The SN Rushmore project selected four professional players from each of the 13 cities that have had at least four of the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, or WNBA represented for at least 20 years. Although there were no strict guidelines for the sportsmen chosen, our panel of experts took into account each athlete’s resume, team performance, and history within each city’s sports scene. There was no need that every team be represented; multiple players from the same organisation might participate. Every sports fan has a stance on this issue. Ours is this.

Some of the cities we featured on our Mt. Rushmore series gave rise to contentious arguments about which athletes should be represented, which permeated every office discussion for weeks (I’m looking at you, Philadelphia). Chicago’s was roughly fifteen minutes long. That outcome can result from the development of some of the best professional athletes in history.

No amount of lobbying from the owners of the Bulls and White Sox would have changed our top four, even if Jerry Reinsdorf had succeeded in getting Harold Baines inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Chicago is more associated with Michael Jordan than deep dish pizza. Children in Chicago have been stutter-stepping and stiff-arming pals in neighbourhood football games for fifty years thanks to Walter Payton. Even people who haven’t watched him play in years are familiar with the name Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks. And with his supremacy in the 1960s, Bobby Hull put an end to a 22-year Stanley Cup drought for a team from the original six.

One of the top sports cities in the world is Chicago. It is only fitting that its Mount Rushmore is graced by these four elite athletes.

MICHAEL JORDAN (Bulls, 1984-93, 95-98)

Jordan was a legendary athlete and crazy competitor, as is well known. The list of achievements is endless: 6-0 record in the NBA Finals, six MVP awards for the Finals, five for the regular season, 14 All-Star games, and ten scoring crowns. Those distinctions hardly touch the surface of the person who many consider to be the greatest athlete in sports history.

Beyond his freakish athleticism, Jordan’s understanding of the mental aspect of the game stands out to KC Johnson, who covered him daily for the Chicago Tribune during the Bulls’ second three-peat.

Johnson remarks, “I think of just how smart of a basketball player he was, I think that sometimes gets overlooked because everyone just looks at his talent and his competitiveness. But his basketball IQ was ridiculous as well, and I think that’s one reason why he connected so well with his coaches. If you look at the relationships he had not only with Phil [Jackson], but dating back to college with Dean Smith, he always held the coaching position in such high regard because of his respect for the game and his ability to see the game.”

Jordan’s amazing scoring and spectacular dunks helped the Bulls win three straight games to start the 1990s. That brilliant basketball insight, rather than pure physical talent, was more of a driving force behind the second three-peat.

Jordan maintained his position as the league’s top scorer, although he concentrated most of his offensive output in the post. He dominated the league with devastating fadeaway jump shots and excellent footwork.

“He completely transformed his game with that back-to-the-basket and post arsenal that he had,” Johnson says. “He still had that athleticism, and would remind you of how great he was at that. But his ability to economically shift his game to a different skill set is really noteworthy. Not a lot of players do that.”

Anyone who was watching Jordan at the moment could tell they were watching history. When he was at his best, he took the game to realms it had never imagined, and the results of the games were never in dispute.

“I remember distinctly reminding myself to [soak it in], covering him, because you just saw such greatness and such success on such consistent levels that you never wanted to take it for granted,” Johnson says. “You want it to remind yourself that this was incredible stuff you were witnessing.”

Michael Jordan By The Numbers

NBA Championships	6
Finals MVP awards	6
All-NBA teams	11
All-Defensive teams	9
MVP awards	5

PAYTON, Walter (Bears, 1975-87)

Throughout his career, Sweetness set a lot of records. His 16,726 yards came from then-records of 10 seasons with 1,000 or more rushing yards and 77 games with 100 or more yards, both of which Emmitt Smith later broke.

In 1977, he broke the single-game record with 275 running yards against the Minnesota Vikings after a week of fighting the flu. Johnson is able to clearly recall the game. This is due to the fact that he witnessed Payton being unstoppable while watching the game as a distraught 10-year-old in the stands.

It’s crazy because I was a Vikings fan in Evanston when I was a kid. I therefore expressed my unreserved anger at Walter Payton’s making of NFL history.

Even the best defences were unable to stop Payton. They could obstruct him, but they couldn’t defeat him.

According to Johnson, “His running style was a key reason why he connected with the Chicago crowd as well as he did, because while it was graceful, it also had quite a bit of power, strength, and undeniability to it.” He frequently ran while being tackled by one or two players.

Chicago used to take great pride in its reputation as a gritty, no-nonsense city. The last team to win the Super Bowl, the 1985 Bears, had a tough defence and an offensive line that allowed Payton to get 4.8 yards per rush.

According to Johnson, “He was blue collar and linked with the city in that realm.” “His workouts in the offseason were famous. He would go to this hill to train and sprint up and down the hill until he passed out. He was also really stoic. He might enter the end zone. He then casually handed the ball to the referee, saying, “Hey, I’ve been here before.” He wasn’t really festive in nature. He just finished the task. And that’s another factor in addition to his talent that makes his fan base adore him so much. He was an exact fit for the franchise.

