The top 20 greatest sports figures of all time IMO of course.

[Runeblade]

1.) Muhamed Ali Boxing
2.) Michael Jordan Basketball
3.) Tom Brady Football
4.) Bill Russel Basketball
5.) Babe Ruth Baseball
6.) Wayne Gretzky Hockey
7.) Mike Tyson Boxing
8.) Ted Williams Baseball
9.) Mario Lemieux Hockey
10.) Larry Bird Basketball
11.) Magic Johnson Basketball
12.) Bobby Orr Hockey
13.) Jim Brown Football
14.) Pele Soccer
15.) Willie Mays Baseball
16.) Kobe Bryant Basketball
17.) Joe Montana Football
18.) Lionel Messi Soccer
19.) Rodger Federer Tennis
20.) Tiger Woods Golf

Honorable Mentions
Michael Phelps Olympic Swimmer gold medalist (What he did in the Olympics was insane)
Barry Sanders football (If he had rings he would be on the top 20)
Labron James basketball (Kobe was better)
Barry Bonds (Numbers were incredible but he juiced)
Roy Jones Boxing (Nobody could touch him in his prime)
Jack Nicklaus golf (The only reason I put him behind Tiger is because from 1998-2004 Tiger was literally unbeatable)
Dan Marino Football (If he had rings he would be in the top 20. Numbers were legendary)
Jerry Rice Football (Greatest receiver of all time but probably wouldn't be if not for Montana)

Thats it. Got anyone to add? let the comments fly.

[MinnesotaFats]

Well

What defines great?

Like some dudes absent literally made sports change their rules due to their greatness

[Unrivaled]

Tiger woods way too low.

[jtoler]

criteria? tyson? kobe? j/k kinda, your list so no wrong answers

[MinnesotaFats]

Federer
Bonds
Gretzky
Ali
Woods
Cobb
J Brown
Ruth
Sampras
Tarkenton
Montana
Beckham
B Gibson (mound change)
Messier
Joker/ Nadal
Peli/ Ronaldo
Payton
Lindsey Whalen

Don't laugh at #20...she made female sports legit

[Runeblade]

criteria? tyson? kobe? j/k kinda, your list so no wrong answers

Tough to quantify but number of rings, accolades, MVP awards, numbers, defended championships, time periods of just utter domination of the sport....ect.

[Runeblade]

Federer
Bonds
Gretzky
Ali
Woods
Cobb
J Brown
Ruth
Sampras
Tarkenton
Montana
Beckham
B Gibson (mound change)
Messier
Joker/ Nadal
Peli/ Ronaldo
Payton
Lindsey Whalen

Don't laugh at #20...she made female sports legit

Damn I forgot to put Serena Williams in there.

[Goat Milk]

Federer
Bonds
Gretzky
Ali
Woods
Cobb
J Brown
Ruth
Sampras
Tarkenton
Montana
Beckham
B Gibson (mound change)
Messier
Joker/ Nadal
Peli/ Ronaldo
Payton
Lindsey Whalen

Don't laugh at #20...she made female sports legit

Sampras and Beckham? Lmao.

And where is Michael Jordan and Tom Brady, easily the two greatest athletes of all time in any sport?

[Goat Milk]

1.) Muhamed Ali Boxing
2.) Michael Jordan Basketball
3.) Tom Brady Football
4.) Bill Russel Basketball
5.) Babe Ruth Baseball
6.) Wayne Gretzky Hockey
7.) Mike Tyson Boxing
8.) Ted Williams Baseball
9.) Mario Lemieux Hockey
10.) Larry Bird Basketball
11.) Magic Johnson Basketball
12.) Bobby Orr Hockey
13.) Jim Brown Football
14.) Pele Soccer
15.) Willie Mays Baseball
16.) Kobe Bryant Basketball
17.) Joe Montana Football
18.) Lionel Messi Soccer
19.) Rodger Federer Tennis
20.) Tiger Woods Golf

Honorable Mentions
Michael Phelps Olympic Swimmer gold medalist (What he did in the Olympics was insane)
Barry Sanders football (If he had rings he would be on the top 20)
Labron James basketball (Kobe was better)
Barry Bonds (Numbers were incredible but he juiced)
Roy Jones Boxing (Nobody could touch him in his prime)
Jack Nicklaus golf (The only reason I put him behind Tiger is because from 1998-2004 Tiger was literally unbeatable)
Dan Marino Football (If he had rings he would be in the top 20. Numbers were legendary)
Jerry Rice Football (Greatest receiver of all time but probably wouldn't be if not for Montana)

Thats it. Got anyone to add? let the comments fly.

