After Henrik Lundqvist and his Rangers bowed out in Game 7, the question of where his legacy fits in among New York athletes is ongoing.
By Robby Sabo
Legacy.
It’s one word that carries more weight than just about anything in the sports world. It’s a word that defines many.
Individuals play sports for many reasons.
For one, they’re competitive. They’ll be damned if anyone else gets a leg up and will fight and work to make sure perception doesn’t flow in that direction.
Then, when an athlete ascends on the highest stage, legacy comes into play. Now, more than ever, winning a championship is a necessary piece of one’s legacy.
Back during much simpler times, the masses understood that championships were won and lost with teams. Individuals were phenomenal to watch, but teams received the glory.
Then came Michael Jordan.
The NBA and their attention to superstars have completely flipped the sports world around in this regard. No NBA star can lift his legacy if championships are not collected, and the entire goal for the LeBron James’ and Kobe Bryant’s of the world is to rise that legacy as close to MJ as humanly possible.
Unfortunately, this has trickled down to other sports. Throw in the factor of social media, SportsCenter and the rest of the mass media these athletes endure these days and we have an equation that leads to a ridiculous amount of pressure.
It’s just simple nowadays.
The regular season is an afterthought in our world. What defines the greats is what they do during the postseason – when pressure is high and the entire world is watching.
Here are the Top 5 New York City athletes who never captured a championship:
