20 top sports heroes
July 28, 2006 | 12:00am
With so many great athletes in the arena of sports today, it’s difficult to narrow down the best of the best to an exclusive list. In ranking the top 20 athletes today, I took into consideration the athlete’s accomplishments, titles held, popularity and impact on the sport. Of course, I showed a little national bias. Without further adieu, here are my top 20 athletes, from both the Philippines and the world, in reverse order.
1) Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista (Boxing). Bautista currently holds the WBO Asia-Pacific Bantamweight title at age 19. He is already being labeled the next big thing.
2) Kerby Raymundo (Philippine Basketball Association). The multi-talented Purefoods Chunkee Giants big man has willed his team into a finals berth, where the perennial MVP candidate must face off against…
3) Enrico Villanueva (Philippine Basketball Association). The former Ateneo Blue Eagle has made a big impact on the PBA, already receiving MVP honors early in his bright career. The "Raging Bull" has solidified his mark as one of the PBA’s best low-post scorers and has led the Red Bull Barako into a finals berth.
4) Albert Pujols (Major League Baseball). The St. Louis Cardinal slugger was the National League MVP of Major League Baseball during the 2005 season. Born in the Dominican Republic, Pujols was the first player to hit 30 or more homeruns in each of his first five seasons.
5) Fernando Alonso (F1 Racing). The Spanish F1 driver for Renault has been making waves as of late, winning the Bahrain Grand Prix, Spanish Grand Prix and Monaco Grand Prix, among others. He was also the youngest ever awarded the Prine Asturias award for sports.
6) David Beckham (Football). Beckham’s talent and celebrity status makes him probably the most recognizable figure in all of sports. That, and his ex-Spice Girl wife.
7) Zinedine Zidane (Football). Despite his disgraceful exit and a heartbreaking loss for France, Zizou still won the Golden Ball, recognizing him as the best player of the 2006 World Cup.
8) Dirk Nowitzki (National Basketball Association). If it wasn’t for the hope of being "the next Dirk Nowitzki," NBA GMs would stop using their draft picks on unproven Euros. Nowitzki led an overachieving Dallas Mavericks team to the NBA Finals. Dirk has been in the All-NBA First Team in back-to-back seasons.
9) Shawn Michaels (World Wrestling Entertainment). The "Heartbreak Kid" is the heart and soul of professional wrestling. A multi-time champion and a born-again Christian, Shawn Michaels is a true icon of sports-entertainment.
10) Kobe Bryant (National Basketball Association). Two numbers got him here: 3 for the number of rings he has; 81 for the number of points he scored in a single game.
11) Peyton Manning (National Football League). Manning broke NFL great Dan Marino’s single season record for touchdown passes. Peyton Manning is probably the best quarterback in the NFL today.
12) Triple H (World Wrestling Entertainment). Call him "The Game" or the "King of Kings." Even in the world of wrestling, being a 10-time World Champion in 10 years isn’t easy. Only so many people can carry a team or a company for that long.
13) Dwyane Wade (National Basketball Association). The newly anointed savior of the NBA recently won himself a championship and the Finals MVP. D-Wade has sick talent to go along with a hunger for winning. He’s probably the best player in the NBA right now, but he hasn’t reached MJ’s level just yet. (I might get called for a foul on that one.)
14) Brian "Hawaiian Punch" Viloria (Boxing). Undefeated at 18-0, Viloria currently holds the WBC Light Flyweight Championship. With all the attention on the Pacman, many people are forgetting about this vastly talented boxer from Hawaii.
15) Tim Duncan (National Basketball Association). The best power forward in NBA history. Tim Duncan already has three rings, two MVPs, three Finals MVPs and eight All-NBA First team appearances and he isn’t even 30 years old.
16) LeBron James (National Basketball Association). King James may have missed out on the biggest stage in basketball, but it won’t be long before his time comes. Time is the only thing standing between the most talented player in basketball and greatness of legendary proportions.
17) Ronaldo (Football). Brazil’s Ronaldo has already solidified his name in the Football Pantheon by becoming the World Cup’s all-time leading goal-scorer. Too bad the French cost him the World Cup (again).
18) Shaquille O’Neal (National Basketball Association). Shaq is the most dominant basketball player of this era, hands down. Having Shaq on your team automatically makes you a championship contender. The Big Aristotle is the biggest force the NBA has seen in a long time.
19) Efren "Bata" Reyes (Billiards). Although "The Magician" has been relatively quiet lately, there is no questioning his accomplishments. A multi-time champion, Bata is internationally recognized as one of the best athletes to ever hold a cue stick.