Can't think of too much I would change. Lemieux is arguable. Bird probably doesn't deserve to be on this list, certaintly not over James. James has had the far superior career. Would definitely put either Djokovic or Nadal in there, whichever one. You can't have a basketball list without these 4 players, and these are the top 4 all time, in order. 1. Jordan 2. Bryant 3. James 4. Kareem. Magic Johnson is definitely not better than Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and certaintly not better than Bryant.

Dan Marino was not a cold blooded killer. He was soft and he was more of a playboy. He doesn't have what Tom Brady has. Jerry Rice is for sure on this list.

I'm not sure if Pele deserves his spot. Messi is better than Pele. Pele had a great 10-12 year run, but was finished after that. Christiano Ronaldo is and Messi, to me, are the two greatest players ever to lace up cleats. What they're able to even do now, at their age, is unmatched. Every year, they are in the conversation for the Ballon (which is the MVP essentially).

If Sidney Crosby wins one more cup he will probably replace Lemieux as the greatest pit player ever. Lemieux and Jagr maybe still ahead.

[lakerboy]

Man I can put out the greatest list but the current generation will not like it.

Ty Cobb
Babe Ruth
Willie Mays
Wilt Chamberlain
Michael Jordan
Hakeem Olajuwon
Gordie Howe
Bobby Orr
Wayne Gretzky
Vladislav Tretiak
Johnny Unitas
Jim Brown
Jesse Owens
Usain Bolt
Michael Phelps
Mark Spitz
Billie Jean King
Steffi Graf
Nadia Comaneci
Diego Maradona

[MinnesotaFats]

Sampras and Beckham? Lmao.

And where is Michael Jordan and Tom Brady, easily the two greatest athletes of all time in any sport?

They didn't "change" the game

Like Brady didn't change it and Kobe didn't change it and Serena didn't change it....

They were great, but their greatness didn't result in actual changes. In fact I have very few NBA on there because the true unsung hero of NBA is Lebron...and he ain't done yet, ND his change may be for the worst....

[lakerboy]

Sampras and Beckham? Lmao.

And where is Michael Jordan and Tom Brady, easily the two greatest athletes of all time in any sport?

Tom Brady and athlete doesn't go in the same sentence. Winner yes the best in USA sports. Athlete lol no.

What's the issue with pistol Pete? He wasn't great?

[MinnesotaFats]

Tom Brady and athlete doesn't go in the same sentence. Winner yes the best in USA sports. Athlete lol no.

What's the issue with pistol Pete? He wasn't great?

These guys don't know sports like we do

They are hamburgers

Surprised GOAT doesn't have LILLARD on his list

[Goat Milk]

Billie Jean King
Steffi Graf

They'll both get smacked 6-0, 6-0, 6-0 by Federer, Djokovic, or Nadal. Highly doubt they'd win a single game.

[Runeblade]

Can't think of too much I would change. Lemieux is arguable. Bird probably doesn't deserve to be on this list, certaintly not over James. James has had the far superior career. Would definitely put either Djokovic or Nadal in there, whichever one. You can't have a basketball list without these 4 players, and these are the top 4 all time, in order. 1. Jordan 2. Bryant 3. James 4. Kareem. Magic Johnson is definitely not better than Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and certaintly not better than Bryant.

Dan Marino was not a cold blooded killer. He was soft and he was more of a playboy. He doesn't have what Tom Brady has. Jerry Rice is for sure on this list.

I'm not sure if Pele deserves his spot. Messi is better than Pele. Pele had a great 10-12 year run, but was finished after that. Christiano Ronaldo is and Messi, to me, are the two greatest players ever to lace up cleats. What they're able to even do now, at their age, is unmatched. Every year, they are in the conversation for the Ballon (which is the MVP essentially).

If Sidney Crosby wins one more cup he will probably replace Lemieux as the greatest pit player ever. Lemieux and Jagr maybe still ahead.

