What athlete completely redefined their sport?

81 Point game, and bringing back the mid-range game.

 

How does scoring an amount of points change a sport?

How did he bring back the mid range game?

 

There was awhile when the mid range game was completely dead. Once Jordan was gone, there was no solid mid range game in the league.

Also, the 81 point game was history. It was the SECOND highest scoring game in history and it was caught on TV, unlike Wilt's 100 point game.

 

Charles Barkley when he played college basketball for Auburn.

 

I'm sure he came right into the league after Jordan.

That doesn't change a sport. It's just an accomplishment.

Kobe hasn't redefined the game, which why he is always being compared to a person before him. Jordan changed the sport, Kobe is following in his foot steps. If he changed the way basketball was played, then there wouldn't be talk about how he compares to Jordan. It would just be Kobe, and no one else, if he was that unique as a player.

 

any reasoning at all?

 

He showed that you don't have to be in shape to be a great player.
He would grab a rebound and run down the court and score.
He was extremely out of shape while at Auburn.

 

Reading the hockey ones about Ovechkin and Crosby PISSES ME OFF all they have done is made it a prissy sport.

Id say Gretzky Just for the fact of how godly he was.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Gretzky

Wasnt an athlete but Lord stanley himself
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Stanley,_16th_Earl_of_Derby

Steinbrenner

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Steinbrenner

I know some arnt athletes but they were huge factor to the sport to this day

The Assasin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Tatum

 

no doubt
jordan for bball
tiger for golf
the babe for baseball

 

Boxing < Muhammad Ali

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

I don't think anyone has said this yet and it's surprising.

Tiger Woods. The best golfer of all time. He held the number one rank in the world for the most consecutive weeks by far. He also holds the record for cheating on an incredibly hot wife.

-Dud

 

He did change the sport I'm not going to lie, but I wouldn't call him the best until he passes Nicholson on the all-time Major wins record.

 

Fedor Emelianenko changed MMA alot.

At first it was just people who are good at either jiu jutsu, or wrestling, or striking. Just one for each. E.G. A guy whos great at muay thai (striking) but lacking in submissions(jiu jutsu).

But when he came in, he came in with a full arsenal at everything. Other people may be black belts for 1 area, but Fedor is like a brown belt, in ALL areas. This style proves to be the best in MMA , and alot of people are starting to copy him. Such as Cain Velasquez, or Georges St Pierre.

 

Football (nfl) : Lawrence Taylor with out a doubt was the most game changing playing in NFL history. He pretty much created a whole new position, and he made have a good left tackle so important.

And on the offensive side of the ball Barry Sanders/Earl Campbell/Walter Payton. All played on horrible teams their whole career and were great.

Jerry Rice.....80....nuff said

Baseball i got a few ) Babe Ruth because he brought the homerun into baseball. He also helped revive baseball after the 1919 "black sox scandal"

Bob Gibson (pitcher for people who dont know) because of him they made the pitching mound lower.....pretty crazy.

Tommy John (pitcher) he has a surgery named after him FFS ....he helped save many players careers but being the first person to have this surgery done.



Edgar Martinez (DH) He gave meaning to the DH position.

Rickey Henderson Greatest lead-off hitter ever.....greatest base stealer ever....Brought speed back to baseball "Im the Greatest of all time"-Rickey Henderson

And last but not least

Willy mays- greatest baseball player ever....nuff said

Basketball: Michael Jordan....hmmm yea idk what NOT to say.....

"Pistol" Pete Maravich : greatest ball handler ever....

Hockey: Gretzky: also know as the chosen one...once again idk what NOT to say

MMA: Royce Gracie: honestly put the sport on the map....fought when there was really no weight class and still destroyed everyone

Boxing: Joe Frazier: in my mind The most complete boxer ever.....great chin, stamina, fast strong hands....

 

Im surprised no one has even mentioned Usain bolt..
He has actually done something that many thought was impossible by breaking into the 9.50's in a 100m sprint. He has also taken of over 14 milliseconds from the previous record in 2 record breaking attempts that is just insanely unusual it tops any athlete IMO.

 

As far as snowboarding goes, Jp has done it all. OG of snowboarding that brought it too the streets.

 

Can you count Pete Maravich as a player who DEFINED basketball?
With all the cross-overs and behind the back passes, he was the first one to do all those moves.

 

Wayne Gretzky is the single greatest hockey player of all time, he's my idol as i get better at hockey. He still holds more record then ANY other hockey player, to date his number, 99, is the only number in the NHL that no team can use.

 

Manny Pacquiao for boxing. While other boxing legends established their greatness by "beating fighters in the same division, in the same weight level," Pacquiao demolishes "great champions who are heavier and supposedly better than him," and he does it over and over again.