The city of Chicago has seen many great players over the years across multiple sports. Who could forget notable legends such as NBA star Michael Jordan and the Bears Walter Payton? Sadly, these two icons of the game have long since retired but after recent legislation changes, we can now bet on top sporting action, which means you can start betting on the top sports players in this list, and on others in Chicago and across the rest of the USA. If you want to know more about how you can try your luck in the online sports betting scene, you can read more on this site.
The current crop of great players plying their trade in Chicago is varied across multiple sports, whether it’s in football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, or American Football, so let’s look at the top five players currently applying their craft in Chicago.
Patrick Kane
Ice Hockey is one of the top sports in Chicago with the Blackhawks being a successful side. One of their top players is Patrick Kane and the 31-year-old has enjoyed great success with them. He’s won three Stanley Cup titles, the last being in 2015. Two years before that, he won the Hart Memorial Trophy for being the Most Valuable Player in the playoffs.
In 2017, Kane also became the first-ever American born player to win the Art Ross Trophy after finishing the top goal scorer in the NHL that year. No surprise, therefore, that he has been included in the 100 Greatest NHL Players. He may be in his 30s now, but January saw him reach 1000 career regular-season points, the youngest American player to achieve that feat.
Julie Ertz
America is the world champions when it comes to women’s football. Julie Ertz is one of the top players for the Chicago Red Stars. Ertz began playing for the Chicago Red Stars in 2014 and was an instant hit.
So much in fact that the following year, Ertz was the second-youngest member of the US Women’s World Cup-winning team. Not just that but she was named in the FIFA Women’s World Cup All-Star team. Last year saw her part of the team that retained that trophy. Ertz has now played for the national side 102 times.
Initially a defender, Ertz now plays in midfield and it’s worked a treat. 2017 and 2019 saw her win the US Soccer Female Player of the Year award.
Khalil Mack
It would be amiss to not include an American Football player on this list. Khalil Mack joined the Chicago Bears in 2018 from Oakland Raiders (now the Las Vegas Raiders).
Before becoming an NFL player, he had a great time in university, and he holds the NCAA record for forced fumbles. His trading to the Chicago Bears saw him sign a six-year contract that is worth a staggering $141M. That made him the highest-paid defensive player in the history of the NFL. His defensive skills are highly regarded, and he was selected to play in the 2020 Pro Bowl.
Kris Bryant
To Baseball now and Kris Bryant is one of the top players for the Chicago Cubs. He’s the third baseman and outfielder and had a successful career even before heading to Chicago.
His college career saw him playing for Bonanza High School. His potential was evident as he was named an All-American in both 2012 and 2013. It wasn’t a surprise then when the Cubs chose Bryant with the second overall draft in 2013. Two years later he made his debut for the Cubs in Major League Baseball. He proved to be an instant success and was named the Rookie of the Year Award.
His biggest success with the Cubs came when they won the World Series in 2016. He was also named the Most Valuable Player and included in the All-Star team.
Allie Quigley
Allie has enjoyed tremendous success playing for the Chicago Sky basketball team in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Although she played for DePaul University in Chicago, it was for the Seattle Storm that she began her career in the WNBA.
Over the period of five years, Quigley played for four different teams before making her return to Chicago. She joined Chicago Sky in 2013 and it wasn’t long before awards headed in her direction. 2014 saw her named the WNBA Woman of the Year. That followed a successful season in which Sky made it to their first ever WNBA finals.
Not content with winning the award in 2014, Allie won it again the following year. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, she was included in the WNBA All-Star team. Her success hasn’t just been in Chicago. She’s also played in Hungary winning titles with Fenerbahce.
