Clive James has long been my writing hero, mostly because of his TV reviews. He was able to write about something I knew intimately - every day telly - and find things in it I hadn't seen or understood.
I'm realising that Michael Lewis is a hero because he does the opposite - he writes about things I rarely see and don't understand - like basketball - and makes me feel like I know it intimately.
This piece about Shane Battier, is another great example. To appreciate his talent you need to understand quite esoteric aspects of the game and Lewis talks you through it really nicely.