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Who is the most famous sports person of all time?

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Romez

Member
Pretty sure Beckham is the only sportsman who will be known on every continent. People might not know what sport he plays but they'll know him.

Don't think MJ can match that.
 
Yes I'm saying that. She wouldn't have a clue. Outside of games, how much does he appear in modern media?

Not sure about media but he does appear on lots of advertisements

KQtaUW1.jpg


Guy is also #1 most popular athlete on social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc)
 

Siegmeyer

Member
That said, Michael Jordan has always been famous in Europe. I feel to some extent though, I think Michael Jordan was famous for being famous rather than necessarily famous because of people's interest in the sport necessarily. Europe has always had quite a big exposure to American popular culture. It would be hard not to be aware of Michael Jordan for that reason.

The Nike sponsorship definitely helped with that. As a young teen everyone wanted a pair of Air Jordans, and I knew many people who had no idea that Jordan was actually the name of a player.
 

number11

Member
This thread is about the most famous, not the best. If you take someone who doesn't watch soccer, chances are they will recognise Beckham over Pele/Maradona.

Similar with Jordan, you might not care about basketball, but you will have likely heard of the brand.

1. Beckham/Jordan
3. Ali
4. Tiger Woods
 

masud

Banned
Basketball is pretty popular in certain areas of the world, this I don't necessarily disagree on, but the fact that there are actually leagues in Europe tells you absolutely nothing about the popularity of the sport in general. Most sports are played in Europe to some extent, but that does not mean they are major sports in any way.

It is like me trying to prove Cricket is popular in the US by posting the fact that there was a league there. It means nothing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_of_America_Cricket_Association
One of those places being mainland Europe. Basketball is pretty popular in Spain, Greece, Russia, Lithuania (where it's more popular than soccer), all the Baltic states ect. Euroleage basketball is very popular as is the NBA. It's no where near as popular as soccer but to say it's not popular in Europe is dumb.

And like I said basketball is the best team sport at creating celebrity athletes because of how close up the action is on tv and because of the impact a single player can have on a team. Basketball is no where near as popular as baseball or american football in the US but its star players are more famous than their baseball or (non quarterback) football counterparts. This is also why Michael Jordan is more famous than any soccer player despite soccer being far more popular than basketball.
 

rambis

Banned
Very tough question. I can say that every country that I've visited/lived in on NA to Europe to Asia have stores that sell at least some kind of Jordan gear.

Soccer is the most popular sport but I can't think of one player that stands out synonymously to the world like MJ did. Its more like every country has their own demigods with a few stand outs.

Just visited Romania(Bucharest) for the first time and a lot of people acknowledged me for the bulls jacket I was wearing. No offense but I'm sure its not because of derrick rose.
 

RibMan

Member
Interested to see answers.

Diego Maradona the most famous sports person of all time imo.

Nope. Michael Jordan is the most famous sports person of all time. I don't think people actually realize how popular the Jordan brand is on a global scale.
 

DarkFlow

Banned
lol at the americans in here dismissing football (soccer, ugh) players and posting baseball players and fucking wrestlers :p I don't think you grasp how big football is. It kind of pisses me off because it really shows a lack of understanding for the rest of the world.

That said, Michael Jordan might be a good pick, his name almost represents basketball, if you have heard of basket, you have heard of him. Football doesn't have that one person, but several, Pele, Maradona, Messi, Beckham, C.Ronaldo etc. though I think a huge number of people know ALL of them.

You know basketball is the 3rd most popular sport in the world right? I don't think you grasp how big basketball is. It kind of pisses me off because it really shows a lack of understanding for the rest of the world.
 

Siegmeyer

Member
Not sure about media but he does appear on lots of advertisements

KQtaUW1.jpg


Guy is also #1 most popular athlete on social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc)

I'm sure if Twitter was around in Ali's time, the dude would have killed it.

