15 Most Desirable Cities For Athletes To Play In

By Jacob Kornhauser

Where an athlete spends his or her career is a huge deal. It helps determine their legacy and it also decides the kind of person and player they become throughout their career. It’s no wonder these 15 cities attract so many athletes; they are the most desirable cities for modern athletes to play for.

Listed are the number of professional sports teams each city has in the four major sports.

Jacob Kornhauser is a RantSports MLB Featured Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @KornSports to discuss the list or talk about sports in general.

15 Most Desirable Cities For Athletes To Play In
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15. Atlanta

Atlanta Credit: Getty Images
Professional Teams: 3

Atlanta is generally a transient city, where most fans aren't calling it home for too long, but it's still a great place to play your sport. Fans have become increasingly voracious lately, especially in support of the Hawks, who were the best team in the NBA's Eastern Conference last season. If a player wants to play for fans with a newfound passion, they should want to play in Atlanta.

15. Atlanta

Professional Teams: 3

Atlanta is generally a transient city, where most fans aren't calling it home for too long, but it's still a great place to play your sport. Fans have become increasingly voracious lately, especially in support of the Hawks, who were the best team in the NBA's Eastern Conference last season. If a player wants to play for fans with a newfound passion, they should want to play in Atlanta.

14. St. Louis

St. Louis Credit: Getty Images
Professional Teams: 3

Especially if you're a baseball or hockey player, St. Louis is the place for you. Their fans are so passionate about those two sports, and they're growing more passionate about football now that there's a threat the Rams could move to L.A. The city is beautiful and right in the heart of the Midwest. For many top athletes, that has to be appealing.

14. St. Louis

Professional Teams: 3

Especially if you're a baseball or hockey player, St. Louis is the place for you. Their fans are so passionate about those two sports, and they're growing more passionate about football now that there's a threat the Rams could move to L.A. The city is beautiful and right in the heart of the Midwest. For many top athletes, that has to be appealing.

13. Houston

Houston Credit: Getty Images
Professional Teams: 3

Houston is one of the sports cities on the upswing with all three teams heading into what seems like good times ahead. Each team also has one of the best players in their respective sports with James Harden on the Rockets, Carlos Correa on the Astros and J.J. Watt on the Texans. If you like playing in a big city with star power, Houston is the place for you.

13. Houston

Professional Teams: 3

Houston is one of the sports cities on the upswing with all three teams heading into what seems like good times ahead. Each team also has one of the best players in their respective sports with James Harden on the Rockets, Carlos Correa on the Astros and J.J. Watt on the Texans. If you like playing in a big city with star power, Houston is the place for you.

12. San Diego

San Diego Credit: Getty Images
Professional Teams: 2

Let's be perfectly honest -- this one is a lot about the weather. After all, who wouldn't want to spend a lot of time in beautiful San Diego? With only two professional sports teams to support, the fans channel more of their energy into each team. One can only hope the city can keep the Chargers out of L.A. to avoid being reduced to just one team.

12. San Diego

Professional Teams: 2

Let's be perfectly honest -- this one is a lot about the weather. After all, who wouldn't want to spend a lot of time in beautiful San Diego? With only two professional sports teams to support, the fans channel more of their energy into each team. One can only hope the city can keep the Chargers out of L.A. to avoid being reduced to just one team.

11. Philadelphia

Philadelphia Credit: Getty Images
Professional Teams: 4

Philly fans get criticized for being critical fans sometimes, but a lot of that comes from their passion. Players have to like to play for fans that demand success. Of all the East Coast cities you can play for, Philadelphia is one of the best. Every sport plays within the same couple blocks, which is also cool and seems to unite every sport in the city.

11. Philadelphia

Professional Teams: 4

Philly fans get criticized for being critical fans sometimes, but a lot of that comes from their passion. Players have to like to play for fans that demand success. Of all the East Coast cities you can play for, Philadelphia is one of the best. Every sport plays within the same couple blocks, which is also cool and seems to unite every sport in the city.

