Becoming a world-class athlete takes years of preparation and sacrifice. As a child, you miss out on events to spend time practicing. However, this is a life many people are okay with. They have their eyes set on the future, knowing what’s coming to them at the right time. One of the most popular places for athletes to grow up happens to be Nevada. There are two major cities in the state where people live: Reno and Las Vegas.
The bulk of athletes in Nevada come from Las Vegas. One of the main reasons for this is the warm climate. For baseball and football, great weather year-round is how players get better during the off-season. Athletes like Kris Bryant, Bryce Harper, and Steven Jackson can have workouts through every season. Nevada has always been a huge sports state since it was the only place in the United States with legal sports gambling for such a long time.
Las Vegas isn’t the only town to produce athletes, though. Reno is where NFL star Kyle Van Noy grew up before turning professional and became a household name. Because it’s so small in population, Carson City has only produced a few athletes, none of whom have made it the way these stars have. However, that’s not to say someone from here isn’t going to explode onto the scene and become an icon.
Surprisingly enough, there are plenty of NASCAR drivers who grew up in the state. This article will only list athletes who were actually born in the state. While Greg Maddux did spend a lot of his childhood in Las Vegas, he was born elsewhere. For more Nevada sports news, click here to read about the most popular teams in the state.
To compile this list of athletes who grew up in Nevada, 24/7 Tempo consulted outside sources. These include ESPN, Fox Sports, and CBS Sports.
Bryce Harper
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 24: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies flies out against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning in Game Seven of the Championship Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 24, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
- Sport: Baseball
- Position: First Baseman
Being the LeBron James of baseball is one thing. Actually living up to the hype like James did is another. As far as baseball players go, Bryce Harper was born in Las Vegas. He was on the cover of ESPN The Magazine in high school, before getting his GED before his senior year. He went to play at College of Southern Nevada as a 17 year old, because he felt this was the best plan for him.
Many questioned his choices, but it’s clearly worked out. He’s one of the best players in baseball, having signed one of the largest contracts in sports history with the Philadelphia Phillies before the 2019 season. Harper led the Phillies to the World Series in 2022, where they lost to the Houston Astros. Few athletes have exceeded the hype that surrounded them coming out of high school like Bryce Harper.
Kris Bryant
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 22: Kris Bryant #23 of the Colorado Rockies acknowledges the crowd as he receives a ovation before his at bat against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field on September 22, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
- Sport: Baseball
- Position: Right Fielder
Few people have captured the hearts of Chicago quite like Kris Bryant. The highly touted prospect certainly lived up to what he was billed as. The former high draft pick out of the University of San Diego helped the Cubs break their World Series drought, won the NL MVP, and NL Rookie of the Year.
He signed a massive deal with the Colorado Rockies before the 2022 season, showing his faith the franchise is going in the right direction. This was a shock to baseball fans everywhere, since the team had traded Nolan Arenado recently. Bryant is one of the most popular athletes to come from Nevada.
Andre Agassi
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 17: Andre Agassi poses at the Lavazza Cafe at Grand Slam Oval during day four of the 2019 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 17, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images for Tennis Australia)
- Sport: Tennis
- Position: There are no specific positions in tennis
Andre Agassi’s family came to Las Vegas from Iran when the city was still in its infancy. This didn’t stop him from showing off his love of tennis. From an early age, everyone around him knew just how talented he was. It wasn’t until Agassi went to a camp in Florida where a professional coach offered to teach him, free of charge.
This coach saw the potential Agassi had and wanted to tap into it. Fast forward to 2024 and Agassi had one of the greatest careers ever. He won eight Grand Slams, with the Australian Open being his most dominant. He won that event four times alone, and finished 11th on the all time winnings record. As time progresses, he will drop down that list, but that doesn’t take away from the legendary career he had.
Greg Anthony
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 14: Greg Anthony and co-hosts Eddie Johnson, Justin Termine and Sam Mitchell take part in SiriusXM's NBA Radio Playoff Preview live from the NBA Store on April 14, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
- Sport: Basketball
- Position: Guard
Thanks to the success of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels in the 1990s, Las Vegas will always be a basketball town. One of the best players on that team was Greg Anthony. The local product grew up in Las Vegas before finishing his college career at UNLV. He went on and had a successful NBA career, but he’s most known for his work on NBA TV and occasionally TNT.
Fans have also heard Anthony lend his voice to the “NBA 2K” series that’s exploded in popularity over the last decade. His son, Cole Anthony, grew up in New York, and is one of the NBA’s brightest stars on a fun Orlando Magic team. Anthony has represented Las Vegas with grace and class, showing just how talented the basketball players can be too.
