The 15 Greatest Players in Chicago Sports History

As a city, Chicago has helped shape the landscape of sports. Championship wins, Hall of Fame talent and all-time legends of their crafts have assembled in the "Windy City."

Picking and choosing 15 of the best athletes to ever represent Chicago meant we had to go all the way back to the beginning. Defining greatness came down to a formula of championship rings, stats, talent and generational impact.

It's important to remember that this list is not in ranked order. With that in mind, it's time to unveil the 15 greatest players in Chicago sports history.

Chicago boasts a robust amount of sports stars. Because of that, the honorable mentions slide became mandatory. Here are a handful of talented players that just missed out on making the final cut.

• Sammy Sosa, Chicago Cubs/White Sox
• "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, Chicago White Sox
• Mike Ditka, Chicago Bears
• Red Grange, Chicago Bears
• Ron Santo, Chicago Cubs
• Bill George, Chicago Bears
• Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox
• Tony Esposito, Chicago Blackhawks
• Greg Maddux, Chicago Cubs
• Dennis Rodman, Chicago Bulls
• Matt Forte, Chicago Bears
• Luke Appling, Chicago White Sox
• Chris Chelios, Chicago Blackhawks
• Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears

The greatest athlete of all time, in any sport, could very well be Michael Jordan.

Jordan's impact on Chicago sports far exceeds anyone else on here. He's not only brought six NBA titles to the fans, but his Air Jordan sneaker line also helped give the city a powerful identity.

Jordan's 13 seasons with the Bulls resulted in 31.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. That earned him five MVP awards and, like we said earlier, six pristine NBA trophies.

Whether he was wearing No. 23 or No. 45, the Jordan name will forever be engrained in the tapestry that represents Chicago sports.

Outside of Chicago and the ivy that consumes Wrigley Field, a lot of people tend to forget how good Ryne Sandberg actually was.

Sandberg played 15 seasons with the Cubs, batting .285 in that span. He led the National League in runs on three separate occasions and took home an MVP award for his efforts during the 1984 season.

His biggest strength was the art of versatility. Sandberg's career stats are littered with stolen bases, home runs and Gold Gloves.

Who cares if the Cubs didn't win a World Series title during his tenure? Sandberg's dominance turned him into a household name in Chicago.

The Chicago Bears have been lucky enough to acquire a lot of great running back talent throughout the years. Guys like Red Grange, Walter Payton and Matt Forte became franchise players during their respective time periods.

Gale Sayers was part of that magnificent club.

Injuries cut his career short, but when he played, Sayers was as good as anyone. In the four seasons he suited up for at least 13 games, the Bears halfback was as close to unstoppable as it got.

Sayers led the NFL in rushing twice, went to the Pro Bowl four times and earned first-team All-Pro honors on five separate occasions.

Despite having a brief career, nothing could stop No. 40 from reaching the Hall of Fame in 1977.

Frank Thomas is the greatest Chicago White Sox player to ever don a uniform laced with pinstripes. "The Big Hurt" put up colossal totals during his lengthy 16 seasons with the club, rotating between first base and designated hitter.

Looking back at his season-by-season chart, the unwavering level of production Thomas brought with him will forever resemble that of historic value. He left the White Sox as a two-time American League MVP who hit 448 home runs and had 1,465 RBI. (Thomas wound up with 521 career home runs when he hung up his cleats in 2008.)

Thomas' unparalleled career on the South Side of Chicago also earned him a spot in baseball's Hall of Fame.

The Chicago Blackhawks have produced a laundry list of names that could make any "all-time" list. It's an indication of the sustained success this franchise has relished in.

Bobby Hull tops that list.

Hull was an ironman. He spent 16 seasons with the Blackhawks, netting 604 goals and 549 assists. Those sensational digits rank him first in goals and second in total points when we narrow it down to Blackhawks franchise history.

Hull set the bar sky high for future Blackhawks players. He was the first defining star to don the coveted red sweater, winning two Hart Memorial Trophies in the process.

The luxury of watching Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane take the ice today shouldn't give Chicago sports fans amnesia. Bobby Hull was the originator of Chicago innovation.

Greatness comes in many different forms. Defining that word for the running back position brings you to Walter Payton.

Payton represents everything good about the Chicago Bears. The Hall of Fame halfback won a Super Bowl ring with the team in 1985 and an NFL MVP award in 1977, all while padding the record books. His 16,726 career rushing yards stand as second-best in NFL history, behind only Emmitt Smith. That swath of yardage led him to play in nine Pro Bowls.

No matter what position we're discussing, Payton remains the supreme leader on the Bears' all-time greatness meter. He was a workhorse runner throughout the course of a full 16-game season, never carrying the rock less than 317 times.

Every Batman needs a Robin. In Michael Jordan's case, Scottie Pippen served that role even though he didn't deserve the title.

Confused? Let us explain. Jordan's greatness can't be overstated. Because of that, Pippen assumed the "Robin" role.

That label, though, is a discredit to how great he was. It was Pippen who stepped up and carried the Bulls when Jordan first walked away from the sport prior to the 1993-94 season, as Adam Fluck's article on NBA.com stated.

Pippen's 17.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals per contest don't leap off the page when you look at them. But it was his sheer tenacity, riveting defensive prowess and seamless consistency that landed the 6'8" forward in the Hall of Fame.

