When it comes to athletes who played in Detroit, many are among the greats. In this article, I will cover my top ten picks for Detroit athletes of all time.
Number ten: Dave Bing
Dave Bing was drafted 2nd overall in the 1966 draft by the Detroit Pistons. During his rookie year, he was given the Rookie of the Year award and the MVP award in his final season with Detroit. He was on the team from 1966 to 1975 and later joined the Celtics for one year afterward. During Bing’s career, he averaged 20.3 points per game, six assists per game, and 3.8 rebounds per game. Once his career was over, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990 and announced in 1996 as one of the top 50 basketball players ever. After his career, he became a Mayor of Detroit.
Number nine: Steve Yzerman
On June 8th, 1983, the Red Wings selected Steve Yzerman as their fourth overall pick. This day was historic because it changed the course of the Red Wings franchise. Yzerman won three Stanley Cups within the franchise and is currently the 6th all-time leading scorer. Yzerman has scored 692 goals and 1063 assists. He is also ranked as the 13th-best player of all time in the NHL.
Number eight: Bobby Layne
Looking back on the 1950s, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Bobby Layne, fell on the Detroit Lions. Layne spent most of his career with Detroit, leading them to three NFL championships. Layne is also ranked 27 all-time quarterbacks and is the only quarterback to lead the Lions to championship success. Due to Layne being the only successful quarterback to lead the Lions to a championship, he belongs at number eight.
Number seven: Calvin Johnson
Megatron, also known as Calvin Johnson, is one of the greatest wideouts of all time. Johnson was selected in the 2007 NFL draft, but his career was lived short as he only played nine seasons in his entire professional career. Johnson’s career stats include 731 receptions for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns. The most impressive thing about the stats was the fact he suffered from bad ankle injuries over the years and was heavily double-teamed by opponents. Johnson never stopped battling the uphill because he would still record superstar stats even with the injuries.
Number six: Isiah Thomas
Isiah Thomas is the best basketball player to ever play for the Detroit Pistons and is one of the greatest of all time. His career spanned 13 years, as all of them were with Detroit. Thomas was an ultimate role player for the Pistons and is one of the greatest ever to do it. He averaged 19.2 points per game and 9.3 assists per game. He is also a Hall-of-Famer, 12-time All-Star, two-time All-Star Game MVP, and five-time All-NBA selection.
Number five: Miguel Cabrera
Miggy recently retired this past year for the Tigers. He played 16 years with them, solidifying his final run in 2023. He may be the greatest Tiger of all time behind Ty Cobb. All in Cabrera’s career, he has held 12 All-Star nods, seven Silver Slugger awards, two AL MVP awards, and the 2012 Triple Crown. He will go down as one of the greatest hitters of all time.
Number four: Ty Cobb
Cobb may be one of the greatest players of all time, right behind Babe Ruth. Cobb had an outstanding career, as he had over 4000 career hits, 117 home runs, and a batting average of .366. He was also the first-ever player to be voted into the MLB Hall of Fame.
Number three: Joe Louis
Louis is the best heavyweight boxer of all time. He was the heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949 and defended the title 25 consecutive times; this is a record that still stands today as no other weight class has come close to beating. That’s only one thing to be impressed about. During his career, he only suffered four losses and had exactly 50 wins. Many people question if he was better than Muhammad Ali, but that may be a stretch.
Number two: Gordie Howe
Mr. Hockey, also known as Gordie Howe, started playing for the Detroit Red Wings in 1946. He is considered to be in the top 3 all-time NHL players. Over the time he spent with Detroit, he racked up 801 goals and 1,049 assists. Howe was a 23x All-Star and won 6 MVPs. He also helped the Wings earn four Stanley Cups.
Number one: Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders shouldn’t, without a doubt, be placed anywhere else on this list. He is number one. Sanders is considered the best running back of all time and has spent all of his professional career with the Lions. He is currently the second all-time rusher and has recorded 3,062 carries for 15,269 yards. On top of this, he has recorded 352 catches for 2,921 yards and scored 109 touchdowns. These stats were elite for the time he played, and no other runningback will compare to his skill level anytime soon.