Kyle Van Noy
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 04: Kyle Van Noy #8 of the Los Angeles Chargers warms up prior to a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on December 04, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
- Sport: Football
- Position: Linebacker
Being part of the New England Patriots dynasty is one of the greatest accomplishments any athlete could have. Kyle Van Noy was traded to the team in 2016 from the Detroit Lions. After this trade, Van Noy would win two Super Bowls during the end of the legendary run with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Van Noy didn’t stop playing, though.
He’s currently under contract with the Baltimore Ravens. Before all of this, Van Noy grew up in Reno, near Lake Tahoe. He played collegiately at BYU, and has had one of the better NFL careers of any linebacker to take the field. Being an NFL player who lasts longer than two seasons in the league is rare, but Van Noy has figured out a formula on how to do it.
Joey Gallo
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 12: Joey Gallo #13 of the Minnesota Twins looks on after hitting a three run home run during the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on August 12, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
- Sport: Baseball
- Position: Left Fielder
One baseball player who grew up with Kris Bryant and Bryce Harper who also made it to the big leagues is Joey Gallo. For Gallo, his career started off with a bang. He became known for hitting baseballs that would fly for what felt like forever. However, pitchers started to figure him out and he’s become known now for either blasting the baseball or striking out.
Before this, Gallo went to the famous Bishop Gorman High School. While this school is known mainly for football, Gallo went to put the baseball team on the map. Gallo signed a contract with the Washington Nationals for the 2024 season to help mentor the young team.
Steven Jackson
DENVER, CO - JANUARY 24: Steven Jackson #39 of the New England Patriots runs with the ball in the first half against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 24, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
- Sport: Football
- Position: Running Back
Before the Raiders, there were still kids who grew up in Nevada who wanted to play in the NFL. One of the best running backs in the late 2000s was Steven Jackson. It seemed whenever he touched the ball for the Rams, he was scoring a touchdown. Throughout his career, Jackson was chasing a Super Bowl title, which he never got.
Jackson grew up in Las Vegas, where he would attend Eldorado High School as a teenager. Unlike most star athletes in Las Vegas, Jackson didn’t go to Bishop Gorman, or any private school for that matter. Instead, he stayed near his friends growing up. That clearly was the right move for him.
DeMarco Murray
FORT WORTH, TX - OCTOBER 01: Oklahoma Running Backs Coach DeMarco Murray talks to a player on the sideline during the second half Oklahoma's road game against TCU at Amon G. Carter Stadium on October 1, 2022 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Emil Lippe/Getty Images)
- Sport: Football
- Position: Running Back
The explosion of NFL players for a couple of seasons is normal, given the average amount of time most players play in the league. DeMarco Murray is a perfect example of this. He burst onto the scene in 2013, and carried that momentum into one of the greatest seasons fans have ever seen in 2014 for the Dallas Cowboys.
He topped it off by winning the Offensive Player of the Year that year. Before these accolades came bursting in, Murray was a star at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, where he was born. Today, he’s a coach at his college, the University of Oklahoma. Tons of former players have turned to coaching as a way of staying in the competition field.
Kurt Busch
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 14: Retired NASCAR driver and advisor to 23XI Racing, Kurt Busch looks on during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 14, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
- Sport: NASCAR
- Position: Driver
Even though it’s not in the south, Nevada has produced some of the most famous NASCAR drivers in the world. Two of the best are the Busch brothers. The older of the duo is Kurt Busch. In his childhood, Busch would race all around the Southwest part of the United States.
He’s gone on to become one of the best drivers in history, winning over 40 races combined between the Truck Series, Xfinity Series, and Cup Series. Busch last raced in 2022. Being a NASCAR driver is one of the hardest things to do on your body. You have to be safe, endure extreme heat temperatures, and stay focused while driving for a long time.
Kyle Busch
HAMPTON, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 25: Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet, waves to fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 25, 2024 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
- Sport: NASCAR
- Position: Driver
The younger of the Busch brothers who’s still racing in the Cup Series happens to be Kyle Busch. The younger brother has had one of the best overall careers in any sport. He’s won 230 races between the three Series drivers races. At 38, he doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
Both Busch brothers are a huge reason why NASCAR is so popular in the Las Vegas area. Countless young drivers were inspired, like Noah Gragson, thanks to the duo. Getting to always challenge himself at a young age with his brother is why Kyle Busch has had such a great career. For more sports related content, click here to read about 22 of the most legendary baseball quotes of all time.