Ranking the biggest sports stars in Greater Miami area
And the biggest sports star in South Florida is [blank]. This occasional just-for-fun exercise of mine used to be easy. You started with Dwyane Wade on the mountaintop and went from there. Simple. No debate.
I first did one of these rankings in 2015, and oh my how the faces on the Greater Miami sports landscape have changed.
LeBron James was gone by then but we still had Wade and Giancarlo Stanton (then 1-2), along with the likes of Jaromir Jagr, Chris Bosh, Jose Fernandez,
Ichiro, Ndamukong Suh, Roberto Luongo, Goran Dragic and Jarvis Landry among others.
All gone now. Change is constant. So is talent replenishing itself in a human metamorphosis.
About our new 2022 iteration of South Florida’s top 20 biggest sports stars:
Who is eligible: Current
Aathletes only, not all time. Still love you, but sorry D-Wade and Dan Marino. Players only. Sorry, Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra and David Beckham. And major pro team sports only (Dolphins, Heat, Marlins, Panthers, Inter Miami), no college stars. Sorry, Tyler Van Dyke.
Criteria for making list: We considered a gumbo of national stature, talent and accomplishment, popularity and, yes, ceiling and potential count, too. How big would the news hit, nationally and locally, if this player suddenly retired or was traded?
A
This list is unabashedly arbitrary. You might hate it before you even read it, and I might not blame you, because the ranking would have looked very different six months ago and might six months hence.
Ready? Right now,
South Florida’s top 20 biggest sports stars:
1. Jimmy Butler, Heat forward: Talent, impact, swagger, personality, popularity, master coffee brewer — Butler has it all and does it all. He averaged 27.4 points per game in the postseason and in late May all but singlehandedly carried Miami within a game of the NBA Finals.
2. Tyreek Hill, Dolphins receiver: “The Cheetah,” blur-fast, just arrived in town via that blockbuster trade with Kansas City but immediately is as high on the list as the hopes he brings. If he can duplicate in Miami what he did for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, he’ll be the Fins’ most dynamic wideout since Marks Brothers Duper and Clayton were burnin’ up the ’80s.
3. Sandy Alcantara, Marlins starting pitcher:
A true ace, Alcantara made the All-Star team and has a legit chance to be the first Cy Young Award winner in club history. He leads the National League in ERA and quality starts and is among leaders in wins and strikeouts, all for a losing team.
4. Bam Adebayo, Heat center: A defensive force still only 25, Adebayo averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds. Miami’s unwillingness to part with him might be what ultimately prevents a trade for Kevin Durant — such is the size of how much the Heat values Bam.
5. Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins quarterback:
Tua could fly up this list if he blossoms in Year 3 to shut up his doubters and lead Fins to the playoffs, and adding Hill (see No. 2) will only help. (Or had
better.)
6. Aleksander Barkov, Panthers center: Nine seasons with Florida and still not quite 27, “Sasha” is an elite defensive forward and coming off a career-best 39-goal season. He would be a bigger star, higher here and more appreciated if this were a true hockey town.
7. Udonis Haslem, Heat treasure: That is U.D.’s position at this stage. Franchise treasure. He is 42 now, 20 seasons in, all with Miami. Hardly plays these days, but for all he has meant and still does as a sage mentor to young players, he deserves to be top 10 here. And maybe higher?
8. Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers winger: Tkachuk joined Florida just last week in that huge trade with Calgary that sent Jonathan Huberdeau packing, but crashes our list before ever strapping on a skate in Sunrise. He is coming off a 42-goal season, is only 24, and Cats have him locked up for eight years.
9. Tyler Herro, Heat guard: From the improbable surname to the
Gen-Z flash to the Sixth Man award, Herro is a three-point marksman and a still-rising star at
22.
10. Jazz Chisholm, Marlins second baseman: Currently out injured but made his first All-Star team this summer as a breakout star. The young pride of the Bahamas leads the Fish in homers, RBI, OPS and welcome brash style personality (i.e. the blue hair).
11. Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins receiver: Instantly overshadowed by Hill, but Waddle had a monster debut season with 104 catches (a team rookie record) for 1,015 yards and six TDs.
12. Xavien Howard, Dolphins cornerback:
“X” marks the spot opposing QBs don’t want to throw to. Howard is a three-time Pro Bowler with the most interceptions in the NFL (27) since 2017.
13. Jevon Holland, Dolphins safety: Pro Football Focus gave Holland the second-best grade of all defensive rookies in 2021, and the top grade in coverage.
14. Kyle Lowry, Heat guard: Lowry may well be a fading star at 36, and an injury-marred, ineffective postseason didn’t help the perception. But he’s a six-time All-Star, so props.
15. Aaron Ekblad, Panthers defenseman:
The unsung Ekblad is Florida’s top force on the back line, has chipped in 97 goals in his eight seasons and still is only 26.
16. Christian Wilkins, Dolphins defensive tackle/end: The steady force on defense really blossomed in his third season, including a career-best 4 1⁄2 sacks. (Also does a mean worm dance.)
17. Terron Armstead, Dolphins tackle: The longtime Saint and threetime Pro Bowler was signed by Miami as the top-rated player in all of free agency this past offseason.
18. DeAndre Yedlin, Inter Miami defender:
He would be higher on the list if Miami’s thirdYear MLS club, still growing its niche, enjoyed a bigger footprint in the market. Yedlin is the team’s lone rep in the upcoming MLS All-Star Game, is a U.S. national team player headed to the World Cup and may well be the season MVP for playoff-chasing Inter Miami.
19. Pablo Lopez, Marlins starting pitcher:
Lopez has been Miami’s only steady starter other than [see No. 3 above], with a 7-5 record, 3.03 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 116 innings.
20. Leonardo Campana, Inter Miami forward: The rising young star expected to make Ecuador’s World Cup squad leads Miami with eight goals, double anybody else.
The top 20 pie chart shows seven Dolphins, five Heat, three Marlins, three Panthers and two Inter Miami.
Honorable mention:
Gave a look at Dolphins Jerome Baker, Mike Gesicki, Melvin Ingram and Jaelen Phillips; Marlins Garrett Cooper and Miguel Rojas; Panthers Sergei Bobrovsky, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe; and Inter Miami’s Gonzalo Higuain and Alejandro Pozuelo.
OK, so who did I miss or rank too high or too low? If you like the list, thank you. If you don’t, well, hey, do better!
Greg Cote: 305-376-3492, @gregcote