What a dream it must be to be called the absolute best. Not just in your sport, but in the world.
To climb the proverbial Mount Olympus, and stand next to the greats is the goal of every young boy and girl who picks up a glove, dribbles a ball or scores their first goal. We aspire to greatness, and only the strongest make it, Zeus.
But what makes someone the best? A plethora of Olympic Golds? A record in their sport? An undeniable mark of raw athleticism? I am not here to make that decision on who gets the mark of the greatest athlete, but to help spark a debate.
Let's first set some ground rules:
1. I am not considering athletes in sports like Luge, Badminton or Table Tennis, etc. Use judgement on that one, folks.
2. Most importantly, Athleticism is defined here as one who possesses things like strength, speed or agility. With that being said, for the purpose of this article, our definition will be expanded to cover the various physiological demands of many sports.
OK. Ready? Me too!
This article would go on forever so, in an interest of time and potential boredom, it is fair to narrow our search of the best living athlete to the sports that obviously display feats of athleticism. Therefore, I'm eliminating Auto Car Racing and Golf, to no one's surprise. Everything else is fair game.
I'll go ahead and identify some of the world's best living athletes from the most popular sports in the world. But, there's a twist: I need y'all to help me out. We'll narrow it down, and together come up with the best living athlete. I'll ease your minds by providing critical stats to help make your own informed decisions!
Remember folks, ATHLETES! Also, LIVING! Please don't ask me where Babe Ruth is.
Baseball:
Alex Rodriguez- 3070 hits, 687 HR's, 3x MVP
Ricky Henderson- 1406 stolen bases (first all-time), considered best runner in baseball history
Willie Mays- 660 HR's, often considered one of the best baseball players of all-time.
Derek Jeter- 3464 hits, 5x world champion, best shortstop of all time.
Basketball:
Michael Jordan- 6x World Champion, 5x MVP, widely regarded as the greatest player of all-time
LeBron James- Best active player, 2x World Champion, fastest player to 20,000 points
(It's between them. Don't mention Kobe, Wilt or Magic, it's not happening. Sorry)
Hockey:
Wayne Gretzky- 2857 points (goals and assists combined). Called "The Great One". Recognized by many analysts, writers and the NHL itself as the greatest player of all time.
Soccer/Futbol:
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are virtually identical in statistics. They're both lightning quick, and they play for rival teams. You can't go wrong with either, and their both mesmerizing to watch.
(Coin Toss, have fun!)
Track & Field:
Usain Bolt- 9x Olympic Gold Medalist, World Record holder in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. World's Fastest Man.
Kenenisa Bekele- "The King of Distance Running". World Record holder at 5,000m and 10,000m
Ashton Eaton- World Record holder in Decathlon. The Decathlon is comprised of 10 Track & Field events over a two day period.
Miscellaneous:
Michael Phelps- 23x Olympic Medalist. Best Swimmer of All-time.
Lance Armstrong- 6x Tour de France Cycling Champion
Craig Alexander- 3x Iron Man Triathlon World Champion. The Iron Man Triathlon is a one day event comprised of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and a hefty 26.2 mile marathon. Often considered the most grueling physical event in sport.
________
With all that said, each and every one of these athletes is/was at the very peak of their sport. These people are idolized by men and women all over the world. It blows my mind to have to pick one single athlete that's the best because they've all provided some of the most impressive feats of athleticism and some of our most fond memories.
I want to know your opinion! Leave a comment below; share with your friends! If you think I omitted someone or like my choices, let me know!
Cheers!
UP NEXT: The Greatest Living Female Athlete--Stay Tuned!
