Top 10 Sports Stars Who Seem Like Awesome Teammates
There's no doubt that being an awesome teammate is essential to success in sports. You can change the complexion of a franchise or elevate a guy's play just by being there.
On our constant mission to provide excellent content, we wanted to find 10 of the best teammates around. It wasn't easy picking 10 sports stars, but we did it anyway.
Candidates that made the list had to be proven in that world. They had to be liked by their peers, support them and carry a positive attitude when it matters the most.
With that criteria in mind, we finally were able to dish out a worthy top 10. It's now time to start the slideshow and find out all of the names who made the final cut.
Honorable Mentions
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With so many names to choose from, it wasn't fair to narrow it down to only 10 selections. Let's check out a few honorable mentions before we officially get underway.
- Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
- Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning
- Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
- Nick Swisher, Atlanta Braves
- Brandon Marshall, New York Jets
- Robinson Cano, Seattle Mariners
- Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles
- Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
LeBron James
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Playing with the greatest in the world has to count for something, right? Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James isn't simply the G.O.A.T. He's also proven to be a reliable teammate as well.
The biggest misconception in sports is that a great teammate has to be best friends with his peers. That couldn't be further from the truth. Bonding is great and all, but respect and leadership is what it should always come down to.
King James explained that to the world early on last season, per Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group: "First of all, I've got three very good friends in this league, and that's Carmelo (Anthony), and that's C.P. (Chris Paul), and that's D-Wade. And after that I have a bunch of teammates. I have guys I ride for every day."
He really does support his guys. Before the 2014-15 NBA Finals, James helped ease his teammates' tensions with a meeting of leisure, as reported by Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group.
Even without a ton of "very good friends," we know that the King is doing something right.
Rob Gronkowski
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Rob Gronkowski has to be a great teammate; the guy is too fun not to be. His offseason antics and the fact he can pretty much decimate anyone in the opposing secondary make him a valuable asset.
Gronk may live an outrageous lifestyle, but that doesn't mean he's an uncontrollable gridiron partner—he's actually a progressive thinker. Remember it was Gronkowski who told the world he wouldn't have any issues supporting a gay teammate.
As the resident rock star of New England, Gronkowski seems like he would be a tremendous guy to hang out with on and off the field.
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Tim Duncan
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Stephen Jackson spent 14 years in the NBA. And of all the guys he played with, Jackson dubbed San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan as one of his favorite teammates, while talking on Sirius XM NBA (h/t Fox Sports).
"Definitely for sure Tim Duncan, you know with the Spurs, there was nobody like me on that team...but at the same time Tim Duncan made me feel like an All-Star," Jackson mentioned.
Duncan isn't as rambunctious as some other NBA stars. He's the league's quiet man in certain aspects, letting his play speak for him. That's cool because clearly his play affects other people in a positive way.
In fact, Duncan actually won the NBA's yearly award for being the best teammate in the NBA. The award is called the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, and Duncan took it home last season by a wide margin, per Zach Harper of CBS Sports.
Guess that means he really is an awesome guy to go to work with.
Ben Roethlisberger
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Bleacher Report's Dan Pompei wrote an article detailing how Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger transformed into a perennial teammate. The story takes you on a journey of Roethlisberger's road to teammate nirvana.
It's the little things that make "Big Ben" such a remarkable on-field general. Pompei described one of those moments in detail:
"Some quarterbacks might give their receiver a tip on how to avoid the linebacker or applaud him for bravery. Roethlisberger does something different. Quietly, he tells Wheaton to get down next time. He is not concerned about how many extra passing yards he might get if Wheaton stays on his feet. He is concerned about his receiver's well-being.
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Awesome teammates protect their peers at all costs. Roethlisberger not only does that on a regular basis, but he's also become a masterful teacher as well.
When you see wide receivers like Antonio Brown produce back-to-back seasons with 110 catches or more, you begin to understand the complicated mix between talent and a brilliant QB.