Anyway, not all of the globe has daily access to TV/internet/print media. His number of endorsements doesn't really mean much in those areas (hell even here in the UK, I, a football fan, have only seen Ronaldo on PES and Castrol GTX).
 

rambis

Banned
The Nike sponsorship definitely helped with that. As a young teen everyone wanted a pair of Air Jordans, and I knew many people who had no idea that Jordan was actually the name of a player.
That, plus the dream team had the biggest impact. Its probably why basketball took off so much globally. Plus Jordan playing with players like Kukoc did a lot for his fame. A lot of Croatians will proudly point out he's from their country.
 

Addi

Member
You know basketball is the 3rd most popular sport in the world right? I don't think you grasp how big basketball is. It kind of pisses me off because it really shows a lack of understanding for the rest of the world.

I didn't say anything against basketball, I agreed on Michael Jordan, my post was aimed at the people only posting wrestlers, baseball player etc.
 
It's gotta be Jordan, right? Perhaps it is a footballer like Pele or Maradona, but as an American I had no idea who they were until I started following a bit of soccer. And are they well known in somewhere like China? I know that basketball is popular there. Plus I think the proliferation of American pop culture throughout the world probably gives a boost to MJ's recognition.

You didn't know who they were until you started following soccer. Now think about how many people in the world follow soccer compared to basketball.

Why would you think soccer's proliferation is any less than American pop culture? It's played in practically every country on earth.
 

masud

Banned
You know basketball is the 3rd most popular sport in the world right? I don't think you grasp how big basketball is. It kind of pisses me off because it really shows a lack of understanding for the rest of the world.

And it would be second if it wasn't for all those Indians.
 
It's without question Muhammad Ali
There was certainly a time this was true, every fight was big news and his charisma made most current sports stars look insignificant. He really was out on his own. I don't know how well known he is among younger people though or how big boxing was in places like china and India.
 

Random17

Member
Air Jordans would be outside of the reach of most developing world kids. You see these kids playing football in some of the poorest places in the world. They'll know who Ronaldo is. They come from countries that make up the vast majority of the population, and it's no surprise that the two most popular sports in these countries are football, and to a lesser extent, cricket.

Saying that, since football has an expanded presence outside of its fans, I think Ronaldo takes this easily. I'm not a fan of football per se, but Ronaldo dominates the headlines 100x more than Jordan does. Granted, that's from one guys perspective in NZ, but you guys seriously overestimate Michael Jordan's popularity.

He's not a household name in many of these developing countries. Hell, coming from a guy who watches the news a lot and lives in a developed country; I didn't know what team Jordan played in until I googled it 5 seconds ago. I'm not a fan of basketball or football (I don't keep track of their games or play them beyond the occasional meetup), but I do know much more about Ronaldo than Jordan.

And that's because Ronaldo dominates the headlines.
 

DarkFlow

Banned
You could say the same for Beckham.

No one cares about Beckham, about the most play he ever got over here was being the dude married to a spice girl. Jordan on the other hand hasn't played a game since 2003 and yet people still line up to buy his shoes, and flip them on Ebay. I don't think anyone else can say the same.
 

Browny

Banned
I would love to say Ali, or Jordan, or Hogan - but the answer is likely David Backham. He has a presence in virtually every country in the world, and people from the age of (say) 5 to 75 know the name or the face. And not just because he's a (former) footballer, but because he's famous as well.

Percentage-wise, across the globe, it's Beckham. No one else has the reach he has.
 

leadbelly

Banned
One of those places being mainland Europe. Basketball is pretty popular in Spain, Greece, Russia, Lithuania (where it's more popular than soccer), all the Baltic states ect. Euroleage basketball is very popular as is the NBA. It's no where near as popular as soccer but to say it's not popular in Europe is dumb.

