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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
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HoopsHype

HoopsHype poll of 52 current and former NBA players names Michael Jordan most influential player ever

Many people debate who’s the greatest player ever, but there’s no debate for the most influential player of all time, and we have the numbers to prove it. HoopsHype polled a mix of 52 former and current NBA players for their most influential players ever, and Michael Jordan won in a landslide.
Source: Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Michael Scotto @MikeAScotto
Story: Who are the most influential NBA players ever? I polled a mix of 52 former and current NBA players to find out. Michael Jordan won in a landslide. Find out where LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, and others finished on @HoopsHype. hoopshype.com/lists/nba-play…5:43 PM
Bob Garcia @bgarciaivsports
LeBron James stands to surpass Michael Jordan twice in the NBA record books.
#Lakers #LakeShow #NBA
sportscasting.com/lebron-james-v…2:32 PM
Jorge Sierra @hoopshype
Michael Jordan was outscored just once in a playoff series.
No star comes close to that: https://t.co/pTFqsleE9U pic.twitter.com/VHKURjd0m212:47 PM

More on this storyline

Some prioritized production and impact long-term on the court. Others prioritized influence off the court from cultural branding, style, music, and experience as an executive. In our scoring system, the top vote on a former or current player’s ballot received five points, the second received four points, the third received three points, the fourth received two points, and the fifth received one point. Below are the results of the poll. -via HoopsHype / March 23, 2022
Michael Jordan: Share of the vote: 73.85 percent of the maximum amount possible Almost half of the voters in our poll (25) voted Michael Jordan No. 1 on their ballots. No other player got more than five first-place votes. MJ really ran the table here, and how can you argue with that? His on-court accomplishments are unimpeachable, as is the cultural impact. He was, after all, the most famous person on the planet for a while, turning millions into basketball fans across the globe. “He just made the game look so fun and painted an amazing picture with the way he played,” one former NBA player who played for Jordan told HoopsHype. “Off the court, seeing how he carried himself. He showed the business side from a branding standpoint that was unreal. His logo speaks for itself, and he ran the basketball operations of the Wizards and played while doing it.” -via HoopsHype / March 23, 2022
Share of the vote for LeBron James: 37.69 percent of the maximum amount possible No player has ever entered the NBA with more hype as a teenager and exceeded those expectations more than LeBron James, who finished with the most second-place votes (11) in the poll. His nationally televised free agency decision in 2010 across the country was an iconic must-see television moment. “LeBron’s ability to influence his peers, public opinion, his basketball dominance from a very young age, and his philanthropic work puts him up there with the most influential NBA athletes,” one former NBA player and current assistant coach told HoopsHype. -via HoopsHype / March 23, 2022

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