Top 30 athletes under 30

13. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins – 28 years old

The No. 1 overall pick from the 2005 NHL Draft has definitely fallen victim to the astronomical expectations that were set before he even hit the ice for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Sid “The Kid” Crosby was painted as a hockey God. He was the LeBron James to Wayne Gretzky’s Michael Jordan.

In his own right, Crosby has been really, really good. He just hasn’t been Gretzky good, and it’s a shame that whatever he does will be compared to someone who is most commonly known as “The Great One.”

Since he entered the league, Crosby has won two MVP awards and led the Penguins to a Stanley Cup in the 2008-09 season. It would have been two-straight Stanley Cups for Pittsburgh, but the Penguins ran into a really good Detroit Red Wings team in the 2007-08 season. Detroit knocked off Pittsburgh 4-2 in the series.

In his first 10 seasons, Crosby tallied more than 100 points five times. His career-high 51 goals in the 2009-10 season led the league, but he’s also reached 50 assists six times. Crosby has become more than just a scorer. He’s an all-around threat offensively who is unselfish with the puck and will do anything to win.

The weird part is realizing he’s in his 11th year, and he’s only 28 years old. Gretzky played until he was 38 years old and finished with 894 goals — the most all-time. Gretzky hit 200 points in a season four times.

It’s unfair to examine Crosby’s numbers at the end of chis career because of the comparison that were made. Even if he played until he was 38 years old, too, Crosby would be way more than 200 goals away from that magical 894.

Regardless of all that, he’s still one of the best players in the NHL — probably the best. And we should appreciate his game.

Next: No. 12 Rob Gronkowski