Most Fun Athletes to Watch

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Jun 13, 2007

Most Fun Athletes to Watch

LeBron James

SI.com asked its staff which athletes are the most fun to watch. Here are some of their responses. <br><br> Don't watch LeBron because he can drop 25 points in a row. Don't watch him because he's such a ferocious dunker that he forces even the staunchest defenders to cower. And don't watch him because he can thread a pass through a thicket of defenders. Watch LeBron because he can do all of those things in a single night.

Roger Federer

Simply the best. No matter what the surface or the situation, you're sure to be entertained. The suspense isn't in the outcome of the match. It's in how his genius will express itself.

LaDainian Tomlinson

Because he's 27 and already on the threshold of top 20 rushers of all time. He'll be in there in September, and then it'll be watch the numbers go up and up. You're looking at the surest, slam dunk Hall of Fame player in the NFL today. There is no weakness to his game; he can run with power and finesse, catch passes, even throw them, and block when he has to.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Pelé doesn't think the 22-year-old Portuguese winger should be called "great" quite yet, but let's be honest, Pelé's a little touched by age these days. Truth is, Cristiano Ronaldo -- who was named after Ronald Reagan (no joke) -- is the most exciting player in the world right now. Even more than Ronaldinho. He was named Premier League Player of the Year, and, ironically, when he starts running at defenses and pulling all his dance-step tricks, he resembles a younger (saner) Pelé.

Jose Reyes

The Mets shortstop is possibly the most exciting player in the game right now, capable of stretching singles into doubles and compiling 100-steal seasons for years to come.

Camilo Villegas

Because he combines a slinky athleticism with the good looks and bulging biceps of a Latin heartthrob. Photos of him reading a putt a ala Spiderman, while balanced on his finger tips and toes, are hot-selling posters around the world.

Serena Williams

Because one day your grandkids will ask you, "Did you ever see Serena," and you'll want to say yes.

Alexander Ovechkin

Maybe he is not the dervish he was in his fabulous rookie season, but the second-year Washington Capitals left winger is the NHL's version of the Ice Capades. He has size, strength, more moves than United Van Lines, but the best part of his game is the visceral joy he feels - and spreads - simply by playing.

Steve Slaton

An early front-runner for next year's Heisman Trophy, Slaton has evoked memories of Walter Payton with his speed and ability to make defenders miss. On top of his ability to cut through defenses, the former high school track star has soft hands as a receiver, making him even more of a threat to opponents.

Diana Taurasi

Thanks, Paul Westwood. Your frenetic, up-tempo style means more attempts from the floor for the game's most exciting talent. No player in the WNBA combines Taurasi's shooting prowess (she averaged a league-high 25.3 points last season) and court awareness: Think Magic Johnson after his outside jumper became money. Because she's always smiling and perpetually upbeat, you get the feeling she'd play for free.

Devin Hester

Could break a long return, could fumble. It's the thrill of the unknown. He capped a record-breaking rookie season by returning the opening kick in last year's Super Bowl for a 92-yard touchdown. Now there's word he'll also try his moves on offense this season.

Dontrelle Willis

OK, Willis' inimitable pitching motion accounts for a lot of why he's fun to watch. But more than that, he's incredibly animated, whether he's pitching or rooting from the dugout. Plus, he can hit a little bit too.

Steve Nash

The Suns point guard is a magician on the court, dribbling circles around opponents and finding teammates with laser-like passes. But unlike most other pass-first point guards, the two-time MVP also happens to be a deadeye shooter.

Lionel Messi

Oh, to be 19 and blessed with long, floppy hair and skills that give defenders nightmares. The FC Barcelona striker (or is he a midfielder? Hard to say.) -- electrifies every moment like only a teenager can (he turns 20 this month). His hat-trick in a 3-3 draw with archrival Real Madrid in March will go down as one of football's greatest-ever performances. He might actually fulfill the prophecy of being Argentina's "next Maradona."

Reggie Bush

As exemplified when he ran away from Brian Urlacher and did a somersault into the end zone in the playoffs, Bush brings a rare flare to the NFL when he sashays his way thru the line and into the secondary.

Manu Ginobili

The 6-6 Spurs guard has a unique herky jerky style that keeps foes off balance. The Argentinian lefty can score off the dribble or shoot from all over the floor, and he has some of the quickest hands in the league.