20) Manny Pacquiao (Boxing). Fresh from a hometown victory against Oscar Larios, the Pacman is the unquestioned king of Philippine sports. Already having knocked out as many Mexicans as he has endorsed products, Manny Pacquiao is pound for pound the best the world has to offer.
1) Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista (Boxing). Bautista currently holds the WBO Asia-Pacific Bantamweight title at age 19. He is already being labeled the next big thing.
2) Kerby Raymundo (Philippine Basketball Association). The multi-talented Purefoods Chunkee Giants big man has willed his team into a finals berth, where the perennial MVP candidate must face off against…
3) Enrico Villanueva (Philippine Basketball Association). The former Ateneo Blue Eagle has made a big impact on the PBA, already receiving MVP honors early in his bright career. The "Raging Bull" has solidified his mark as one of the PBA’s best low-post scorers and has led the Red Bull Barako into a finals berth.
4) Albert Pujols (Major League Baseball). The St. Louis Cardinal slugger was the National League MVP of Major League Baseball during the 2005 season. Born in the Dominican Republic, Pujols was the first player to hit 30 or more homeruns in each of his first five seasons.
5) Fernando Alonso (F1 Racing). The Spanish F1 driver for Renault has been making waves as of late, winning the Bahrain Grand Prix, Spanish Grand Prix and Monaco Grand Prix, among others. He was also the youngest ever awarded the Prine Asturias award for sports.
6) David Beckham (Football). Beckham’s talent and celebrity status makes him probably the most recognizable figure in all of sports. That, and his ex-Spice Girl wife.
7) Zinedine Zidane (Football). Despite his disgraceful exit and a heartbreaking loss for France, Zizou still won the Golden Ball, recognizing him as the best player of the 2006 World Cup.
8) Dirk Nowitzki (National Basketball Association). If it wasn’t for the hope of being "the next Dirk Nowitzki," NBA GMs would stop using their draft picks on unproven Euros. Nowitzki led an overachieving Dallas Mavericks team to the NBA Finals. Dirk has been in the All-NBA First Team in back-to-back seasons.
9) Shawn Michaels (World Wrestling Entertainment). The "Heartbreak Kid" is the heart and soul of professional wrestling. A multi-time champion and a born-again Christian, Shawn Michaels is a true icon of sports-entertainment.
10) Kobe Bryant (National Basketball Association). Two numbers got him here: 3 for the number of rings he has; 81 for the number of points he scored in a single game.
11) Peyton Manning (National Football League). Manning broke NFL great Dan Marino’s single season record for touchdown passes. Peyton Manning is probably the best quarterback in the NFL today.
12) Triple H (World Wrestling Entertainment). Call him "The Game" or the "King of Kings." Even in the world of wrestling, being a 10-time World Champion in 10 years isn’t easy. Only so many people can carry a team or a company for that long.
13) Dwyane Wade (National Basketball Association). The newly anointed savior of the NBA recently won himself a championship and the Finals MVP. D-Wade has sick talent to go along with a hunger for winning. He’s probably the best player in the NBA right now, but he hasn’t reached MJ’s level just yet. (I might get called for a foul on that one.)
14) Brian "Hawaiian Punch" Viloria (Boxing). Undefeated at 18-0, Viloria currently holds the WBC Light Flyweight Championship. With all the attention on the Pacman, many people are forgetting about this vastly talented boxer from Hawaii.
15) Tim Duncan (National Basketball Association). The best power forward in NBA history. Tim Duncan already has three rings, two MVPs, three Finals MVPs and eight All-NBA First team appearances and he isn’t even 30 years old.
16) LeBron James (National Basketball Association). King James may have missed out on the biggest stage in basketball, but it won’t be long before his time comes. Time is the only thing standing between the most talented player in basketball and greatness of legendary proportions.
17) Ronaldo (Football). Brazil’s Ronaldo has already solidified his name in the Football Pantheon by becoming the World Cup’s all-time leading goal-scorer. Too bad the French cost him the World Cup (again).
18) Shaquille O’Neal (National Basketball Association). Shaq is the most dominant basketball player of this era, hands down. Having Shaq on your team automatically makes you a championship contender. The Big Aristotle is the biggest force the NBA has seen in a long time.
19) Efren "Bata" Reyes (Billiards). Although "The Magician" has been relatively quiet lately, there is no questioning his accomplishments. A multi-time champion, Bata is internationally recognized as one of the best athletes to ever hold a cue stick.
20) Manny Pacquiao (Boxing). Fresh from a hometown victory against Oscar Larios, the Pacman is the unquestioned king of Philippine sports. Already having knocked out as many Mexicans as he has endorsed products, Manny Pacquiao is pound for pound the best the world has to offer.
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