If you read Pompei's entire article, you'll see why Roethlisberger has become the heart and soul of the Steelers. He's always looking out for guys and making sure they are taken care of.
Stephen Curry
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Who wouldn't want to play with the father of child superstar Riley Curry? Her pops, Stephen Curry, is a reigning NBA MVP and part of the 2014-15 NBA champion Golden State Warriors.
The young stunner who burst onto the scene out of Davidson a few years back has quickly turned into one of the top players in the world, creating his own shot and making those around him better.
When Curry captured that MVP hardware, he took to the podium to thank every single one of his teammates personally, per Rusty Simmons of SFGate.com. Thought-provoking, heartfelt moments like that are proof that Curry would be a joy to play hoops with.
J.J. Watt
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J.J. Watt is as good of a player as he is a teammate, and that's saying something. It was Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated who named Watt one of the top team players in the NFL.
Watt is not only a one-man defensive wrecking ball, but his play provides a spark for the rest of the defense. On HBO's series Hard Knocks, you can tell that everyone loves Watt. He has a magnetic personality that fits in with his crusader ability.
When you can bring the ruckus at a Hall of Fame-worthy level like Watt can, that earns you globs of respect and love. Adding humility into that Crock-Pot creates a recipe that can't be topped.
Mike Trout
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Mike Trout is a ball player through and through. The 24-year-old came out of the woodwork behind the Bryce Harper hype machine in 2011 and has been destroying baseball diamonds ever since.
His 131 home runs, 381 RBI and .303 career average earned him accolades and praise from sportswriters, fans and critics alike. Right now, if you were picking one guy to play baseball with, it would have to be Trout. He's a special talent, and again, he hasn't even hit 25 years of age.
Trout has also learned from the best. When he joined the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, he formed a bond with longtime slugger Albert Pujols. Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com scribed about the professional relationship that turned into a great friendship.
Before you know it, that will flip, and Trout will become the professor who teaches a young player how Major League Baseball works. For now, though, playing alongside him has to be quite the experience.
Andrew Luck
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Andrew Luck's ascension to the top of the football world has been slowly manifesting since his last year with the Stanford Cardinal.
In three years with the Indianapolis Colts, he's thrown for 12,957 yards and 86 touchdowns, leading the Colts to the playoffs each season he's been under center. Besides his overwhelming statistical contribution, Luck also seems to have the unwavering support of his teammates.
Freshly inked running back Frank Gore called his quarterback a "football God" on The Jim Rome Show, via Micah Peters of For the Win. That's high praise for a 25-year-old QB.
Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton also understands how valuable Luck is. "Everybody wants to play with Andrew," Hilton told Mike Wells of ESPN.com. "He's a free-agent magnet," he finished with.
No. 12 has to be doing something right—everybody seems to love the dude.
Tom Brady
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"Deflategate" seems to be stealing all of the headlines these days, and Tom Brady has been a huge part of that coverage. But if anything, this controversy has shown Brady's teammates support their quarterback.
When the original suspension was announced, New England Patriots from both sides of the ball came to his defense on social media. Scott Rafferty of Sporting News captured a few of those tweets.
Brady has to be an awesome teammate if his boys are rushing to protect him. He's a proven winner and an excellent signal-caller. That combination, plus the fact he's been around for 15 seasons, makes "Tom Terrific" a shoo-in for this list.
Andrew McCutchen
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Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen is one cool dude. As a yearly MVP candidate, you'd think McCutchen wouldn't have time for anything but baseball.
That couldn't be further from the truth. The 28-year-old is a star. He communicates with fans on social media, is an avid impressionist and gives back to people in need.
A guy like that is someone you want to work with; that type of positive energy changes the attitudes of those around him. A lot of people may not realize it, but McCutchen really embodies everything you'd want in an awesome teammate.
All stats and information provided by Sports-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.
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