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If you know anything about sports, just know that the kids are alright.

Much like music, sports are always going to belong to the youth. As you’ve become accustomed to the one-name basis of superstar athletes like LeBron, Kobe,  Tiger, Serena, and Peyton; know that their time will one day be gone.

It’s time to get used to the RGIII’s, Sloane’s, Kyrie’s and Manziel’s of the world that are ready to own the Earth. While with many athletes it is way to early to call on their greatness, this is looking at their place in the sport right now. Many of these stars have already achieved greatness that was laid by a former youth star placed before them.

Why can’t they become the next superstars? Why not is what we say. Hip-Hop Wired takes a look at the ten next superstars of sports that will rule the world. Imagine that.

 

Photo: SBNation

Sloane Stephens, 19, Coral Springs, Florida

Last night was no fluke. If you ask tennis circles, Sloane Stephens is the real deal. After defeating her idol, Serena Williams, in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open; Stephens has officially been put on the national map. Currently ranked 25th in the world, this teenager packs a serve that is comparable to her idol at the same age.

Mike Trout, 21, Los Angeles Angels

Forget the Rookie Of The Year, last year Mike Trout could have conceivably took home the American League Most Valuable Player award as a rookie. This 20-year-old kid is exactly what the movie, The Natural, was made for. Trout became the first player in MLB history to hit 30 homers, steal 45 bases and score 125 runs in one season. Not rookie, player. Trout finished second in the AL MVP voting, with six of twenty-eight first place votes, behind Miguel Cabrera, who won the award after becoming the first player since 1967 to win the Triple Crown.

Johnny “Football” Manziel, 20, Texas A&M

Tebow who? This guy is the truth. Johnny Manziel took NCAA Football by storm by taking over the Aggies as a redshirt freshman. The sensational quarterback is the anti-Tebow on the field, not relying on fluke-ish gimmick plays, but simply showing the arm and legs that it takes to beat any team at any time. “Johnny Football” also became the first freshman ever to win the coveted Heisman Trophy. The scariest part is that colleges have to deal with him for at least another two years.

Colin Kaepernick, 25, San Francisco 49ers

What do you do to redeem a coach who pulled his veteran starter who helped lead your team to the NFC Championship? Simple, lead them to the Super Bowl. Colin Kaepernick has taken the league by storm since taking over for Alex Smith as an electric QB with a cannon arm and lightning for legs. He set an NFL playoff record for rushing yards for any player and is looking to be the first 49er quarterback to win a Super Bowl since Hall Of Famer, Steve Young. Oh, and he was also drafted by the Chicago Cubs as a pitcher. Freak athlete is an understatement.

Kyrie Irving, 20, Cleveland Cavaliers

His name is Uncle Drew, and he gets buckets. Okay, not really. But Kyrie Irving kicked the myth of Duke ballers not being great pros straight in the teeth. He’s following up his rookie of the year campaign with a potential All-Star year by dropping buckets to the tune of 23.7 points per game. The sixth leading scorer in the league is starting to make Cleveland Cavaliers fans forget about ole’ what’s-his-face.

Russell Wilson, 24, Seattle Seahawks

In the year of the rookie quarterbacks, it was third round pick Russell Wilson who ended up outlasting the celebrated class of QBs. He came within a field goal of taking on the 49ers in the NFC Championship game while taking home individual Pro Bowl honors and tacking on 26 touchdowns and 10 picks.

Damian Lillard, 22, Portland Trail Blazers

Since he came into the league, the rebuilding Portland Trail Blazers handed him the keys and told him to go for it. He did. You can hand him the Rookie Of The Year trophy right now, as he’s shown that he’s in a class of his own when it comes to rookies. He’s pumped in 18.3 points a game, over six assists and an ice cold clutch gene.

Robert Griffin III, 22, Washington Washington Football Team

He may have more guts than brains, but that doesn’t stop us from seeing the potential in RGIII. When healthy, he was the most entertaining and effective football player on the planet. While his fearless style my have stymied his effectiveness towards the end of the playoffs, his accuracy, speed, strength and leadership ability is a rarity in any player, talk less of a rookie. He tossed twenty touchdowns and five interceptions while leading the entire league in Quarterback accuracy. Just teach the young bul to slide and he should be okay. Heal up, RGIII!

Rory Mcilroy, 23, Northern Ireland 

Quick, name a golfer. Okay, not Tiger Woods. Okay, not Phil Mickleson. Chances are you probably came up with young Irish scrapper, Rory Mcilroy. The 23-year-old phenom is the heir to the Nike throne that won the PGA Championship and U.S. Open. The last time a youth had taken home those major championships were, you guessed it, young Eldrick.

Andrew Wiggins, 17, Huntington Prep School 

While almost 80% of sports fans were watching the Conference Championship games, a small percentage of die-hard basketball fans were watching Andrew Wiggins put on for a national television audience on ESPN. Wiggins has one of the most complete skill sets for a high schooler since LeBron James. Jumper? got it. Athleticism? definitely. Playmaking ability? there too. He’s also got humility to boot. He’s being courted by every college in America for what would likely be his only season before he’s christened some NBA team’s savior as the #1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

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