My Fave Five

After an inquiry to name my five favorite athletes of all-time on facebook, I settled on these five:

1. Nick Van Exel- Nick the Quick was, and will always be, my favorite Laker of all-time. He was the first Laker I identified with, and even though it wasn't a particularly glorious time in Lakers' history, he was my favorite player on my first favorite team. Van Exel had a swagger about him that I loved. When he would get hot and start pulling 25 foot three's in transition, you knew it was over. On my fourth grade traveling team, I experimented with shooting left handed free throws because of Nicky V. I also mimicked some of his mannerisms, including blowing on my hand because it was "hot" if I made a jumper. I was given a Van Exel jersey in fourth grade as a present and I wore that jersey out. My parents would only half-jokingly ask me to take it off so they could wash it. While Van Exel wasn't the greatest Laker (His horrible shot selection and bad attitude come to mind) it makes me sad thinking of the day he was traded. I would have loved to see him holding up the Larry O'Brien trophy while wearing Purple and Gold..
2. Kobe Bryant- This one is a no-brainer to any Laker fan. Kobe symbolizes the new generation of Laker dominance. His ability to take over a game is unmatched. He has a quiet confidence that no one has possessed since MJ. He has been a Laker for 13 years now, and everyone in my age group has basically grown up with Kobe. I named my dog after him in sixth grade and the three championships he has won here have cemented his legacy. If he can win one without Shaq there will be no denying that he is the greatest Laker since Magic and that both his uniform numbers (8 and 24) will hang in the rafters at Staples Center one day..
3. Mike Piazza- Talk about a story that should have ended happily but didn't. If it were not for the dark period in the late 90's and early 00's, Mike Piazza would be wearing a Dodger's cap when he gets elected to Cooperstown. Instead News. Corp and Rupert Murdoch decided to trade Piazza because they didn't want to give him a long-term deal. While Sheffield was an extremely productive player for the Dodgers, he just wasn't Piazza. Mikey put up his best seasons in a Dodger uniform and was part of a string of five consecutive rookies of the year (Karros, Piazza, Mondesi, Nomo, and Hollandsworth) which I grew up loving. The Piazza led Dodgers made the playoffs in '95 and '96 only to be swept in the first round both times. Still, I just have a feeling that if they would have kept that team in tact, we would not be in a 20 year plus world series drought. Since Piazza was my first favorite Dodger, he will always have a soft spot in my heart. (UPDATE: Shout out to Jessi, the biggest Mike Piazza fan of them all)
4. Robert Horry- Game 4, Western Conference Finals, 2002. That should say it all. Kobe drives from the right wing towards the hoop and misses a contested runner. Shaq misses the put-back and Vlade tips it out to Horry. Horry lets it go from behind the arc.. The ball seems to take minutes to come down. Finally, it rips through the net and the Lakers complete their 24 point comeback against the hated Kings. I have never been so thrilled in my life. I tackled my buddy Collin, then proceed to run around my neighborhood in pure ecstacy. Horry will always be a legend in LA, regardless of the fact he ended his career as a Spur.
5. Matt Kemp- I have already raved about Kemp on here before, but his combination of size, speed, and athleticism are unique in a baseball player. The sky is the limit for Kemp and I hope he matches his potential while wearing Dodger Blue. I wanted to have a current Dodger on here and Kemp is my current favorite so I thought it was fitting. I spent 120 bucks on an authentic Kemp jersey two years ago even though there were tons of rumors about the Dodgers trading him. That should tell you something.

Honorable Mention: Pau Gasol, Chad Fonville, Raul Mondesi, Maurice Jones-Drew, Marshall Faulk, Shaquille O'Neal, Derek Fisher, Chad Billingsley, Delino Deshields (just kidding), Clayton Kershaw, Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, Eddie Jones, Eric Gagne, Jose Lima, Tiger Woods, Muhammad Ali

So there you have it.. My favorite five athletes of all-time. I know there are probably some oversights here but my honorable mentions should cover a good majority of my favorite athletes. Let me know what you think and who your favorite athletes are..