Which athletes received the most media and fan hype before actually turning pro? And I'm talking abut hype relative to their sport. So, for example a top NBA prospect would recieve more attention than a top NHL prospect generally just because it's a more popular sport in North America, but just keep it to judging hype relative to other prospects in their own sport.
And how well did they do in living up to the hype?
I'm wondering if the top answer is Lebron James. I think in my lifetime it is. The Lemieux and Lindros hype is a little bit before my time. The only one I can think of coming close to Lebron is Sidney Crosby and I don't think it's even that close. Lebron was getting Jordan comparisons before his first NBA game. Crosby was getting major hype and was thought to be the next big thing in the NHL, but I don't think anyone was thinking he'd get to Gretzky or Lemieux territory. And he didn't.
Crosby lived up to the hype, maybe even one level below the hype due to injuries. Lebron somehow exceeded the hype. I don't know if anyone thought Lebron would be this good and for this long.
I know nothing about other sports so I'm looking to get answers from there too.
And how well did they do in living up to the hype?
I'm wondering if the top answer is Lebron James. I think in my lifetime it is. The Lemieux and Lindros hype is a little bit before my time. The only one I can think of coming close to Lebron is Sidney Crosby and I don't think it's even that close. Lebron was getting Jordan comparisons before his first NBA game. Crosby was getting major hype and was thought to be the next big thing in the NHL, but I don't think anyone was thinking he'd get to Gretzky or Lemieux territory. And he didn't.
Crosby lived up to the hype, maybe even one level below the hype due to injuries. Lebron somehow exceeded the hype. I don't know if anyone thought Lebron would be this good and for this long.
I know nothing about other sports so I'm looking to get answers from there too.