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Welcome to Saturday's Sporting Icon!  Every Saturday, this page will showcase some of history's most unappreciated sports superstars. From the winding streets of Monaco to the NBA hardcourt, I think it's time to shed some light on the greatness of some of the world's least treasured icons. Saturday 27th February - Len Bias  Since 1984, the world has searched for the next Michael Jordan. Some thought it was Kobe. Others think it's LeBron James. However, those who were around in 1984, only had to wait a mere 2 years to see the next best thing. Len Bias was a bigger and arguably more skilled version of Michael Jordan, with incredible athleticism at 6'8" and a shooters touch from inside 13 feet. Throughout his 4 years at Maryland University, he dominated college basketball and quickly became one of the most exciting prospects for the 1986 NBA Draft. However, in a tragic switch of fate, Len Bias soon became one of the biggest "what-if's" in basketb...

For the first 10 of the last 20 years, golf had never seen anything like Tiger Woods. As the winner of 15 majors and 82 PGA Tour events, he holds some of the most elusive and unbreakable records in professional sport but in contrast is probably the most injury prone superstar ever seen. The combination of these two factors (alongside some very overworked surgeons) set-up one of the greatest returns to stardom that sport will ever see.  At 21, Tiger won his first major at the Masters in 1997 and quickly acended to the number 1 spot on the Official World Golf Rankings a few months later. This would begin a dominant streak of relentless winning that put golf's greatest names to shame. During his opening decade in the sport, Tiger built up 54 PGA Tour event wins before turning 30 in 2006; 36 more than golfing legends Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy.  He became the only player in PGA tour history to win at the same course on 8 or more occassions, an impressive feat in it's own righ...

What makes a player great? Is it the MVP trophies? Is it the scoring titles? Is it the championships?  These are questions that are thrown around in every GOAT debate and like it or not, winning titles has a major contributing factor in this decision. Winning is the sole purpose of every NBA player and is a defining element when determining career success. However, where is the line drawn? It's no secret that some players just happen to find themself always on the winning team, and are therefore gifted ring after ring (Jim Loscutoff *cough). In contrast, some of the NBA's greatest ever players left their teams without a single ring on their finger or banner in the sky. So how big a role should Championships play in determining the greatness of NBA players?  In my mind the answer is simple. Context. The story behind a players NBA ring is what define's their greatness and is exactly why players such as Bill Russell are ever found during legitimate GOAT conversations. With 11 ...

  Welcome to Saturday\"s Sporting Icon!  Every Saturday, this page will showcase some of history\"s most unappreciated sports superstars. From the winding streets of Monaco to the NBA hardcourt, I think it\"s time to shed some light on the greatness of some of the world\"s least treasured icons. February 21st - Richard Seaman  In the pre-war era of the late 1930s, motorsport was seen in two contrasting lights. In Britain, motor racing was a hobby for the rich and a pleasant past time that looked more like a weekend at the Royal Ascot. On the other hand, Nazi Germany had turned motorsport into a tool for national propaganda, taking the opportunity to display Germany\"s might and technological dominance around Europe. However, there was only one man that ever got to experience both sides of this political battle and at the time, was Britain\"s most successful racing driver; Richard Seaman.  Seaman was born in 1913 into a British family of wealth and made cle...

"Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard"  As a basketball player that didn't exactly turn any heads when it came to physical stature, these words gave me great hope when trying to ascend the GB basketball ladder. I was repeatedly told by coach after coach that hard work was the way to get to the top.  But what they didn't tell me, is that these words are utter bull****.  As the 42nd ranked nation in the FIBA world rankings, Team GB itself has become something of a laughing stock in the basketball world. On paper, it's athlete's should rank among the best in Europe and a chosen few have proven this by going on to American colleges and the NBA. However, it's not the players that are to blame. Good basketball coaches are few and far between in the UK and for one reason or another, the very worst of them have ended up in charge of identifying British talent. As a player and as a coach, I fully understand the thinking that is behind selecting ...

  Welcome to Greatest Rivals! Each Wednesday, this page will pitch two great rivals against each other to finally find out who the real winner is! Over the coming weeks, this page will cover many great rivalries, from the glory of el Clasico to the back and forth action of some of Wimbledon's finest performers.  In order to determine a winner, each rivalry will be split into 2 categories: Statistical dominance and individual or team success. In case of a draw, the winner will then be elected from personal opinion.  Wednesday 17th February - LeBron James vs Michael Jordan  Okay, let's do this. The LeBron vs Jordan debate is one of the most polarizing sports debates in recent history and the answer is generally decided by what era you were brought up in. Old-timers who grew up watching Jordan destroy the likes of Magic Johnson and Karl Malone will undoubtedly place him higher than LeBron, just because they were their childhood hero. Thankfully, the script has flipped f...

