This is Michigan's Most Famous Athlete

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Who do you think is Michigan's most celebrated, or at least well-known, athlete? Plenty of classic names come to mind when I think of the state's most popular athletes. I can think of at least 10. Now, a new study has been released that names Michigan's most famous athlete, based on search results.

BetMichigan.com took look at which athletes that were raised in the state of Michigan have been discussed the most in the past year. They concluded that meant they were the most well-known athletes. According to the study, "'Michigan athlete' was defined as a person who was born or resided in Michigan in their formative childhood and teenage years for over 10 years." They looked at data over the past 12 months.

I totally would think that Magic Johnson, the basketball Hall of Famer from Lansing, would be No. 1 on this list. He's actually No. 3. Another close one is Kirk Cousins, the NFL Vikings quarterback, from Holland, who comes in at No. 4. Basketball Hall of Famer Derek Jeter of Kalamazoo is No. 5, and NBA guard Devin Booker from Grand Rapids is No. 2.

Michigan's Most Famous Athlete:

So, who is the No. 1 most well-known athlete from Michigan? It's Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green, hailing from Saginaw. He's also a Michigan State University graduate, which I love, since I went to MSU. Go green. "He rebounds, he passes, he defends, he occasionally scores, he's All-NBA at getting under opponents' skins and he just declined a $27.5 million player option," BetMichigan.com states. "Green is from Saginaw and played his college ball for Tom Izzo at Michigan State, where he was Big Ten Player of the Year in 2012. His Warriors have anywhere from +1200 to +1300 odds to win the 2024 NBA championship at various Michigan sportsbook apps." I'm actually really happy to see Green as No. 1 on this list. He works hard and deserves it. Find the full list here.

Anne EricksonWriter

Anne Erickson started her radio career shortly after graduating from Michigan State University and has worked on-air in Detroit, Flint, Toledo, Lansing and beyond. As someone who absolutely loves rock, metal and alt music, she instantly fell in love with radio and hasn’t looked back. When she’s not working, Anne makes her own music with her band, Upon Wings, and she also loves cheering on her favorite Detroit and Michigan sports teams, especially Lions and MSU football. Anne is also an award-winning journalist, and her byline has run in a variety of national publications. You can also hear her weekends on WRIF.