It’s baaack. The sheer tonnage of New York sports excellence in the air this spring demanded that we reignite the King of New York sports discussion. This list, which is meant to rank the ten New York athletes that have the most power, clout, juice, etc at this current moment, made several people pretty upset the last time around. As a reminder, we’re not simply crowning the best or the most accomplished athlete in New York—we’re capturing a snapshot of the here and now.
With the Knicks and Rangers both in the midst of captivating second-round playoff series, the Yankees off to a rollicking start, and the Liberty opening their season with title aspirations, there’s no shortage of hotshot ballers playing in the Big Apple. These are the athletes at the top of the mountain.
10. Sauce Gardner
Team: New York Jets
Position: Cornerback
NEW YORK FACTOID: Earlier this month, unprompted, he declared that he would like to remain in Gotham for the rest of his career.
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In 2023, the New York football teams did not perform as well as their legions of fans would have hoped. But, at least on the green side of NYC football fandom, hope springs eternal thanks to some electrifying young talent. Aaron Rodgers is great and all, but Sauce Gardner is still just 23 years old, with All-Pro nods in both his first two seasons. This is the type of impact teams are looking for when they make a top-five draft pick, and so far Sauce has more than delivered on the hype.
Forget the playoffs for a second (the Jets haven’t qualified since the 2010 season). Gang Green hasn’t even finished above .500 since 2015. Reaching that hallowed ground this year, as trivial as it sounds, would be a major step forward. If the future is indeed bright for the Jets, it will be largely because of Gardner, who also has the personality and willingness to become a New York sports VIP.
9. Breanna Stewart
Team: New York Liberty
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