The 10 Most Influential Chicago Athletes in the Last 50 Years

How does this list compare with yours?

I started watching Chicago sports when I was about seven or eight years old in the early 60s. Just to clarify, that’s the 1960s, not the 1860s. I remember the Bears’ 1963 championship and the 1963 Loyola Ramblers winning the NCAA basketball title. After that, I remember I lot of futility. Eventually, things got better. It’s against this backdrop I’ve put together this list of the most influential Chicago athletes in the last 50 years. By influential, I mean the ones that have had the most effect on the sports culture of Chicago. Frankly, for a bunch of years, Chicago was a loser when it came to sports. These guys helped overcome that. Once again, this list is a list of the most influential, not the greatest, though these guys were all pretty much great players. Let’s get started.

9. Duncan Keith: The Blackhawks won Stanley Cups in 2010, 2012 and 2015. Keith was a key member in all of those Cup wins. He won the Conn Smythe Award as the playoff’s MVP during the 2015 playoffs. He was a great player who elevated his game during crunch time. His workload and performance were memorable, especially in the 2015 playoffs. He scored the game-winner in game six of the Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

8. Scottie Pippen: I think Michael Jordan was the greatest athlete and biggest winner in the history of Chicago sports. Having said that, I’m not sure how many championships the Bulls and Jordan win without Pippen. His skillset and temperament were just right to mesh with Jordan. They were both the better for their time together.

7. Patrick Kane: Kane was also part of those three Hawks Cup winners mentioned previously. Kane just has a knack for scoring big goals, particularly in the playoffs. His overtime goal against the Philadelphia Flyers in game…

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