Kareem was awesome. Larry Bird and Labron's numbers are very similar but Larry didn't have the athleticism that Labron has and still his numbers were great. I agree if Sidney gets another one.

[Goat Milk]

They didn't "change" the game

Like Brady didn't change it and Kobe didn't change it and Serena didn't change it....

They were great, but their greatness didn't result in actual changes. In fact I have very few NBA on there because the true unsung hero of NBA is Lebron...and he ain't done yet, ND his change may be for the worst....

Jordan didn't change the game? Jordan literally made the NBA change their entire rules. The entire NBA changed because of Michael Jordan. The NBA was nothing before that. It was an American sport. Michael Jordan single handedly turned basketball from an american sport, to an international sport.

Kobe Bryant changed the game, which is why the entire world shut down when Kobe Bryant died. The stock market basically shut down. They were talking about Kobe Bryant's death on every stock channel for hours. CNN didn't give a shit about any presidential news, they were talking about Kobe the entire day, and nothing else. Guys in the league got tattoos. The entire world mourned, much more than when JFK died from what I heard from my older relatives. They painted murals from him in australia phillipines spain italy canada, any country, you name it, you'll find a mural of kobe bryant. Every single country in the world.

If that's not change, if that's not moving people, inspiring the next generation, then what is?

[lakerboy]

They'll both get smacked 6-0, 6-0, 6-0 by Federer, Djokovic, or Nadal. Highly doubt they'd win a single game.

Men vs women?

[Goat Milk]

Kareem was awesome. Larry Bird and Labron's numbers are very similar but Larry didn't have the athleticism that Labron has and still his numbers were great. I agree if Sidney gets another one.

Larry career was cut short by back injury. He only had 10 great years. Lebron is a different kind of machine. Has more rings, more mvps, better stats, more points, more all nba teams, he has bird beat in every single category you can conjure up.

[Goat Milk]

Men vs women?

You gotta give one spot to one of those 3 legends. Never gonna be another run in tennis like we're seeing now with those 3, as long as you and I are alive. No one will ever come close to winning 20 grand slams in the modern era.

[MinnesotaFats]

Jordan didn't change the game? Jordan literally made the NBA change their entire rules. The entire NBA changed because of Michael Jordan. The NBA was nothing before that. It was an American sport. Michael Jordan single handedly turned basketball from an american sport, to an international sport.

Kobe Bryant changed the game, which is why the entire world shut down when Kobe Bryant died. The stock market basically shut down. They were talking about Kobe Bryant's death on every stock channel for hours. CNN didn't give a shit about any presidential news, they were talking about Kobe the entire day, and nothing else. Guys in the league got tattoos. The entire world mourned, much more than when JFK died from what I heard from my older relatives. They painted murals from him in australia phillipines spain italy canada, any country, you name it, you'll find a mural of kobe bryant. Every single country in the world.

If that's not change, if that's not moving people, inspiring the next generation, then what is?

Ok.

What rule did Jordan's presence instigate?

Same w Kobe...what rules did he change ( don't say hand check)

[Runeblade]

Larry career was cut short by back injury. He only had 10 great years. Lebron is a different kind of machine. Has more rings, more mvps, better stats, more points, more all nba teams, he has bird beat in every single category you can conjure up.

But I'm a Celtics fan....lol

[Goat Milk]

Tom Brady and athlete doesn't go in the same sentence. Winner yes the best in USA sports. Athlete lol no.

What's the issue with pistol Pete? He wasn't great?

Well athlete in terms of his profession. Best professional athlete ever, probably more than Jordan. Winning 7 superbowls harder than winning 6 nba finals. No qb ever gonna sniff that record.

This guy Minnesota said David Beckham lmao. Minny, are you talking about the loser who played with Gerrard Lampard Rooney Terry Sean Wright Phillips and add in Beckham and that team never won anything?

Beckham wasn't even a top 20 player in the world when he was in his prime. He was a good looking guy who bent a few balls on free kicks, and had a supermodel wife, and everyone loved him. He did nothing.

[MinnesotaFats]

The NBA is Lebron

The hand checking, the tickey tact bs, the replay, the FA market

It's all Lebron

...Shaq going to LA was the biggest thing prior to Lebron and that was pretty mild stuff

[Goat Milk]

Ok.

