15 People in Sports Who Are Bigger Than Their Teams

All sports fans know that no team can ever win a title on the back of just one player or coach, as it takes trust and cohesion to get over that hurdle and go from a very good team with one superstar to a championship team made up of solid pieces.

That doesn't mean there aren't people in sports who aren't bigger than the entire organization they play or coach for, though.

Whether they put it on themselves or not, these people have all the power and are the ones who define their franchises.

Leonard Fournette

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

He may have taken a major stumble down the Heisman Trophy mountain with his last two performances against Alabama and Arkansas, but LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette is still the engine that keeps his team rolling down the track.

Rushing for 1,474 yards and 17 touchdowns already this season, Fournette is often mentioned as being the next Adrian Peterson, which is high praise for a kid who's still only a sophomore.

Regardless of how the Tigers' rest of the season goes, Fournette will continue to be the big man on campus—and his game jersey that sold for $101,000 at an auction for South Carolina flood relief proves that.

John Calipari

Chuck Burton/Associated Press

As a University of Kentucky grad, I can tell you firsthand that being the coach of the Wildcats men's hoops team brings a lot of privilege. And as great as coaches like Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith were in the Bluegrass, there isn't one who has the aura that John Calipari has.

Already a Hall of Famer, Cal has gone from a good coach to an absolute legend, taking the Cats to four Final Fours in his six-plus seasons at the helm, which includes their most recent national title in 2012.

Basically running a minor league system where he grooms top recruits for the NBA game, Calipari is the undisputed king of college basketball.

Connor McDavid

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

As talked about as any phenom in hockey over the past 25-plus years, 2015 No. 1 overall pick Connor McDavid came in with the reputation of being a savior and once-in-a-generation player.

With the Edmonton Oilers winning the rights to scoop him, the 18-year-old McDavid showed in his 13 career games why so many compared him to greats like Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby.

Unfortunately, the kid got hurt in just his 13th career NHL game, all but ending any chance the Oilers were going to compete, which only shows how important McDavid is to the franchise in both the short and long term.

Peyton Manning

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

It hasn't been the greatest season for Peyton Manning, but that doesn't diminish his reputation as one of the most polarizing athletes ever, as the Denver Broncos quarterback might just be the best to ever play the position.

Holding two of the most desirable NFL records—passing touchdowns and passing yards—Manning's leadership and serious nature on the field is actually trumped by his humor and personality off of it.

One of the most marketable players fans have seen, Manning might not be putting up video game-type numbers any longer, but the Broncos will go only as far as No. 18 takes them.

Rex Ryan

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Of all the people on this list, there might not be a bigger self-promoter than Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan, who has become infamous for speaking his mind and putting on a show wherever he goes.

His most recent stunt comes in a week where he plays his biggest rival, the New England Patriots, saying he thinks quarterback Tom Brady will be trying to send him to the "unemployment line" when the two play, as well as acknowledging that Pats coach Bill Belichick is the "greatest coach of all time."

While that's very un-Rex like, it's all part of the Ryan show—and there always seems to be a method to his madness, as he's the anti-Belichick in every way possible.

Alex Rodriguez

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

After being suspended for the entire 2014 season by MLB for breaking some serious rules, New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez showed in 2015 why he will forever be one of the greatest talents baseball has ever had—even if his legacy is tarnished.

A-Rod has brought a lot of the negative perceptions on himself, and fans love to give their opinion on the guy.

Will he still be a Hall of Famer? Was he really clean in 2015 after a bounce-back season? How much longer can he play?

He's one of the most compelling athletes because of the then-historic contract he signed in 2000 with the Texas Rangers and his brash personality, and Rodriguez has been able to maintain his aura even while playing for the most legendary team in sports.

Cam Newton

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Cam Newton might not want to be the center of attention all the time, but if you've ever watched a Carolina Panthers game, somehow, someway, the cameras find the polarizing figure.

Of course, a lot of that has to do with the youthful enthusiasm that Newton plays with, as he's often seen dancing around during warm-ups, playing with a reckless abandonment and celebrating the way you would expect a superstar like Newton would be beyond.

Playing for a team that has serious Super Bowl aspirations, Newton's past as a Heisman Trophy winner and former No. 1 overall pick, along with his superb play, makes him someone who fans and media can never seem to stop talking about.

Stephen Curry

Ben Margot/Associated Press

Everyone knows that the NBA is a superstar league, so who better than the reigning MVP and, arguably, the most lethal shooter ever be the face of it?

What Stephen Curry has done in the past year has been nothing short of spectacular, elevating both his and his Golden State Warriors' games to a level that has been historic.