Tony Stewart

Where there's Smoke, there's usually fire. The two-time Nextel Cup champ keeps fellow opponents on edge with dicey driving that gives him the upper hand in most late-race battles to the finish. Off the track, he leaves reporters tongue-tied as one stupid question can lead to him launching into a reaction worthy of Bobby Knight fame.

Sidney Crosby

The Pittsburgh Penguins center has not reinvented the game, merely taken some pieces of other great players and synthesized them, making those disparate parts his own. He is marked more assidously than any other NHL forward, but he battles through top defensemen and delights with his creativity and toughness. He is the best forward in the NHL...and getting better.

Phil Mickelson

He's the most fun golfer to watch because he's a born actor; he consciously plays to the galleries. And like a summer blockbuster film, he provides crowd-pleasing heroics one moment and spectacular blowups the next.

Marco Materazzi

History will record Materazzi simply as the victim of the most famous head butt ever, but in the 2006-07 season, the hard-nosed Italian defender was the leader as Inter Milan took its first league title in nearly two decades. In Italy, he's considered to have a "complicated" mind, which basically means, in any given match, he's liable to either scythe an opponent down or score a brilliant goal. The plate-sized homage to Italy's 2006 World Cup victory tattooed on his thigh says it all: He wears his heart on his sleeve and gives it up every minute, every game.

Carolina Kluft

Kluft is among the most animated athletes in track and field, forever yelling at herself after each event, slapping her face before jumps, practically hyperventilating before throws. Not convinced? May we add that the world's best athlete is a six-foot-tall Swedish blonde.

Kevin Harvick

The 2007 Daytona 500 winner says what he thinks and has no problem talking trash - then going out and backing it up. When you drive the former Initimidator's car, you're bound to have some of his style rub off, and Harvick pulls no punches on the speedway when it's time to turn on the afterburners.

Steven Lopez

Forget all the hype about octagons and ultimate combat, made-for-TV barroom brawling. Apart from being a two-time Olympic champion and four-time world champ, Lopez mesmerizes foes with flair, precision and style while staying grounded and humble off the mat. He's a pugilist you can cheer for.

Warrick Dunn

Too little to last, they said. He's lasted 10 years. Can't run inside the tackles, they said. That's where he gets most of his yardage. His body can't hold up, they said. He'll take too much of a beating. Knock wood, it's held up. Want to see how far desire can take a player? Watch this 5-9, 180-pounder run over a linebacker or two.

Fabrice Santoro

The crafty Frenchman is a throwback, relying on impossible angles, a sliced forehand, deft volleys, and whimsical strategy. He's 34 already, so catch him while you can.

Courtney Paris

Tennesse's Candace Parker may have a prettier game, but for fun value Paris is in a league of her own. In just her sophomore season, she averaged 24 points and 16 rebounds per game, making her the world's most dominant player this side of Shaquille O'Neal.

Eric Byrnes

Captain America is always hustling. He sprints from the dugout to his position every day. But it's no phony Charlie Hustle act. Byrnes can actually play, and he's a natural ham as a guest analyst on TV to boot.

Sammie Stroughter

The speedy wide receiver is one of the best deep threats in college football, but that might not be the best part of his game. Stroughter is a dangerous punt returner, which USC learned the hard way when he cut through the Trojans' special teams in Oregon State's 33-31 upset win last season.

Martin St. Louis

St. Louis is a narrow choice over his Tampa Bay teammate, Vincent Lecavalier, because we are suckers for little guys. St. Louis jitterbugs as much as he skates, dancing into holes, creating off wing. Knowing the steep odds he had to overcome only adds to the thrill of watching the undrafted winger out of the University of Vermont.

Mike Conley Jr.

Seldom has an 18-year-old entered the realm of college hoops with such command of the game. That's not to say the former Ohio State guard is the most dominant player in the world -- it's hard for a guard to make the claim. But consider this, Greg Oden has been the golden child since early in high school and the one constant through those years has been Conley.

Carl Edwards

It's been a year and a half since Edwards cashed in on the Nextel Cup's victory circle, which has a lot of fans on edge -- they're dying to see his trademark backflip again, which he nails off the top of his car every time. That alone makes him worthy of this list.

Most Fun Athletes to Watch