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NoETdrizzle
Rock Star
Silver Level
Lebron
Federer
Tiger Woods
Messi
Bolt
I’m big on the idea of evolution and technology which is why you don’t really see any older generation people on my list as I’m simply looking at the athlete perspective. For example I think lebron is the greatest ATHLETE ever because there is no one that has ever had the combination of size, speed, and strength that he does along with the best durability in the history of sports. To me he is the greatest athlete to ever walk the earth.
Federer
Tiger Woods
Messi
Bolt
I’m big on the idea of evolution and technology which is why you don’t really see any older generation people on my list as I’m simply looking at the athlete perspective. For example I think lebron is the greatest ATHLETE ever because there is no one that has ever had the combination of size, speed, and strength that he does along with the best durability in the history of sports. To me he is the greatest athlete to ever walk the earth.
zinzir
Legend
Silver Level
Back then only Greek athletes participated in the Olympic games, it was not an international competition.
To put things in perspective just look at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where Greece obtained only 1.7% of the medals (16 out of 927 medals).
German629
Legend
Platinum Level
Hello, Everyone! I think, this is a very difficult question by one simple cause: such legendary athletes, of course, more than 5!.. Nevertheless my 5 legendary athletes on the present time are next: Bruce Lee, Pele, Michael Jordan, Usain Bolt,
Fedor Emelianenko... But this is only my private opinion.
Possible to be continued!..
Fedor Emelianenko... But this is only my private opinion.
Possible to be continued!..
kkuk
Rock Star
Bronze Level
hi.by far the best athlete is Poddubny.the strongest wrestler in the world.it is possible that it is still the strongest.the man is a nugget, with great strength and his own fighting technique.he had no one to learn from,he came to everything himself.
S
Sooted7s
Rock Star
Silver Level
For me personally I feel that Wayne Gretzky, Muhammad Ali need to be in the top 5 maybe even Tiger Woods. Honestly You can't really base a top 5 because there are so many great players from all sports and well everyone is always going to have a different opinion.
SPANKYSN
Legend
Bronze Level
Very difficult to pick top 5. First, what are the criteria? Did this athlete dominate their sport in their prime? Did they have a lengthy career? Did they change the way their sport was played, or force opponents to change to keep up with them? Did they go out on top, or did they hang on too long, which may have tarnished their legacy by losing late in their career? Did they specialize and excel in one area, or were they very versatile? Did they go about their business, quietly being great, or did they seek the limelight?
The person who comes to mind for me is Eric Heiden, the American speed skater from the 1980 Winter Olympic games. I pick him because he won 5 gold medals in distances which had varying physical requirements. Heiden competed and won the 500 meters sprint. This would be the equivalent of say, the 100 meters in track and field. He won the 1000 meters, which could be similar to the 200 in T&F. He won the 1500 Meters, which might be like the 400 in T&F. He won the 5000 meters, which might be like the mile in T&F. And he won the 10,000 meters, which might be the same as the 5 or 10K races in T&F. In each race, he set the Olympic record and set one world record. These races ranged in their physical and athletic prowess from the pure anaerobic, speed and power of a sprint to the pure aerobic stamina of a marathon. He competed across this wide spectrum of events against the best in the world who specialized in each separate race. This feat, in my opinion, far surpasses the decathlete, who competes in 10 different events, but they are almost never the best in the world of any single event in that sport.
It is very difficult to weigh individual success against success in team events. Yes, MJ, LeBron and Kobe were amazing, but they were not successful until they were surrounded with other superstars. The same can be said for Brady, Gretzky (Bobby Orr is my choice for the best hockey player of all time) and any of the great baseball (Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson) and soccer players (Pelé, Messi, Johann Cruyff). Could they DOMINATE on their own? No, they needed teammates to succeed.
Roger Federer, Steffi Graf, Serena Williams, Tiger Woods all had wonderful runs where they were simply incredible, but each had a foil, who was very close to their success rate and just a step behind them, and took over the sport when they faltered.
Any comments?
The person who comes to mind for me is Eric Heiden, the American speed skater from the 1980 Winter Olympic games. I pick him because he won 5 gold medals in distances which had varying physical requirements. Heiden competed and won the 500 meters sprint. This would be the equivalent of say, the 100 meters in track and field. He won the 1000 meters, which could be similar to the 200 in T&F. He won the 1500 Meters, which might be like the 400 in T&F. He won the 5000 meters, which might be like the mile in T&F. And he won the 10,000 meters, which might be the same as the 5 or 10K races in T&F. In each race, he set the Olympic record and set one world record. These races ranged in their physical and athletic prowess from the pure anaerobic, speed and power of a sprint to the pure aerobic stamina of a marathon. He competed across this wide spectrum of events against the best in the world who specialized in each separate race. This feat, in my opinion, far surpasses the decathlete, who competes in 10 different events, but they are almost never the best in the world of any single event in that sport.
It is very difficult to weigh individual success against success in team events. Yes, MJ, LeBron and Kobe were amazing, but they were not successful until they were surrounded with other superstars. The same can be said for Brady, Gretzky (Bobby Orr is my choice for the best hockey player of all time) and any of the great baseball (Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson) and soccer players (Pelé, Messi, Johann Cruyff). Could they DOMINATE on their own? No, they needed teammates to succeed.
Roger Federer, Steffi Graf, Serena Williams, Tiger Woods all had wonderful runs where they were simply incredible, but each had a foil, who was very close to their success rate and just a step behind them, and took over the sport when they faltered.
Any comments?
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celtics33
Rock Star
Silver Level
can't believe noone mentions Jim Brown.
played 5 sports in highschool. was all-american in 2 sports same time (fooball and lacrosse), possibly the best in both at the time, and only player in the world to be in the Hall of Fame in 2 sports (football and lacrosse).
played 5 sports in highschool. was all-american in 2 sports same time (fooball and lacrosse), possibly the best in both at the time, and only player in the world to be in the Hall of Fame in 2 sports (football and lacrosse).
Freeloader743
Rising Star
Bronze Level
_xgeb_
Rock Star
Silver Level
SPANKYSN
Legend
Bronze Level
Yeah, I'm kinda long winded, verbose, chatty...you choose the term that fits...but I have always marveled at Heiden. While one could argue that Michael Phelps had the single most successful Olympics ever, all his races were either 100 or 200 meters...yes, he did freestyle, butterfly and medley, but the length did not differ greatly...think of it...winning sprints and long distance events in the same Olympic Games...quite a feat.