Would the Bulls have won six NBA titles without Pippen? It's hard to picture that happening with our revisionist lens on. He was Jordan's longtime anchor, and Chicago sports fans will always be thankful for that.

The second position where the Chicago Bears have continued to thrive throughout history is at middle linebacker.

Mike Singletary defined the position during the 1980s. He was a centerpiece for the grueling 46 Chicago defense that went on to win Super Bowl XX. With an unwavering assignment to secure the middle of the field, Singletary soared to great heights.

He was a two-time winner of the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award—in 1985 and 1988—because of his ability to change the complexion of a game.

His lengthy career ended with Chicago in 1992. Six years later, Singletary was inducted into the Hall of Fame based on his lasting merits of cataclysmic dominance.

Jonathan Toews ushered in a new era of Chicago Blackhawks hockey when the team drafted him in 2006. Making his debut a year later, Toews posted 54 points in a mere 62 games.

Three Stanley Cup wins, a Conn Smythe Trophy in 2010—awarded to the MVP of the NHL Playoffs—and a countless flow of scoring earned Toews the captain seal.

He's already 10th all-time in Blackhawks history in points, not to mention No. 1 in the plus-minus category.

All of the accolades Toews has achieved already qualify him for this list. The fact that he's still active makes no difference. He's Chicago royalty.

Chicago quarterbacks have been compared to Sid Luckman ever since he left the sport in 1950.

Luckman remains the proverbial king of the "Midway," his crown brimming with championship jewels and brawny metal. He spent 128 games with the Bears, leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns on three separate occasions.

Football didn't look the same back then as it does now. Without millions of people watching the sport and Hollywood-like production surrounding it, the game was fresh; it was grittier—certainly not safer—when Luckman played.

This was a man who threw seven touchdown passes in one game, went on to win an MVP award in 1943 and retired with four championships under his belt. Chicago fans will always be grateful for Sid Luckman and his magical right arm.

Ernie Banks did a lot for the Chicago Cubs. That's probably why his nickname was "Mr. Cub."

Banks built his baseball legacy strictly on the North Side of the city. He served all 19 of his seasons in a Cubs uniform. He entered Major League Baseball as a Cub and retired as one. For that, Banks should be deemed a champion when it comes to the loyalty department.

Loyalty is great, but it means nothing without production. Banks didn't let down in that department, either. The longtime shortstop and first baseman belted 512 home runs and knocked home 1,636 RBI. His work at the plate resulted in two MVPs.

When we backtrack a bit and discuss archetypal power hitters, Banks doesn't receive enough recognition. That particularly stings for Chicagoans because "Mr. Cub" was one of the best to ever do it.

Brian Urlacher took over the middle linebacker position for the Chicago Bears in the post-Mike Singletary era.

Urlacher's 41.5 sacks and 1,040 tackles from that spot on the field over the 182 games he played are good and well. But the real reason he's on here is because of the defensive system he mastered.

The Tampa 2 defense was a defining trait of football in the early 2000s. In that zone-based scheme, having a sound linebacker patrol the middle of the field made the scheme work.

Leadership and positional brilliance helped Urlacher and the Bears defense reach the Super Bowl in 2006. Even in defeat, he cemented his legacy.

The eight-time Pro Bowler should eventually find his way over to Canton, Ohio. There, he can relax with a gold jacket and reflect on the astounding legacy he put forth in the "Windy City."

Bobby Hull leads the Chicago Blackhawks in goals. Stan Mikita edges him out in total points. 

Mikita was remarkable. Grace, productivity and style held up his 22-year NHL career. Chicago brought that career to life.

The Blackhawks and Mikita go hand-in-hand. His dedication to the team—Mikita spent his entire professional playing career in a Blackhawks uniform—was unwavering. With his skates sharpened, he enjoyed two Hart Memorial Trophies in 1967 and 1968.

At 20 years young, Mikita was also part of the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup-winning campaign. That year, he contributed to the cause, netting 19 goals and 34 assists.

In the same conversational vein as Hull, Mikita should never be forgotten on a global or Chicago-based scale.

If you want to talk about hard-hitting linebackers that defined an era, Dick Butkus is your guy.

Before Mike Singletary, Brian Urlacher and countless other hawks of the position were making their cases for the Hall of Fame, Butkus invented the gold standard. He was a viper on the gridiron, decimating offensive players with precision and force.

His gritty highlight reel bleeds Chicago. It also shows you why he was named to the Pro Bowl eight times.

Butkus' career numbers of 23 interceptions and 27 forced fumbles are staggering. For a point of reference, Urlacher and Ray Lewis had a combined 28 career forced fumbles.

Butkus was that good at creating turnovers. He changed the landscape of Chicago football with his unrelenting style of play.

Having two active Chicago Blackhawks on one list bodes well for the future of this franchise. Along with Jonathan Toews, there's Patrick Kane.

The 27-year-old Kane is on a collision course to squash the Blackhawks record books. He currently ranks No. 6 in assists and total points scored.

Kane's ferocity for taking over games has helped the Blackhawks win three Stanley Cups during his eight-year tenure. He's a scorer who's gone on to define a new generation of Chicago Blackhawks hockey.

Assuming he stays put, there's little reason to believe Kane won't leave the sport as one of Chicago's best.

All stats and information provided by Sports-Reference.com, unless noted otherwise.