What rule did Jordan's presence instigate?

Same w Kobe...what rules did he change ( don't say hand check)

I don't know if you remember basketball in the Bad Boys and Magic and Bird era, but it was basically a free for all. You could take out peoples legs and it was a regular foul. You could closeline someone and it wasn't that big of a deal. Jordan was beaten down by the bad boys, and when the NBA saw that these guys were gonna try and end his career, the rules changed, Jordan started getting every whistle, as he should have. He legitimized the game. It changed from football to what real basketball should be.

Not to mention that every kid in America wanted to "be like Mike." I don't know if you recall this. Not to mention, that internationally, people started to love basketball because of Michael Jordan. The same with Kobe. they carried the torch and made the league into what it is today. The Dream Team was one of the biggest attractions of all time, and was the key attraction at the olympics in that 90s season. Do you know why? It wasn't because of Bird or Magic. It was because of Jordan. Everyone wanted to see Michael Jordan.

[MinnesotaFats]

Very subjective

Yao Ming and Georege Murison had more to do w international NBA ratings than Jordan

The late 90s Knicks played just as dirty as the Bad Boys and got 0 calls same w Pacers.

Truth is, the NBA has had several huge changes but none involve Jordan.

1- the MPLS Lakers move their all time winningest franchise to LA
2- Bill Russell / Wilt Chamberlin
3- the merger
4- Bird/ Magic
5- expansion in 88-00
5A- HS kids drafted (Kobe/ Garnett)
6- Shaq joins LAL
7- Lebron to Mia
8- Lebron to Cleveland
9- Lebron to LAL
10- Lebron/ SOCIAL JUSTICE

[Goat Milk]

Very subjective

Yao Ming and Georege Murison had more to do w international NBA ratings than Jordan

The late 90s Knicks played just as dirty as the Bad Boys and got 0 calls same w Pacers.

Truth is, the NBA has had several huge changes but none involve Jordan.

1- the MPLS Lakers move their all time winningest franchise to LA
2- Bill Russell / Wilt Chamberlin
3- the merger
4- Bird/ Magic
5- expansion in 88-00
5A- HS kids drafted (Kobe/ Garnett)
6- Shaq joins LAL
7- Lebron to Mia
8- Lebron to Cleveland
9- Lebron to LAL
10- Lebron/ SOCIAL JUSTICE

Consider that in 2012—nine years after Jordan played in his final NBA game—Air Jordan sneakers, per ESPN, “made up 58 percent of all basketball shoes bought in the U.S. and 77 percent of all kids’ basketball shoes.”

Jordan’s marketability has obviously not occurred in a vacuum. It has reshaped, and enhanced, the marketplace for the NBA and its players. In 1998, Fortune Magazine estimated that Jordan had a $10 billion impact on the U.S. economy.

As the NBA became more popular in the 1990s with Jordan as its centerpiece, the league grew its fan base. Other players became more popular, too. Sneaker and apparel companies became more willing to negotiate massive deals with unproven rookies, hoping that the players would not only develop into superstars on the court but also become marketing machines off of it. In 1996, Reebok signed Allen Iverson, who played two years at Georgetown, to a 10-year, $50 million deal. A year later, Adidas signed Tracy McGrady, who had just completed his senior year at Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, North Carolina, to a six-year, $12 million deal. In 2002, Nike inked high school phenom LeBron James to a seven-year contract reportedly worth $77 million, plus a $10 million signing bonus. “Jordan,” Vaccaro reflects, “opened the door for everyone.”

Not subjective. Facts.

These are just a few small things Jordan did.

Wake up.

[Eddy Munny]

Very subjective

Yao Ming and Georege Murison had more to do w international NBA ratings than Jordan

The late 90s Knicks played just as dirty as the Bad Boys and got 0 calls same w Pacers.

Truth is, the NBA has had several huge changes but none involve Jordan.

1- the MPLS Lakers move their all time winningest franchise to LA
2- Bill Russell / Wilt Chamberlin
3- the merger
4- Bird/ Magic
5- expansion in 88-00
5A- HS kids drafted (Kobe/ Garnett)
6- Shaq joins LAL
7- Lebron to Mia
8- Lebron to Cleveland
9- Lebron to LAL
10- Lebron/ SOCIAL JUSTICE

Saying Gheorghe Muresan had more to do with international ratings than Michael Jordan is like saying "Beverly Hills Ninja" did more for martial arts than Bruce Lee.