The humanitarian legacy of Payton endures. Following Walter Payton’s passing in 1999, the NFL’s Man of the Year award—given to the player who exhibits exceptional contributions to society off-the-field while conducting himself in a model manner while in uniform—became known as the Walter Payton Award.

The local media now includes his son Jarrett, according to Johnson. “He attends the Super Bowl presentation every year. Maintaining the heritage Walter established here has been a cool element.

The Walter and Connie Payton Foundation carries on Payton’s legacy by assisting the emotional recovery of neglected, abused, and poor children by offering resources and opportunity to foster encouragement and self-worth.

Walter Payton By The Numbers

Pro Bowls	9
All-Pro teams	5
Rushing yards	16,726
1,000-yard rushing seasons	10
Super Bowl titles	1

(Cubs, 1953-71)

Mr. Bear and Mr. Bull don’t exist. Neither Mr. Blackhawk nor Mr. White Sox exist.

Without the most adored baseball player in the city, there is Mr. Cub and unquestionably no Chicago Mt. Rushmore.

Before streaming television became popular, if you were raised in the Midwest, you probably recall watching the Cubs play day games on TV. Johnson came from the age group.

He recalls watching Cubs games on Channel 9 of WGN while rushing home from school.

The most serious criticism of Banks? He never participated in the postseason in his 19-year career. Banks, though, continued to be a fantastic player and brought excitement to the team.

Johnson describes Ernie as being a very social person. “The ‘let’s play two’ hallmark, always gushing about what a great day it was to play and what a terrific time it was to be at the ballpark. Due to the Cubs’ terrible record, all of it was part of the Cubby lore while I was growing up. However, they were still a likeable team thanks to Wrigley Field, its commentators, and the enthusiasm from Banks’ legacy. Ernie played a significant role in my early decision to support the Cubs.

Sports have legendary moments that you can recall exactly where you were when they occurred. When Banks hit his 500th home run in the 1970s, it was one of those moments for Chicagoans.

“I grew up knowing exactly who he was. I remember my parents plopping me in front of the TV to watch a highlight of his 500th home run. I was almost three years old. And I believe or not, I remember that because my parents made such a big deal out of it. And I remember the graphic flashing photo and hey, hey, which was Jack Brickhouse signature call for a home run.”

The statistics for banks are self-evident. He won a gold glove, 2,583 hits, 512 home runs, two MVPs, 14 All-Star games, and entered the Hall of Fame in 1977. Johnson cherishes the memory of his playing style.

He describes him as “that uncommon man who could bat for power or average, a wiry person.” “And I recall that everyone was continually commenting about his wrists. He had such powerful wrists. And for that reason, he was able to hit so accurately. A superb player on both sides, simply.

Ernie Banks By The Numbers

MVP awards	2
MLB All-Star appearances	14
Home Runs	512
Hits	2,583

BOBBY HULL (Blackhawks, 1957-72)

Hockey is show business, and we’re here to put on a show, according to a quotation from Bobby Hull. Hull was the best example of that mentality.

After decades of covering Chicago sports, Johnson reiterates this way of thinking.

“Until Jordan came along, (the Blackhawks) were the show in town at the Chicago Stadium. They were the draw because they were a good team, competitive team, and they had Bobby Hull.”

“the Golden Jet” revolutionised basketball in Chicago in the late 1950s and early 1960s with his flamboyant blonde hair and thunderous slap shot. Hull played with the Blackhawks for 15 seasons, providing fans with an unforgettable experience. He was not only included in the 2017 NHL 100 Greatest Players list, but he has long been recognised as one of the greatest left wingers in history.

Johnson claims that the ambassadorial qualities he shown while promoting the Blackhawks and hockey in general are what made him such a legend in addition to being one of the finest left wingers of all time. For this, he was renowned. Following games, he spent hours signing autographs. He was a charming, attractive country lad with blonde hair. He is known as the Golden Jet because of this. He possessed a powerful slap shot. Amazing player. However, away from the rink, he was just a friendly, approachable fan favourite who had time for everyone. Thus, the reason for his strong bond with the Blackhawks.

Even his hair was a work of art. But when Hull would carry the puck from one end to the other while dodging opponents with his speed, it was even more magnificent. His goals unquestionably would have landed him a spot in SportsCenter’s top 10 every single night.

Hull’s game was mainly dominated by the shot. His shot was a headache for goalies to handle because of the high velocity at which he could fire the puck and his “banana blade” that had a nearly three-inch curvature.

Glenn Hall, a goalie who has earned a place in goalie history, told NHL.com that the goal was to avoid getting murdered rather than to stop that thing. “Every so often, Bobby would shoot the puck, and it would sail into the Stadium stands. You should have seen the cleaning women scatter if they were up there. They resembled sprinters from the Olympics.

The second-most of any player during his career, his lethal slapper helped him lead the NHL in goals seven times. Hull was the first player to score more than 50 goals in a season; he would repeat this accomplishment twice during his NHL career, in addition to doing it exactly 50 times. He played a crucial role in the team’s 1960–61 Stanley Cup victory, which brought the city its first Stanley Cup since the 1930s.

Bobby Hull By The Numbers

Stanley Cup titles	1
Art Ross Trophies	3
Hart Trophies	2
Goals	610
NHL All-Star selections	10