“The Different Level That He Would Go To”: Wayne Gretzky Once Looked Up to ‘Superbrat’ John McEnroe to Find Success in His Hockey Career

Wayne Gretzky is one of the finest ice hockey athletes in the world of sports. The GOAT retired in 1999, after 20 years of a successful career. He has been the most sought-after player, holding many records for most goals and assists. Gretzky has since been a coach and an analyst for the sport.

While Gretzky has been an inspiration for many upcoming hockey players, it would be interesting to find out who inspired The Great One. In 2016, the star sat down for an interview and talked about some of the greatest athletes across different sports. He also mentioned a special star sportsperson whom he looked up to.

John McEnroe inspired Wayne Gretzky

The former hockey champion would often judge the best players on the basis of who was ‘good’ and who was ‘great’. In fact. there was a fine line of difference between the two. He talked about this aspect of sportspersons while revealing some of his favorite athletes. Every sport always had star players that they couldn’t do without.

For example, in baseball, Gretzky mentioned how teams would struggle to out George Brett. Similarly, in a good NBA finals game, fans would always expect the presence of players like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. However, the GOAT was in awe of tennis Superbrat John McEnroe. So much so that the former tennis champion inspired him.

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Gretzky exclaimed, “the bigger the tennis match, the different level that he would go to!” He claimed that players like McEnroe loved a good challenge in their game. This is what made them an inspiration for Gretzky, who went on to succeed in life.

Good v/s Greatest

During the interview, Gretzky explained the difference between good and great players. He believed that great players enjoyed more as the levels of the game got big. Consequently, great players always saved their best for the most crucial times when pressures were high.

Gretzky stressed how great players would never consider a sport ‘work’. They would rather enjoy even the most challenging aspects. He expressed, “you could see by the look in their eyes and in their faces. It wasn’t ‘work’ to them”.

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