The Greatness of the Greatest

Babe Ruth is the greatest baseball player of all time, Jim Brown stood over everyone on the field, Wayne Gretzky showed there was no one better on the ice, and Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest basketball player to ever step on  the court.  If all these men are the greatest at what they do, why is it Michael Jordan who stands out above everyone else in all other sports?  He has his own brand in Air Jordan’s that even though he has been past his prime and retired for a while, they still are the most coveted show for a person to have.  He still talks about how great he is and he is even featured on the new NBA 2k11 video game.  Ruth, Brown, and Gretzky do not have their own gear anymore and are not still talking about their game.  The biggest reason I believe Jordan has stood out above all these athletes was his cockiness.  He knew he was the best and he wanted everyone to know it.  Something like that may not work for other players, but that’s the way the NBA has worked.  It has been known for years to be full of young, cocky athletes with a thug lifestyle and off court issues.  Jordan took advantage of this.  He did not change his persona for it, that was how he was.  He fit right into the NBA and the way the NBA was at the time.  He just made himself stand out.  He used his game and his attitude to become not just a known figure in Chicago or the NBA, but one of the most recognizable people in the world with one of the most recognizable logo and most recognizable and sought after shoe.