Michael Jordan named most influential player ever in popular NBA website's survey

Michael Jordan has been voted the most influential NBA player ever by HoopsHype. Jordan is regarded by many of his peers and fans as the greatest player of all time, thanks to his accomplishments and success on and off the court.

HoopsHype surveyed a mix of 52 former and current NBA players to determine which player has had the most influence in the history of the game. Jordan won by a landslide, beating out LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird, among others.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype said:

"Almost half of the voters in our poll (25) voted Michael Jordan No. 1 on their ballots. No other player got more than five first-place votes. MJ really ran the table here, and how can you argue with that? His on-court accomplishments are unimpeachable, as is the cultural impact."

He continued:

"He was, after all, the most famous person on the planet for a while, turning millions into basketball fans across the globe."

The scoring system for the survey was pretty simple. Voters were asked to choose five players who they thought were the most influential. The top player got five points, the second four points and so on.

Jordan received 73.85% of points. LeBron James came in second with 37.69% of all points, while Allen Iverson was third with 33.08%. Bryant and Magic Johnson rounded out the top five, with Steph Curry, Shaquille O'Neal, Larry Bird, Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the top 10.

Other legendary players who received votes include Dirk Nowitzki, Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Yao Ming and Earl Lloyd. Nowitzki is regarded as one of the greatest international players ever, while Erving was the first real superstar in the league.

Chamberlain made basketball interesting with his dominance, while Ming made the NBA popular in China. Lloyd paved the way for black players, as he was the first African-American to ever play in the NBA back in 1950.

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Michael Jordan made basketball popular in the 1990s

Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls

The 1970s was a dark period for the NBA, as the league was in a lot trouble due to drugs, fight and racial controversies. However, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird came just in time to ressurect the NBA. Magic and Bird dominated the 1980s and made the league popular again.

However, it was Michael Jordan who made the NBA global, thanks to his dominance on the court for the Chicago Bulls. It all started when Jordan and the rest of the Dream Team won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. It was the start of the NBA's soaring popularity all over the world.

Jordan's impact on basketball can still be felt to this day. His name alone makes headlines, despite being a private person. The Air Jordan brand is one of the most popular sneakers in the world. He's one of the the main reasons why a lot of people outside the USA fell in love with basketball.