10. Miami

Miami Credit: Getty Images
Professional Teams: 3

Miami is another city that will attract many athletes for its great weather as well as the lack of income tax in Florida. Hey, if it helped bring the greatest basketball player on the planet to town, it must be a pretty great city. Each team in the city is in a confusing time, where it's hard to tell the direction they're headed, but the year-round warm weather is enough to make it worth playing there.

10. Miami

Professional Teams: 3

Miami is another city that will attract many athletes for its great weather as well as the lack of income tax in Florida. Hey, if it helped bring the greatest basketball player on the planet to town, it must be a pretty great city. Each team in the city is in a confusing time, where it's hard to tell the direction they're headed, but the year-round warm weather is enough to make it worth playing there.

9. Cleveland

Cleveland Credit: Getty Images
Professional Teams: 3

Nobody likely ever thought that Cleveland would be on this list, but the return of LeBron James has changed a lot. It seems like some athletes actually want to play in the city now, perhaps to be part of the celebration if the Cavaliers end the city's championship drought, dating back to 1964, in the coming years. Despite the lack of glamor involved in the city, that celebration would be really cool to be a part of.

9. Cleveland

Professional Teams: 3

Nobody likely ever thought that Cleveland would be on this list, but the return of LeBron James has changed a lot. It seems like some athletes actually want to play in the city now, perhaps to be part of the celebration if the Cavaliers end the city's championship drought, dating back to 1964, in the coming years. Despite the lack of glamor involved in the city, that celebration would be really cool to be a part of.

8. Dallas

Dallas Credit: Getty Images
Professional Teams: 4

When counting the Rangers, who play in nearby Arlington, Dallas has some legit sports teams. The Cowboys look ready to earn their nickname of "America's Team" back this season, while the other teams in town look to earn a playoff spot in the coming year. With plenty to do in town, it's a very attractive city for athletes across a variety of sports.

8. Dallas

Professional Teams: 4

When counting the Rangers, who play in nearby Arlington, Dallas has some legit sports teams. The Cowboys look ready to earn their nickname of "America's Team" back this season, while the other teams in town look to earn a playoff spot in the coming year. With plenty to do in town, it's a very attractive city for athletes across a variety of sports.

7. Kansas City

Kansas City Credit: Getty Images
Professional Teams: 2

Kansas City is one of the most passionate sports towns in the country, especially now that the Royals are competitive. The city is always supportive of the Chiefs regardless of how good they are, and athletes have to appreciate unconditional support sometimes. With each team in town creating some hype lately, both baseball and football players have to like the prospect of being a part of the excitement.

7. Kansas City

Professional Teams: 2

Kansas City is one of the most passionate sports towns in the country, especially now that the Royals are competitive. The city is always supportive of the Chiefs regardless of how good they are, and athletes have to appreciate unconditional support sometimes. With each team in town creating some hype lately, both baseball and football players have to like the prospect of being a part of the excitement.

6. Los Angeles

Los Angeles Credit: Getty Images
Professional Teams: 5

For players looking to play in a big and glamorous city, there's no better place than Los Angeles. Being close to movie stars and Hollywood can be a distraction sometimes, but that star-studded life is appealing to many athletes. The deep history of many of the city's teams also plays a factor in drawing top athletes to town routinely.

6. Los Angeles

Professional Teams: 5

For players looking to play in a big and glamorous city, there's no better place than Los Angeles. Being close to movie stars and Hollywood can be a distraction sometimes, but that star-studded life is appealing to many athletes. The deep history of many of the city's teams also plays a factor in drawing top athletes to town routinely.

5. Boston

Boston Credit: Getty Images
Professional Teams: 4

Boston has some of the craziest fans in the world, but they channel that craziness into a passion and love for their teams unmatched by most sports cities. The city really unites around its sports teams in a way that few sports towns do, which makes all athletes across sports feel connected to one another. That's a cool thing to be a part of. Oh, and by the way, each team in town has won a championship in the past decade.