And like I said basketball is the best team sport at creating celebrity athletes because of how close up the action is on tv and because of the impact a single player can have on a team. Basketball is no where near as popular as baseball or american football in the US but its star players are more famous than their baseball or (non quarterback) football counterparts. This is also why Michael Jordan is more famous than any soccer player despite soccer being far more popular than basketball.

Well, the figures based on what was posted is around 2 million people. That isn't insignificant, but would you call that particularly popular?

I also posted that in contrast, soccer is actually the 4th most popular sport in the US according to an ESPN poll.
A 2011 ESPN sports poll ranked soccer as the fourth most popular team sport in the United States, with 8.2% of Americans ranking soccer as their favorite sport (compared to 3.8% for hockey).[28] A 2011 ESPN sports poll ranked soccer as the second most popular sport in the country for 12-24-year-olds.[29] In 2013, Lionel Messi became the first soccer player ever to rank among the Top 10 most popular athletes in the U.S.

As I also said, Michael Jordan is well known in Europe. However, it seems to me he is famous for being famous rather than famous because of people's interest in the sport. I think his fame came from the commercialisation of Jordan as a brand.

That's basically the angle I am coming from. Whether he is the most popular sports man, maybe.
 

DarkFlow

Banned
And it would be second if it wasn't for all those Indians.

The NBA is working on that...

http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/basketball-and-globalization

Now the league is looking to India. Already, basketball is the fastest-growing sport in the country after soccer. In 2011, following the model the N.B.A. used to integrate into China, the league opened its first Indian office in Mumbai. A year later, the N.B.A. signed a broadcast deal with Sony Six, a sports channel owned by India’s Multi Screen Media, to become the exclusive broadcaster of the N.B.A. in the country and to host basketball events across India. In September, the N.B.A. and Sony Six held the N.B.A. Jam tour, which brought free events such as basketball clinics and tutorials to Hyderabad, Bangalore, New Delhi, and Mumbai. Chris Bosh, the Miami Heat forward, helped promote the tour, showing up at events wearing a white cotton shirt stamped with the N.B.A. logo and text that read “Namaste Bosh.” Each stop also featured musical performances by Indian artists and appearances by Indian stars from Sony Six’s top shows.

Sony Six also airs a local commercial that features a young Indian boy skillfully dribbling a basketball through busy downtown streets, and ends with the tagline “Catch the N.B.A. fever.” In May, Vivek Ranadivé, the founder and C.E.O. of the U.S. software company Tibco, became the first Indian-born majority owner of an N.B.A. franchise when he purchased the Sacramento Kings. He’s since said that he hopes to turn the Kings into a cultural bridge between the N.B.A. and India, where he believes basketball, if “promoted in the right way,” can become the country’s second most popular sport.
 
The most famous I can think of is Muhammad Ali.

I'd imagine David Beckham and Michael Jordan are up there too, although I reckon most people in the UK would think Jordan is the name of shoe, rather than an actual sportsman.
 

Random17

Member

Fastest growing means nothing; you can grow by 1000% but still have only a few million fans.

Tendulkar is a household name there. 1.2 billion people; that's more than the USA and Europe combined, lol. By 500 million. Add in the rest of the developed world and it's by 400 million people. How many people in Africa know who Michael Jordan is (as a sportsman, not a shoe!). Rural China probably hasn't had much outside exposure either, and Rural China makes up the majority of China's population.
 
Fastest growing means nothing; you can grow by 1000% but still have only a few million fans.

Tendulkar is a household name there. 1.2 billion people; that's more than the USA and Europe combined, lol. By 500 million.

Basketball is huge in the world's most populous country, that's why it's the fastest growing. China is not so easy to dismiss.
 

Random17

Member
Basketball is huge in the world's most populous country, that's why it's the fastest growing. China is not so easy to dismiss.