[Enikk]

1.) Muhamed Ali Boxing
2.) Michael Jordan Basketball
3.) Tom Brady Football
4.) Bill Russel Basketball
5.) Babe Ruth Baseball
6.) Wayne Gretzky Hockey
7.) Mike Tyson Boxing
8.) Ted Williams Baseball
9.) Mario Lemieux Hockey
10.) Larry Bird Basketball
11.) Magic Johnson Basketball
12.) Bobby Orr Hockey
13.) Jim Brown Football
14.) Pele Soccer
15.) Willie Mays Baseball
16.) Kobe Bryant Basketball
17.) Joe Montana Football
18.) Lionel Messi Soccer
19.) Rodger Federer Tennis
20.) Tiger Woods Golf

Honorable Mentions
Michael Phelps Olympic Swimmer gold medalist (What he did in the Olympics was insane)
Barry Sanders football (If he had rings he would be on the top 20)
Labron James basketball (Kobe was better)
Barry Bonds (Numbers were incredible but he juiced)
Roy Jones Boxing (Nobody could touch him in his prime)
Jack Nicklaus golf (The only reason I put him behind Tiger is because from 1998-2004 Tiger was literally unbeatable)
Dan Marino Football (If he had rings he would be in the top 20. Numbers were legendary)
Jerry Rice Football (Greatest receiver of all time but probably wouldn't be if not for Montana)

Thats it. Got anyone to add? let the comments fly.

You miss 1a. Wilt

[Enikk]

I don't know if you remember basketball in the Bad Boys and Magic and Bird era, but it was basically a free for all. You could take out peoples legs and it was a regular foul. You could closeline someone and it wasn't that big of a deal. Jordan was beaten down by the bad boys, and when the NBA saw that these guys were gonna try and end his career, the rules changed, Jordan started getting every whistle, as he should have. He legitimized the game. It changed from football to what real basketball should be.

Not to mention that every kid in America wanted to "be like Mike." I don't know if you recall this. Not to mention, that internationally, people started to love basketball because of Michael Jordan. The same with Kobe. they carried the torch and made the league into what it is today. The Dream Team was one of the biggest attractions of all time, and was the key attraction at the olympics in that 90s season. Do you know why? It wasn't because of Bird or Magic. It was because of Jordan. Everyone wanted to see Michael Jordan.

In some opinion he ruined the game. Give me those low scoring clothes line what ever it takes to win games. NBA today blows. All about chucking up from long range. Lazy ball. No fundamentals.

[nyplayer33]

Can't put Larry bird top 20 all time sports figures.

[Runeblade]

Can't put Larry bird top 20 all time sports figures.

What??...how dare you snub Larry Legend! As a biased Celtics fan I must disagree.

[stake1]

Good list. However, mine includes Randy Johnson for Mlb. The most dominant/intimidating lefty starting pitcher, all-time
303 wins
4875 K’s

[Allure]

Pele lol. Can't get more overrated than that guy who never played outside America in a time where soccer was played basically standing. Basically played in amateur league all his life.

But it's your list so all good.

[d2bets]

Tom Brady and athlete doesn't go in the same sentence. Winner yes the best in USA sports. Athlete lol no.

What's the issue with pistol Pete? He wasn't great?

That's silly. How are you defining athlete? Running fast and jumping high and being strong. If that's the case, then the list will be totally different. He plays a sport, he's an athlete. By tat standard, why is Babe Ruth on your list.

[Mr KLC]

Can't put Larry bird top 20 all time sports figures.

I would. He, Magic, and Dr. J saved the NBA from folding. The NBA was so bad in those days that Magic's first championship in 1980 Game 6 was shown on tape delay at 11:30 PM EST. I know that's hard to even grasp in this day and age of technology, but the 70's style of play gave an impression of hoodlums taking over the game, and nobody wanted to watch it. Their 1979 NCAA Championship game confrontation carried on to the NBA, and brought them back from the dead. It helped that both players went to 2 of the most iconic franchises to boost their visibility. After that, Jordan came in, and put the league on a level no one had seen before. Jordan might not have had that opportunity if it weren't for those 3 players.