Is Michael Jordan the Greatest Team Sports Athlete of All Time?

[Sark]

The Oilers won the Stanley Cup 2 years after trading Gretzky, with the same exact core that they had in 88. Mark Messier was able to carry Edmonton to the Cup, as well as the Rangers, which Gretzky wasn't able to do.

[Sedale Threatt]

As European and big sports fan i don't even really know half the people you listed.

Babe Ruth -> no idea who he is and what sport he played
Wayne Gretzky -> i've heard of him, hockey player. But hockey ain't that big globally
Joe Montana -> heard of him before, QB, but nobody outside of the hardcore football fans in Europe / Germany would know him
Jerry Rice -> don't know him
Jim Brown -> heard of him, because Lebron greeted him once at a Cavs game. Is he football?
Bo Jackson -> never heard of him

You guys with your obesession for GOATs is pretty ridiculous. My favorit sports is football (soccer) and i have never once discussed with someone else for longer then 2min about some GOAT.

You seriously say you havent heard of Babe Ruth? I havent seen a second of Baseball, but I heard of Babe Ruth, He is legendary name, just like Joe DiMaggio, those are 2 Baseball names that everyone heard of, even if you havent heard anything about the sport. they Define time period, when you think of early 1900s, its Babe Ruth, its Al Capone, its Charlie Chaplin, you dont even need to be aware of their work you know these people.

Eh, he's a baseball player who played 100 years ago. Americans, and people from the few other countries that give a crap about baseball, then sure he's pretty much a household name. But if you asked me who, say, the greatest cricket player in the world is, I couldn't tell you if my life depended on it. So I'd actually be pretty surprised if too many people around the world know who he is.

[Bergmaniac]

No, but he definitely had the best marketing team by far.

[Sedale Threatt]

The gap between Gretzky and every other hockey player is greater than any other GOAT in any other team sport.

Yep. This is objectively the only correct answer. This poll should start at #2.

Babe Ruth's stats are insane, and if you adjust for era they almost unfathomable. Is Gretzky really fast and away beyond Ruth in this discussion?

I go Gretzky, but no question Babe's accomplishments are pretty mind-boggling. Looking over his stats, there's a whoooooooooole lot of black italics (league leader):

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ruthba01.shtml

I'm sure somebody's already had this discussion / debate somewhere before.

[MoochieNorris]

lol i remember when gretzky was dominating he was benching 140 for like 5 reps.

dude was a genius but top "athlete", gtfo.

and babe ruth? please. dude wasn't an athlete. he could swing a bat. he was a fat animal.

[Bergmaniac]

I don't know anything about cricket, but every time this topic comes up on various boards, Don Bradman is mentioned as the most dominant player in a major team sport.

[slos]

If you want an honest answer in this question globally it's a clear battle between Maradona and Pele. Like it or not football is the King of sports in the world. I think even Messi and Ronaldo are close to Jordan.

As a European I also don't know all the other athletes mentioned. I believe Bolt should be in this top 10 and agree that Ali should also be there. Maybe Phelps too.

[pipfan]

I had this argument with a big hockey fan. I said, the thing with Gretzky (or any hockey player) is how little time they spend on the ice. Of course, it's because hockey is so tiring, but a guy like MJ, in a big game, would be on the court 90% of the game. Also, MJ was an all time defender, while Gretzky was not known for defense at all.

If you add cultural impact and overall affect on society-it's only Ruth, Ali and MJ.

[Jayt99]

It's tough I could see a case for Jordan/Pele or Gretzky. For people discrediting Gretzky as an athlete part of being an athlete IMO is sports IQ which Gretzky might've had the greatest sports IQ ever which should definitely factor into the equation he was genius.

[jimmy keys]

lol i remember when gretzky was dominating he was benching 140 for like 5 reps.

dude was a genius but top "athlete", gtfo.

and babe ruth? please. dude wasn't an athlete. he could swing a bat. he was a fat animal.

Are you really comparing an athlete from 100 years ago to today's standards. Like athletics hasn't evolved in a century. Babe Ruth has been studied so extensively. His hand eye is probably the best of all time in any sport. And as for Gretzky, well they don't call anyone else the Great One. What's Jordan's nickname? