Above: Russell Westbrook slam dunks, Tom Brady preparing to throw a pass and Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates a goal.
Sports require a collective effort between all players, but in some cases, certain players rise above. The importance of these players is proven by informed sports analysts and stat sheets. In the 2016-2017 season, three players that set themselves apart from everyone else are Russell Westbrook, Cristiano Ronaldo and Tom Brady.
Russell Westbrook, one of the front runners in the 2016-2017 NBA most valuable player race, has the most points per game and broke a record for the most triple-doubles in one season set by Oscar Robertson in the 1961-1962 season. Where would the Oklahoma City Thunder be without Westbrook?
In the 2016-2017 NBA season the Oklahoma City Thunder lost every game that Westbrook did not play by more than 10 points. They qualified for the playoffs, but couldn’t manage to succeed once when their star point guard was injured or rested. Players like Westbrook have been seen before. But what about a sport where one man has very seldom been able to take control of the field like soccer.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the world’s highest paid athletes, and for good reason. With various achievements for both his club, Real Madrid and country, Portugal including top scorer he is building his case to be considered the best player of all time. This season Ronaldo in the top three of the scoring leaderboard for the two major leagues that he participated in.
Tom Brady, which is the most successful quarterback of all time is a game changer who has been persistent for the last 15 years. He only lost 15 of 113 home games throughout his career, while playing in the most competitive league in the world. But unlike many superstars that have terrorized the league in previous and present times, he wins the games that matter. Not only has he won the Super Bowl six times, he maintains a 25 win and 9 loss ratio, the best record of any player ever in the playoff. In a recent interview with ESPN said he plans on playing until at least his mid-40s or until “I’m no longer good.”
Sports superstars are a major part of every successful team, but only the best of the superstars are the ones that go down in history. Though sometimes the value of a superstar isn’t realized within their own performance their sheer presence can drive teammates to become stars on their own. Freshman  Michal Milford said, “A superstar can make the difference needed to win a game increase the performance of their teammates in ways seen on stat sheets along with on the court.”