If I was tall enough, I'd guess it would have to be Bill Russell because come on, the man's got enough rings to cover both hands. He was an amazing player in college and on the Olympic team. He's an amazing intellect and a pretty great human being. And he survived in an environment in the NBA that wasn't the environment we have now, in a town that wasn't the most friendly place to be in. Salaries in sports nowadays are outrageous.
Some athletes can actually buy their own franchises.
Winners are definitely players, they get the money. Losers tend to be the ordinary fan that can't afford ten more dollars for that ticket because the athlete has to be paid. That's just the nature of it. That might ease the price. That's basically the answer.