5. Boston

Professional Teams: 4

Boston has some of the craziest fans in the world, but they channel that craziness into a passion and love for their teams unmatched by most sports cities. The city really unites around its sports teams in a way that few sports towns do, which makes all athletes across sports feel connected to one another. That's a cool thing to be a part of. Oh, and by the way, each team in town has won a championship in the past decade.

4. Seattle

Seattle Credit: Getty Images
Professional Teams: 2

Seattle doesn't seem like a likely passionate sports city, but it's one of the most enthusiastic ones out there. With the Seahawks dominating the NFL lately, that passion has been re-energized. Even with the Mariners struggling in 2015, they seem ready to loudly support their baseball team as well. If the team ever gets a basketball team back, this could be a top-three sports city in the country. Obviously, plenty of athletes would want to be a part of that.

4. Seattle

Professional Teams: 2

Seattle doesn't seem like a likely passionate sports city, but it's one of the most enthusiastic ones out there. With the Seahawks dominating the NFL lately, that passion has been re-energized. Even with the Mariners struggling in 2015, they seem ready to loudly support their baseball team as well. If the team ever gets a basketball team back, this could be a top-three sports city in the country. Obviously, plenty of athletes would want to be a part of that.

3. Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Credit: Getty Images
Professional Teams: 3

Pittsburgh is a blue-collar town that loves blue-collar players on their sports teams. The fans of the city will appreciate hustle and effort, but won't shy away from voicing their displeasure if they don't like the way you're playing. Grouped with the passionate fans is the fact that each team has one of the top stadiums in their respective sports, so if you're an athlete who likes to play on a great stage, Pittsburgh is a dream destination.

3. Pittsburgh

Professional Teams: 3

Pittsburgh is a blue-collar town that loves blue-collar players on their sports teams. The fans of the city will appreciate hustle and effort, but won't shy away from voicing their displeasure if they don't like the way you're playing. Grouped with the passionate fans is the fact that each team has one of the top stadiums in their respective sports, so if you're an athlete who likes to play on a great stage, Pittsburgh is a dream destination.

2. New York City

New York City Credit: Getty Images
Professional Teams: 8

New York City seems like it has too many teams to follow sometimes, but that creates some interesting rivalries in town. Playing on the biggest stage in any sport generally happens while playing for a team in New York City, so that draws a lot of top athletes in. After all, playing for the most populous town in America will attract a lot of attention. Unfortunately for New York athletes, that also means they will draw a lot of media criticism. The pros outweigh the cons for most New York athletes, though.

2. New York City

Professional Teams: 8

New York City seems like it has too many teams to follow sometimes, but that creates some interesting rivalries in town. Playing on the biggest stage in any sport generally happens while playing for a team in New York City, so that draws a lot of top athletes in. After all, playing for the most populous town in America will attract a lot of attention. Unfortunately for New York athletes, that also means they will draw a lot of media criticism. The pros outweigh the cons for most New York athletes, though.

1. Chicago

Chicago Credit: Twitter
Professional Teams: 5

Chicago is a unique town in a number of ways. It's a blue-collar town, but it's also a big city. This combination makes it a city where millions of people are rooting you on, but also hold you accountable to give it your all every time out. With the Blackhawks becoming hockey's newest dynasty, the city has also gotten a taste of success. That means everyone in town is pulling for every team to extend that record of success. All of that is enough to draw plenty of athletes into town without even taking into account that it's one of the most beautiful cities in the country.

1. Chicago

Professional Teams: 5

Chicago is a unique town in a number of ways. It's a blue-collar town, but it's also a big city. This combination makes it a city where millions of people are rooting you on, but also hold you accountable to give it your all every time out. With the Blackhawks becoming hockey's newest dynasty, the city has also gotten a taste of success. That means everyone in town is pulling for every team to extend that record of success. All of that is enough to draw plenty of athletes into town without even taking into account that it's one of the most beautiful cities in the country.

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