Two Sport Athletes

[tornado]

There are a few athletes who have played PROFESSIONAL SPORTS at the highest level in two different sports...

Everyone knows about Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, Sammy Baugh, etc...
but how many are there who have played PRO basketball at the highest level and also played another sport at the highest pro level as well...that list is extremely small.......

Feel free to add other names but the only ones I can think of or find are these, and one of the very first is an Ex-BU great...

"Rocket Ray Ramsey (ex-Bradley basketball player who played both NBA basketball and NFL football), Dave Ricketts (MLB, NBA), Dave Debusschere (NBA & MLB), and Wilt Chamberlain (NBA & pro Volleyball), Danny Ainge (NBA, MLB), Ron Reed (MLB, NBA), Dick Groat (NBA, MLB), and Otto Graham (NBA & NFL)

(I am not counting Michael Jordan (minor league baseball) or guys like the washed up NFLer's who do some pro wrestling)

but getting back to Ramsey, he might be the only one on the list who actually competed at the highest level in THREE sports...but at that time there really was no pro track...but read his bio - he also received pro baseball offers...

http://www.sj-r.com/sports/x1528811722/Ray-Ramsey-noted-Springfield-athlete-dead-at-88

[SFP]

Funny I was in a discussion on Bo Jackson may have been the most explosive athlete in our generation if not for that hip injury! His hits/HRs in baseball were amazing and those runs in football were without equal. I can really think of one other RB in his league and injuries shorten his career and that was Earl Campbell. That is why Walter Peyton's career more so then all his records is so impressive, he was very productive for a very long time.

[Beninator]

SFP, I have a friend who pitched against Bo Jackson years ago at Spring Training. (before hip injury) He told me that Jackson was the fastest person he had ever seen. and on top of that... A great person!

[tornado]

Bo did it all with a significant disability....from childhood he had a mild hearing and learning disorder that led to speech difficulties and stuttering....
he never played the sympathy card and most people even to this day don't even know he had the disability.

also Chico PM'ed me about Gene Conley - who was a very good 2-sports guy playing nearly a full decade of both Major League Baseball and NBA basketball

[DUBulldog]

Here is an article that lists all the NBA/MLB players

link

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Hendrickson joins Danny Ainge, Gene Conley (another WSU alum), Dave DeBusschere, Dick Grat, Frankie Baumholtz, Cotton Nash, Ron Reed, Chuck Connors and Steve Hamilton as those who have played in both the NBA and major league baseball. Conley is the only player to play on both NBA and MLB championship teams (Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Braves), and he did it in the same year - 1957.

[abesimpson]

Don't know if you'd count this or not, but the other day I was watching the Cubs/Rookies game and Fergie Jenkins sang the 7th inning stretch. When he talked with Len and Bob beforehand, they talked about his playing days with the Harlem Globetrotters. He said he played 2 years in the off-season while he was still in a pitcher!! Never knew that about him.

[Beninator]

Don't know if you'd count this or not, but the other day I was watching the Cubs/Rookies game and Fergie Jenkins sang the 7th inning stretch. When he talked with Len and Bob beforehand, they talked about his playing days with the Harlem Globetrotters. He said he played 2 years in the off-season while he was still in a pitcher!! Never knew that about him.

I have never heard about that as well! If we count the Harlem Globetrotters, then we need to add former Cardinal HOF pitcher Bob Gibson to the list.