years. I don’t know the age but I thought that was cool. Bryce has been my favorite player for most of his career, and hopefully he brings a ring to the City of Brotherly Love soon.
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In the three years since he was dramatically selected 26th overall and sent Aaron Rodgers on a rage-induced, Ayahuasca-abetted run of MVPs, Jordan Love had become an afterthought in Green Bay. Even as the similarities between him and Rodgers began to line up - the three-year apprenticeship, the improvised arm angles - nobody in Green Bay could quite let themselves believe that we could hit the quarterback lottery in Green Bay three times in a row. Then we watched him batter the Bears, destroy Detroit, and clobber the Cowboys, and now we are cheese-heads over heels. Growing up watching Favre and Rodgers, I’ve been spoiled for great quarterbacks. But in watching their unceremonious departures, I’ve also grown used to the players I’ve loved most leaving behind complicated legacies. What I love about Jordan Love is that he is not only wonderfully talented but also beautifully uncomplicated. He throws the 60-yard bomb without the resentful glare at the head coach. He drops the ball perfectly over the back shoulder without the bombshell Pat McAfee interview on Tuesday. I had almost forgotten that you could get greatness without the controversy and the eventual move to New Jersey. Perhaps, like his predecessors, the spikiness will emerge with age. Until then, however, I’ll continue to enjoy the excellence, and lightness, of Jordan Love.
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No player in NFL history quite warms my heart like Frank Gore. Gore's rise from injury-prone draft prospect to a literal rock who played for 16 years at the league's most vulnerable position is legendary. For a running back (let alone any position) to go seven straight years without missing a game is unheard of. But beside the Ironman status of Gore, his passion on the field always jumped off the screen. During San Francisco's dark days in the mid-to-late aughts, Gore and his oomph made the 49ers watchable. He was the guy who was the first one to arrive and the last to leave. A player who preached immaculate conditioning and nutrition well before TB12 was a thing. A stud who never stopped embodying football. Gore is and will forever be my favorite football player. Can't wait for his induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
|| Writes
In a word, it was relatively vapid. US Men’s Tennis was full of incredibly talented players who were nice, could hit the ball hard, maybe even make a little run in a big tournament here or there, but someone who we knew could really have a shot, had yet to be real since Andy Roddick. We didn’t know he would come at our tournament, the first time he would play it, wearing florescent pink. We didn’t know he would hit the ball 140 miles per hour, crush cross court forehands and rally with the best of them. We had only dreamed of player who was all these things, but had never expected him to arrive in the way he did. Yet there he was, Ben Shelton— hanging up the phone on everyone who came in his path. This infectious force of energy that was unapologetically confident in the way we needed to be to bring back the life, the desperate breath of life to a nations team that so badly needed a miracle. Ben Shelton became the resurrector.
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Any day, my favorite player would be Mookie Betts. He's calm and composed every time he steps up to the plate. BANG! The ball’s gone yard. He’s fun. He’s nice and the guy who kept pushing me not to give up. I was never a power swinger. I never will be… I am a contact guy and always have the fewest strikeouts (I had a season with 1!), but there was a time when I couldn’t do anything but get out. At the same time, Mookie was struggling. I never went to a game but during the pregame show, they always showed Mookie just practicing and practicing. Then, he got a hit. Then a hit. Then a hit. Then a walk-off bomb. Mookie got me playing baseball again, and I sincerely appreciate it.
So you've met Mookie???