Since 2015, Premier League teams have spent over £6.6 billion in gross transfer fees and it's fair to say that not every one of those transfers has turned out great. Nicolas Pepe was sold to Arsenal in 2019 for a club-record £72 million and has only scored on 9 occasions in 47 appearances. Danny Drinkwater signed for Chelsea in 2017 for £34.1 million after being a regular starter for Leicester Cities Premier League winning side the year prior. In his very short time at Chelsea, the Englishman made 12 appearances over 2 years and contributed a single goal. Thankfully, not all Premier League transfers have made such disastrous headlines and at the very top of those successful few is Leicester front-man Jamie Vardy.  Originally bought from non-league side Fleetwood Town for £1 million, Vardy made his Premier League debut with Leicester after contributing to their promotion in 2014. What followed could only be described as a footballing miracle.  As well as being one of the main d...

The strive toward perfection is something that every coach is constantly looking out for. It's a universal understanding that the "Perfect Athlete" is one that possesses vital physical elements such as height, speed, and strength etc. However, being the perfect athlete doesn't necessarily make you the perfect athlete and many players who possess these physical elements still fall through the cracks of professional sport because they don't possess what coaches like to call "The Intangibles". These are attributes found in athletes that require no physical talent or skill but add significant value to players who aren't as physically blessed as the LeBron James' or Cristiano Ronaldo's of the world. In fact, in my eyes, it makes them even more valuable.  It's no question. Every great team requires great players. The Bulls had Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Barcelona had Messi and Iniesta. The Patriots had Brady and Gronkowski. But I woul...

Welcome to Greatest Rivals! Each Wednesday, this page will pitch two great rivals against each other to finally find out who the real winner is! Over the coming weeks, this page will cover many great rivalries, from the glory of el Clasico to the back and forth action of some of Wimbledon's finest performers.  In order to determine a winner, each rivalry will be split into 2 categories: Statistical dominance and individual or team success. In case of a draw, the winner will then be elected from personal opinion.  Frank Lampard vs Steven Gerrard  Since 1966, England hasn't had much in terms of luck when it comes to true world-class talent. We've had the odd wunderkind but sure enough, they soon dissolve. However, the 21st century gave birth to two of the most decorated and feared midfield players of the modern era, each of whom led their respective teams for over a decade. As both rivals and as team-mates, they've been compared to one another throughout their entire care...

"Power and influence over others" is how the dictionary defines dominance. In sport, its a little more tricky. After all,  how can someone like me rank Lewis Hamilton's 7 World Titles against Floyd Mayweather's undefeated boxing record? Easy. Objectivity. It's no secret that some of the names on this list have been handed their high pedestal but what no one can question, is the sheer superiority that these athletes have shown over all others.  1. Floyd Mayweather  Floyd Mayweather is a controversial character and is certainly one that I myself have never followed but no one can question his dominance across multiple divisions of world boxing. Throughout his multiple retirements, Mayweather retained a professional record of 50-0, losing his last fight as an amateur in 1996. In his time at the top, he held 5 weight division titles and looked simply untouchable, only being knocked to the canvas briefly in a bout against Carlos Hernandez in 2011. Today, he may been th...

  Welcome to Saturday's Sporting Icon!  Every Saturday, this page will showcase some of history's most unappreciated sports superstars. From the winding streets of Monaco to the NBA hardcourt, I think it's time to shed some light on the greatness of some of the world's least treasured icons. Saturday 7th February - Jimmy Butler  At 13 years old, Jimmy Butler hadn't had the greatest start in life. With no father and a mother who left him homeless after "not liking the look of him", his assent toward NBA greatness is nothing short of a miracle.  After spending much of his middle school and early high school days jumping from couch to couch, he was soon taken in by Jordan Leslie and his family who added him to their already full household. Butler became the 8th child of the Leslie roster and often played American Football with Jordan, who is now a wide receiver in the NFL. However, Butler was what you call a 'late bloomer' and was just 5'3" t...

When NBA analysts and fans talk about "busts" the usual names are bounced around during discussions. Anthony Bennett. Greg Oden. Kwame Brown. Player's that were dominant during their high school and college days but for one reason or another, couldn't make the leap to the NBA. Now, although these names are definitely on that list of "busted" NBA defects, I don't think they truly define what an NBA bust is. In my mind, an NBA bust is defined by a combination of true greatness and a whole heap of disappointment, and only one player fits that description: Tracy McGrady.  Now before you go straight down to the comment section and type, "WhAt AbOuT ChArLeS BaRkLeY" or "WhAt AbOuT kArL MaLoNe?", the lack of a championship ring isn't the only reason I label T-Mac as the NBA's Greatest Bust.  I'll start with the good. Without injuries and misfortune, Tracy McGrady may have been one of the greatest players in NBA history and posse...

In ancient Chinese philosophy, there is the duelling concept of yin and yang, which suggests that for every great force, there is always a complementary power that rises alongside it. In sport, this translates, as for every Duke Blue Devil or Manchester City, there is always an underdog. The underdog is one of the many defining factors that make sport great, and over the centuries, there have been so many underdog stories that even some truly astounding feats slip the minds of today's sporting fanatics. What follows is not a ranking of sports greatest underdog stories but more of a celebration of what makes an underdog truly spectacular.  Leicester City FC Win The Premier League  As the most present underdog on the list, the memory of Leicesters triumph in 2015/2016 is probably still fresh in the minds of every hurting Arsenal fan around the world. At 5000/1, the Foxes were expected to finish the season battling against relegation but instead chose to sit atop of some of the P...