Does a superstar athlete need a championship to be considered an all-time great?
It’s a debate that rages just about every day in the sports world. A lot of people would say yes, though that means you would have to say that people like Dan Marino, Charles Barkley, Elgin Baylor, and Barry Bonds are not all-timers.
Connor McDavid has put together the kind of NHL career most hockey players would dream of. However, in his nine seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, he hasn’t lifted the Stanley Cup as a champion.
There’s the possibility that could happen this year as the Oilers entered the Stanley Cup Playoffs with one of the best records in the league and currently have a 1-0 lead on the Los Angeles Kings in the first round.
“Do you believe that Connor McDavid is a great player now, an all-time great, or does he have to win a Cup in your mind to be an all-time great,” Tony Kornheiser asked TNT NHL analyst PK Subban during Wednesday’s Pardon the Interruption.
“My perspective might be different than somebody who got six rings, like a Mark Messier,” said Subban. “This guy is prepared to do what he needs to do in the playoffs. I firmly believe that he believes that this is the best team he’s had in Edmonton and this is gonna be his best chance to get to the Stanley Cup Final.
“Make no doubt about it, this guy is the most talented, skilled player that the NHL has ever seen. This guy’s box office, pay the price of admission to watch this kid play. And I think he’s gonna be a legend no matter what. But, winning a Stanley Cup would definitely solidify it a lot sooner, so, for me, there is no doubt in my mind with what he’s done already in his career, that he’s an all-time great.”
[PTI]