Athletes Who Deserve More Mainstream Love
Great athletes are all around us. Sometimes we don't notice them as much as we should.
Usually that's a direct result of being entrenched with an overload of talent. Between basketball, football, hockey, soccer and baseball, countless individuals have gravitated toward the top of their respective sports.
This list is dedicated to acknowledging athletes across various sporting bodies who deserve more mainstream love. Whether we're talking about borderline superstars or shot-blocking prodigies, every one of these people should be talked about more.
Using the analysis of statistical value, athletic ability and long-term potential, we've attempted to get the ball rolling on 10 names who deserve more mainstream love and attention.
Klay Thompson
1 of 10
Perhaps the Golden State Warriors advancing to the NBA Finals once again means Klay Thompson will finally be crowned a media superstar.
Had it not been for Thompson's heroic Game 6 performance in the Western Conference Finals—where he dropped 41 points, including 11 three-pointers—the Splash Brothers wouldn't have even got the chance to complete their record-breaking season.
Thompson, playing in the shadow of two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry, hasn't received his fair share of the spotlight, as Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post explained.
But facts are facts. His 2015-16 NBA season resulted in 22.1 points per game and the third-most three-pointers made (276) in league history—behind Curry's 286 in 2014-15 and his 402 this season.
Thompson is a star and a playmaker of the highest caliber. The world needs to continuously embrace the value of the 26-year-old.
Eric Decker
2 of 10
Eric Decker built his brand with Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in 2012. The addition of Manning fueled the 6'3" wide receiver to achieve great things, and in turn, he was awarded a robust contract with the New York Jets when he hit the open market in '14.
No matter who the quarterback is, Decker has continued to romp defenders and find open lanes on the field. In 2015 alone, he caught 80 passes on a 131 targets for 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns.
We live in an era full of talented wide receivers; Decker falls under that banner. For a guy who has produced double-digit touchdown totals three out of the last four seasons, the 29-year-old deserves plenty of mainstream attention.
C.J. McCollum
3 of 10
The dual-guard effort the Portland Trail Blazers pushed out over the 2015-16 NBA season paid off.
Paired up with Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum emerged for the Trail Blazers as a quality shooting guard. Considering this was a team that lost LaMarcus Aldridge last offseason to free agency, Portland needed someone like McCollum to step up and fill a scoring void—Aldridge averaged 23.4 points per game during his last season in Portland.
We saw what McCollum can do with the ball in his hands. His 20.8 points per game and 17.79 player efficiency rating place the 24-year-old in the upper echelon of NBA shooting guards.
His rising star has even sparked trade conversations among Trail Blazers fans, like Dave Deckard of Blazer's Edge—trade talks usually go down when a player's value is at capacity.
Whether he stays in Portland or is dished off to another franchise, McCollum's proved he needs more of the spotlight.
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AJ Styles
4 of 10To break through in a mainstream capacity as a professional wrestler isn't easy. Over time, we've seen a handful of power brokers emerge.
These are guys who exceed the squared circle and go on to become Hollywood entities—John Cena, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin all come to mind.
It's understandable that crossover appeal dictates mainstream success. But inside the ring, where these athletes make a living, should be another area that receives meaningful coverage.
AJ Styles has emerged as WWE's best in-ring worker since arriving in January 2016. His feuds with Chris Jericho and Roman Reigns have been nothing short of poetry in motion.
Now that the 38-year-old Styles is set to enter a feud with WWE's most popular figure—John Cena—perhaps it will finally push his mainstream appeal.
Athletes come in all shapes and sizes. No matter how people might feel about sports entertainment, the fact remains: Styles has been a revelation for the company.
Hassan Whiteside
5 of 10
Having a shot-blocking center who can also act as a scorer and proficient rebounder is a fundamental way to build a prosperous franchise.
That's why Pat Riley—the Miami Heat's architect—has made it clear he wants Hassan Whiteside back in Miami heading into the 2016 NBA offseason, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
Whiteside's evolution in the paint has been a welcomed surprise for a Heat team still rebuilding without LeBron James. When the 2015-16 regular season came to a halt for the Heat, Whiteside walked away averaging 14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game.
The 26-year-old's growth as a player has forced the Heat to make him a top priority. Maybe all of this attention from the South Beach guru will lead the mainstream, national media to follow suit, turning Whiteside into an across-the-board star.
Paul Pogba
6 of 10
It's stunning that one of soccer's brightest young talents is also a guy who's not universally recognized.
Paul Pogba, the Juventus midfielder, has demonstrated a phenomenal skill set, despite seeing limited action in the Italian league. Richard Arrowsmith of the Daily Mail discussed that his current club believes the 23-year-old won't be returning next season, based on the team's style of play and his restricted minutes.
In a way, it's a blessing. Pogba is destined for mainstream greatness. He's a powerful player with youth and an abundance of talent on his side. Finding a home in the Premier League, or even in La Liga, will turn more people onto his game.
Between his eclectic style and the fact he's now sponsored by Adidas, Pogba is destined to break through the glass ceiling and become a world-renowned star.
Xander Bogaerts
7 of 10
Xander Bogaerts is in the middle of a 24-game hitting streak. The crazy part is, not many people seem to notice. We can shift blame to his Boston Red Sox teammate, Jackie Bradley Jr., who had his own 29-game streak.
Before Bradley's streak ended, Bogaerts was already establishing himself as a one of baseball's premier offensive players.
Building on the triumphs of last season—where he hit .320—Bogaerts, 23, now sits with a .350 average, six home runs and 30 RBI. He's on an MVP-caliber pace and deserves all of the headlines and hot takes that come along with it.
Allen Robinson
8 of 10
Not many wide receivers have been as productive as Allen Robinson. The 22-year-old pass-catcher emerged during his second season in the NFL as a go-to option for Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles.
As a cardinal part of the Jaguars offense, Robinson was on the receiving end of 153 targets—good for sixth in the NFL. He hauled in 80 of those targets for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Robinson served as Bortles' downfield threat. His average yards per catch reached 17.5, a total that put him No. 6 in the NFL, despite having a minimum of 30 receptions more than anyone ranked above him.
With such a robust group of top-tier wide receivers in football, Robinson can often be brushed aside. Luckily for us, the 2016 NFL season will be another chance for him to shine.
Blake Wheeler
9 of 10
Blake Wheeler quietly went about his business this past season and accumulated 78 points. The Winnipeg Jets right-winger landed sixth on the NHL scoring list and proved he's a top commodity in hockey.
The 29-year-old isn't new to putting up solid totals. Since 2010-11, Wheeler has only had one season in which he scored fewer than 60 total points.
You'd think consistent production would shift a bigger spotlight on his abilities, but that hasn't been the case.
Wheeler's productivity and propensity for giving the Jets quality shifts goes almost unnoticed outside of the NHL. Regardless of coverage, he's a player who has earned every penny of the six-year, $33.6 million deal he signed back in 2013.
Ezekiel Ansah
10 of 10
Did you know Detroit Lions edge-rusher Ezekiel Ansah finished No. 3 in sacks last season? Ansah's 14.5 sacks almost go unnoticed behind J.J. Watt's 17.5 and Khalil Mack's 15.
Ansah has been an authoritarian figure for Detroit's defense, yet he doesn't muster up a ton of respect from places like Pro Football Focus. Jeremy Reisman over at Pride of Detroit mentioned PFF left the 27-year-old off its annual top-101 list, which is stunning when you look at his numbers.
The lack of mainstream coverage—and respect—Ansah has received is surprising considering his sack totals and proclivity for disrupting a quarterback's timing.
Hopefully another huge season will change that notion.
All stats and information via Sports-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.
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