Tom Brady retired today.
You know this already.
But it did get me thinking of who are the greatest living athletes across pro sports.
Brady is obviously high on the list but where does he fall?
I kept it to North America because I don’t follow soccer.
I knowLionel Messiis considered to be the greatest soccer player ever but I have no clue.
He has to be dominant once every four years.
Pro athletes have different expectations.
I also stuck with team sports.
Bo Jacksondidn’t crack my top 10.
Playing two sports is amazing but I was looking more at dominance than just sheer athleticism.
That’s a different kind of list.
This is more about greatness.
Here are the Top Ten Greatest Living North American Pro Athletes in Team Sports:
10.
Lawrence Taylor
1981-93, New York Giants
John Madden said LT changed the way defense was played.
He’s the last defensive player to win the NFL MVP.
Taylor was the best player on two Super Bowl winning teams.
It’s easy to look past all of that and focus on his personal problems.
They waived the waiting period for him.
Larry Bird
(1979-92 Boston Celtics)
7.
They each even won three MVP awards each.
But even that is very close.
Magic vs. Bird is the best ever.
The rule changes over the last 20 years have benefitted passing.
When Rice was at his absolute best, the game revolved around passing.
Jerry Rice 22,895
2.
Larry Fitzgerald 17,492
3.
Terrell Owens 15,934
16.
Rice is primed to be number one at least a decade from now.
I talk about him in the blog below.
From that blog:
It’s hard to put Mays' greatness in numbers.
Trout already has more MVP awards than Mays ever won.
He only hit 50 or more homers twice in a season.
The thing with Mays is that he was exceptional for an entire generation.
He went to 24 All-Star games.
He was fantastic at everything.
He was one of the best center fielders ever.
He had 660 home runs.
He could hit for contact.
He was an extraordinary base stealer.
There was no part of Wille Mays' game that wasn’t as good as gets.
I don’t like Lebron James.
I don’t root for Lebron James.
I think it’s funny when Lebron James loses.
But now there is no question who the best active player in North American team sports is.
It’s Lebron James.
There was a Saturday morning cartoon called ProStars.
It has Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson and Gretzky teaming up to fight crime.
It was a very stupid show.
I remember people thinking Bo being there was a reach.
Baseball’s most iconic player is long dead in Babe Ruth.
Same with boxing and Muhammad Ali.
Hockey is lucky that its greatest and most legendary player is still alive.
Michael Jordan
1983-93, 95-98 Chicago Bulls, 2001-03 Washington Wizards
This is an easy pick for me.
The question isn’t if he’s the best living athlete but is Jordan the best ever?
Babe Ruth was more dominant compared to his peers…but played in a segregated league.
If Brady and Gretzky are the best at their sports, I see Jordan above them.
Do you start talking about non-team sports?
Jordan has to be better than Tiger, right?
Hell, Jack Nicklaus has more majors than Tiger.
Muhammed Ali has to be in the argument as well.
But personally speaking, it’s clear.
Michael Jordan isn’t just the greatest living athlete but the best athlete of all-time.