True, but India isn't, either. And the saturation of cricket in India is already at its maximum level, even in the rural areas. I'd wager that in the rural areas in China, exposure to American media influence is low, hence Michael Jordan probably won't be well known, especially because he hasn't been playing for years.
 

leadbelly

Banned
Yeah. I think China inflates Basketball's popularity throughout the world because of the sheer size of the population in China. Funny thing is though, soccer is still the most popular sport in China.
 

DarkFlow

Banned
Fastest growing means nothing; you can grow by 1000% but still have only a few million fans.

Tendulkar is a household name there. 1.2 billion people; that's more than the USA and Europe combined, lol. By 500 million. Add in the rest of the developed world and it's by 400 million people. How many people in Africa know who Michael Jordan is (as a sportsman, not a shoe!). Rural China probably hasn't had much outside exposure either, and Rural China makes up the majority of China's population.

Did you read the link?

All this appears to have worked: the Chinese Basketball Association estimates that more than three hundred million people now play the sport in China.

It's growing, and people are starting to like it. Who cares if cricket is the most popular, India has 1 BILLION PEOPLE. They could only get 10% of india to like it and that's still 100 million people.

As it sits now, 15% are into in india, and that was in 2012.
http://www.thestar.com/sports/baske...ia_touted_as_leagues_next_great_frontier.html
 

leadbelly

Banned
It's growing, and people are starting to like it. Who cares if cricket is the most popular, India has 1 BILLION PEOPLE. They could only get 10% of india to like it and that's still 100 million people.

I just read a figure of 400 million.

When India's national side plays a big game, an estimated 400m watch on television.

Edit: maybe you was talking about Basketball.
 

Random17

Member
Did you read the link?



It's growing, and people are starting to like it. Who cares if cricket is the most popular, India has 1 BILLION PEOPLE. They could only get 10% of india to like it and that's still 100 million people.

You do realize you've just contradicted yourself right? If basketball is popular in India with say 400 million people; are we going to take into account the 1 billion people who know who Sachin is? And the thing is that Sachin is a more recent player than Jordan is; that in itself is a big advantage.

You also do realize how ridiculously popular cricket is in India right? "Cricket is my religion, Sachin is my god", is not something that comes out of thin air.

Sachin is literally a household name; "2013 – Indian Postal Service released a stamp of Tendulkar and he became the second Indian after Mother Teresa to have such stamp released in their lifetime.[323]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sachin_Tendulkar


India's population exceeds the US and Europe combined. And with 500 million to spare. Basically everyone and their mom knows who Sachin is.

Even though my answer is still Ronaldo because of his global saturation, you consistently overestimate the popularity of basketball. You said it yourself; it's the 3rd most popular sport in the world, and cricket is second place.
 

DarkFlow

Banned
You do realize you've just contradicted yourself right? If basketball is popular in India with say 400 million people; are we going to take into account the 1 billion people who know who Sachin is? And the thing is that Sachin is a more recent player than Jordan is; that in itself is a big advantage.

You also do realize how ridiculously popular cricket is in India right? "Cricket is my religion, Sachin is my god", is not something that comes out of thin air.

Sachin is literally a household name; "2013 – Indian Postal Service released a stamp of Tendulkar and he became the second Indian after Mother Teresa to have such stamp released in their lifetime.[323]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sachin_Tendulkar


India's population exceeds the US and Europe combined. And with 500 million to spare. Basically everyone and their mom knows who Sachin is.

Even though my answer is still Ronaldo because of his global saturation, you consistently overestimate the popularity of basketball. You said it yourself; it's the 3rd most popular sport in the world, and cricket is second place.
Okay? Do you think anyone in America even knows what cricket is? People in India on the other hand seem to know what Basketball is, and likely whom MJ is.
 
Cristiano Ronaldo is the Most Viral Celebrity of the 2014 World Cup

http://www.visiblemeasures.com/2014/07/14/ronaldo-is-the-most-viral-celebrity-of-the-2014-world-cup/

The 2014 World Cup is the biggest media event we’ve ever experienced and it was the first time that the power of branded video was shown on a global stage.

