Black History Month: My favorite Black athletes

Jacob Nevis Sports Editor

Editor’s Note:

This Black History Month, look at the Black athletes that have made an impact on you, and try to picture the sport without those players. I promise you the sport would look very different without them.

Every February, the United States honors the history of African Americans and what they have accomplished for this country. One of the most important things that African Americans have impacted is the sports world. Sports wouldn’t be what they are today without the impact of Black athletes. A majority of my favorite athletes are African American, and they have helped change my perspective on the sports world. Since I grew up in Northern California, there was always one basketball player that stood out more than any other. Stephen Curry, a guard for the Golden State Warriors, really helped change my whole perspective on basketball. I can remember watching Warriors’ games and just being in awe of seeing Curry play. He shot three pointers like no one else, and I remember telling myself that Curry might be the best basketball player of all time. He made me want to become a re- ally good basketball player too (even though I am still quite bad at basketball). Curry will always be the number one player in my book simply because of the impact he’s had on me.

Another African American athlete who had a big impact on my life would be Reggie Bush. Bush was the running back for the Miami Dolphins in 2011-2012 and had a good season. Bush was one of my favorite players, even though he was only with the Dolphins for one season. I remember asking for his jersey for Christmas and seeing his name on a jersey on Christmas morning. I was 10 when I got that jersey, and I remember thinking that it was the coolest thing ever. While Bush and the jersey might seem kind of small, they would signal the start of me becoming a huge Dolphins fan.

Sports are such a big part of my life, and Black athletes such as Curry and Bush have helped strengthen my love for sports. As a sports fan, it is always so cool to watch people with skills that no one else possesses. Due to the impact of Black athletes, sports have become something beyond comparison, something beautiful that demonstrates that anyone can make it regardless of race.