Curry doesn't have the gloating personality that other superstars do—which makes him nearly impossible to root against—but make no mistake, the baby face assassin is just that, an assassin on the basketball court.

As the straw that stirs the Dubs' drink, Curry has put himself in the all-time great category—and he still has plenty of solid years left to keep climbing that list.

Nick Saban

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

As polarizing of figures as the aforementioned two coaches on this list are, there's no one quite like Alabama Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban, who has proven to run the most dominant football program in the country over since moving to Tuscaloosa—even being called god-like by a recruit.

Lord Saban is an absolute god in T-Town, incapable of doing wrong for those who wear crimson and white and yell, "Roll Damn Tide," anywhere they go.

Consistently seeing his teams atop recruiting rankings every year, sitting in the top five of preseason rankings and always in the national title hunt, Saban and his Tide are similar to Calipari's hoops teams at Kentucky, where he's running a minor league-type system that produces first-rounders and future NFL stars with ease.

Bryce Harper

Nick Wass/Associated Press

When a guy is as talked about and talented as Washington Nationals All-Star Bryce Harper was before he was even drafted, everyone knew that this kid was going to get attention no matter what.

Initially, Harper showed his immaturity, pulling a few bush league moves that upset opposing players and got him a reputation as a jerk—which he still hasn't been able to shed for some.

With a 2015 campaign that showed just how unearthly the 23-year-old can be, Harper put together a year that will, most likely, end with an NL MVP atop his mantle.

Along with Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels, Harper has become the face of a new generation in baseball—and his stardom is only going to continue to grow.

J.J. Watt

One of the most charismatic athletes on the planet, Houston Texans defender J.J. Watt seems like he can do no wrong.

Whether that's being an all-around good guy off the field, by throwing footballs with fans or some of the other things he does, not since Ray Lewis has the league seen a defensive player be one of the most marketable—which is a tribute to Watt's ability as a football player and person.

As devoted and humbled by the game of football as anyone, it's not lost on Watt how lucky he is to be doing what he is for a living, and that's something that people flock to and respect.

Oh, and it doesn't hurt that he's a menace on the gridiron either.

Kobe Bryant

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

As someone who used to really hate Kobe Bryant, at some point there came a time when I just realized that this guy is as close to Michael Jordan as hoops fans have seen, so it was probably time to appreciate all that he's done.

With a larger-than-life personality and an indescribable hunger to win, The Black Mamba continues to be one of the world's biggest athletes because of both his past success and charisma, even as his Los Angeles Lakers sit in futility as one of the NBA's worst teams.

Bryant definitely brings a lot of attention onto himself, but as a lifetime Laker who has played in Hollywood among other celebrities since he was 18 years old, Kobe is the biggest A-lister in town.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Joel Ryan/Associated Press

Arguably the best soccer player on the planet, Cristiano Ronaldo might play for the most valuable sports team in the world, Real Madrid, but even he's bigger than any success the team has.

CR7 has shown that thanks to his insane social media followers, which, according to Forbes, has him atop the list of the most popular athletes on various platforms.

Of course, that's not to say he's all about posting pictures and videos of his lavish life or family, but it speaks volumes to just how dominant Ronaldo is in a time where fans crave content.

With individual and team success, Ronaldo is the preemptive superstar athlete that continues to be bigger than any before him not named Michael Jordan.

Tom Brady

Gary Hershorn/Associated Press

There are great players and then there's Tom Brady, who has put himself in an entirely different hemisphere thanks to his illustrious career.

Never before have fans seen a perfect blend of talent, charisma, charm and leadership than Brady, who follows the lead of his head coach Belichick by using the less is more theory.

Whether it was Brady's rise to fame from former sixth-rounder and backup to a four-time Super Bowl champ or the way he's carried himself through all the allegations that his New England Patriots have been hit with over the years, Brady has risen above it all.

For someone who doesn't offer much exposure into his life, we sure do know a lot about Brady—and that's because he's bigger than anything the NFL has ever seen.

LeBron James

Aaron Gash/Associated Press

Through all of the trials and tribulations that LeBron James has gone through since he was 15 years old, he continues to be the biggest star in the sporting world—and James being voted the most popular athlete in 2014 proves that.

From the overhype during his high school days to the failures in his first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, to that whole The Decision thing to joining the Miami Heat and, finally, back to the Cavs in 2014, James has come out on top each time, capable of withstanding the criticism to remain the greatest hoops player on the planet.

Although James tries to just be one of the guys with his teammates, his power over everything he does is unquestioned, with every little detail he does as calculated as possible, which only speaks to his leadership.

Until further notice, there's no athlete more influential than James.