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Biggest What If Athlete in Sports History?
Posted on 9/28/22 at 8:58 am
Posted on 9/28/22 at 8:58 am
In your opinion, which athlete in sports history was the biggest what if situation? An athlete that should have been destined for greatness, but their playing career (or life) ended prematurely due to a number of reasons.
The athlete that comes to my mind 1st has got to be Len Bias. An All-American at Maryland, and the second overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft to the Celtics, Bias had more than the potential to become a huge star and succeed Larry Bird as the Celtics leader and perennial All-Pro. Two days later, he was dead of a cardiac arrhythmia caused by cocaine usage.
This guy had his whole life in front of him and a bright playing future in store, but it all ended before it ever began. I feel like he is the biggest What If athlete ever because we’ll never know how great of a player he could have become.
Who comes to your mind when you think of this question?
The athlete that comes to my mind 1st has got to be Len Bias. An All-American at Maryland, and the second overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft to the Celtics, Bias had more than the potential to become a huge star and succeed Larry Bird as the Celtics leader and perennial All-Pro. Two days later, he was dead of a cardiac arrhythmia caused by cocaine usage.
This guy had his whole life in front of him and a bright playing future in store, but it all ended before it ever began. I feel like he is the biggest What If athlete ever because we’ll never know how great of a player he could have become.
Who comes to your mind when you think of this question?
63
Posted on 9/28/22 at 9:04 am to SaintlyTiger88
Sidd Finch
Posted on 9/28/22 at 9:05 am to SaintlyTiger88
Bo. if he doesn't screw up his hip, everyone would agree that he was the best rb of all time.
Posted on 9/28/22 at 9:09 am to SaintlyTiger88
quote:
The athlete that comes to my mind 1st has got to be Len Bias
No one would know his name if Len Bias was drafted by Pheonix.
Boston sport media and Bill Simmons has convinced the world that the celtics would have won 20 more titles had he lived.
I've never bought the story that he did coke once and died.
This post was edited on 9/28/22 at 9:10 am
Posted on 9/28/22 at 9:12 am to SaintlyTiger88
Toe Nash
Posted on 9/28/22 at 9:12 am to SaintlyTiger88
Andrew Luck
Posted on 9/28/22 at 9:12 am to SaintlyTiger88
Posted on 9/28/22 at 9:13 am to SaintlyTiger88
I think Bo Jackson is an even bigger "what if" than Bias.
A couple others I'll throw out even though they're not the "biggest" what if in history:
Jose Fernandez
Andrew Luck
Calvin Johnson
Oscar Taveras
A couple others I'll throw out even though they're not the "biggest" what if in history:
Jose Fernandez
Andrew Luck
Calvin Johnson
Oscar Taveras
This post was edited on 9/28/22 at 9:16 am
Posted on 9/28/22 at 9:14 am to SaintlyTiger88
Arvydas Sabonis. Had he been allowed to come to the NBA earlier, he could’ve been the greatest European player and one of the greatest centers ever and made the Blazers a dynasty in the late 80s and early 90s.
Posted on 9/28/22 at 9:15 am to BenDover
Feel like Perrilloux could've been a college legend.
Posted on 9/28/22 at 9:15 am to SaintlyTiger88
I was always curious to see the career numbers Griffey would have put up if he stayed healthy. It would have been cool to see him as the home run king.
Posted on 9/28/22 at 9:19 am to SaintlyTiger88
Ernie Davis. Died of leukemia before ever playing a down in the NFL. The Cleveland Browns would have had Jim Brown and Ernie Davis as their running backs.
Posted on 9/28/22 at 9:21 am to SaintlyTiger88
Tiger Woods without the injuries and whores.
Michael Jordan if he doesn’t retire after 93.
Mike Vick if he doesn’t get drafted by a shitty team.
Michael Jordan if he doesn’t retire after 93.
Mike Vick if he doesn’t get drafted by a shitty team.
Posted on 9/28/22 at 9:22 am to SaintlyTiger88
Dwight Gooden. He was putting up prime Pedro Martinez numbers at 20 years old.
Posted on 9/28/22 at 9:22 am to SaintlyTiger88
If the stories are true about him being the superior athlete of the brothers- Cooper Manning.
Posted on 9/28/22 at 9:27 am to SaintlyTiger88
Ronald Dupree?
Posted on 9/28/22 at 9:27 am to Zap Rowsdower
quote:Archie Manning if he didn't go to the worst franchise in the NFL at the time.
Cooper Manning.
Posted on 9/28/22 at 9:32 am to SaintlyTiger88
Bo Jackson. We saw flashes of how great he was in both football and baseball, but the guy could’ve been an all timer in both sports if not for his hip injury.
Posted on 9/28/22 at 9:32 am to SaintlyTiger88
First thought... Len Bias
Second thought... Bo
Second thought... Bo
Posted on 9/28/22 at 9:38 am to SaintlyTiger88
What if the Packers had drafted Barry Sanders instead of Tony Mandarich. Being in a more competent organization probably extends Sanders career a handful of years and would ultimately have been paired with Favre two years after being drafted.
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