More than 45 brands created campaigns to capitalize on the World Cup, and many of them contracted famous faces to make the most of their advertising dollars. Fifty-two percent of all tournament-themed campaigns featured celebrities, accounting for 432.1 million of the event’s total 671.6 million views.

The reliance on celebrity spokespeople, or the viewership that they attract, are no surprise. Last year, the use of celebrities was the second most viewed creative approach, with 2.2 billion views. While used in a variety of campaigns, celebrities are often hired to star in big event campaigns like the Super Bowl or the World Cup because they drive earned media by creating headlines and drawing on built-in fanbase.

Despite his team being knocked out early on, Cristiano Ronaldo was the most viewed celebrity of the World Cup. Campaigns starring Ronaldo, a forward for Real Madrid, have generated a True Reach® of 351.8 million views.

Ronaldo starred in seven World Cup campaigns – Nike’s Risk Everything, The Last Game, and Factory to Ronaldo; Samsung’s Galaxy 11: The Beginning, Galaxy 11: The Training, and Galaxy 11: The Match, Part 1; and Emirate’s All-Time Greats. Nike’s Risk Everything is the most viewed of the tournament, garnering more than 122 million views. In total, Ronaldo starred in four of the top five most viewed campaigns.
 

DarkFlow

Banned
I can see this is a exercise in futility really. People are just going to say whatever sport is most popular in their country is the go to sport for the global icon.
 

Random17

Member
Okay? Do you think anyone in America even knows what cricket is? People in India on the other hand seem to know what Basketball is, and likely whom MJ is.

That's the thing! America's population is 4.4% of the world. 3rd place, but individually small.


Many people in India will not know who MJ is. Many of them don't have access to external media or TV, and those who do will likely watch cricket or football. Local radio broadcasts will contain cricket, not basketball, and Sachin will always be mentioned.

In a thread of guessing and anecdotes, every Indian I know will know who Tendulkar is. Every single one. And I know a lot of them. And even those who aren't cricket fans. On the other hand, the older generation of Indians will not know who Michael Jordan is.

Other sports in India might be growing due to increasing popularity with the youth, but the old guard are basically cricket and hockey dominated.

Edit: I always clarify this, but global saturation means that Ronaldo takes this easily.
 

DarkFlow

Banned
That's the thing! America's population is 4.4% of the world. 3rd place, but individually small.


Many people in India will not know who MJ is. Many of them don't have access to external media or TV, and those who do will likely watch cricket or football. Local radio broadcasts will contain cricket, not basketball, and Sachin will always be mentioned.

In a thread of guessing and anecdotes, every Indian I know will know who Tendulkar is. Every single one. And I know a lot of them. And even those who aren't cricket fans. On the other hand, the older generation of Indians will not know who Michael Jordan is.

Other sports in India might be growing due to increasing popularity with the youth, but the old guard are basically cricket and hockey dominated.

Edit: I always clarify this, but global saturation means that Ronaldo takes this easily.
Are you really trying to say America doesn't matter when it comes to a Athletes fame level?
 

masud

Banned
Well, the figures based on what was posted is around 2 million people. That isn't insignificant, but would you call that particularly popular?

I also posted that in contrast, soccer is actually the 4th most popular sport in the US according to an ESPN poll.


As I also said, Michael Jordan is well known in Europe. However, it seems to me he is famous for being famous rather than famous because of people's interest in the sport. I think his fame came from the commercialisation of Jordan as a brand.

That's basically the angle I am coming from. Whether he is the most popular sports man, maybe.


It doent matter if Jordan is famous for being famous rather than because of the popularity of basketball that wasn't the question. And I don't know where that 2 million figure for basketball fans in Europe came from, I couldnt find any concrete statistics online. Only thing I did find was something from 2010 about how 1.3 million people watched the Euroleage basketball final in Spain alone so that number seems pretty low.
 
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