What Are Your Odds of Going Pro If You’re Born in Michigan?

I've been in the stands, on the sidelines, and on the air witnessing some of Michigan's most incredible homegrown professional sports talent. Our state has produced legendary talent, from Floyd 'Money' Mayweather to Tony Dungy, Kirk Gibson to Magic Johnson, and the Williams sisters to the Hill brothers, the list is long and storied.

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Michigan's professional athletes are tied to some of the most iconic moments in sports. The Lakers vs Celtics (any Magic / Bird game, including MSU / Indiana), Taking the Golden Slam, and the '88 Walk-Off Home Run. These Mitten State natives created moments that will live long beyond their mortal years.

Your Odds of Becoming a Professional Athlete in Each Sport If Born in Michigan

If you're looking to hit the hard wood of Little Caesars you've got some pretty steep odds to tackle. A Michigan native has a 1 in 3,499 chance of playing in the NBA according to Gambling.com, which looked at the birthplace of every male athlete in the United States and compared that to each state's birthrate.

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You have a 1 in 17,497 chance of carrying a million dollars in a briefcase and becoming a boxer if you're born in Michigan. The chances of becoming a professional tennis star are slightly better at 1 in 13,123. However, if Michiganders are willing to keep their amateur status for a while, their odds are 1 in 1,810 of becoming an Olympian.

If you've pictured yourself either on the mound or in the batter's box at the bottom of the 9th, donning an old English D, with the bases loaded and the entire park looking at you, then you have a 1 in 1,381 chance of playing in the MLB. Those are better odds than if you wanted to have people whisper while you putt on national television though. Your odds of golfing for a living are 1 in 2019 in Michigan.

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Hockey, eh? 1 in 1,381. What about soccer? If you live in Michigan your odds of becoming a flopper are 1 in 1,944. But...what about American Football? America's sport! What are the odds of becoming the next Kirk Cousins?

This one surprised me but, if you look at a lot of the lines, you'll find a lot of lines that play Euchre on the team bus. If you are born in Michigan you have a 1 in 632 chance of becoming a professional football player, a member of the NFL, and, if you play for the Lions, someone who can never ask for Thanksgiving off.

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If you have the talent, the desire, and the work ethic...go for it. Forget the odds. If there is one thing I've learned living in Michigan, it's never to underestimate someone's ability and desire to achieve their goals.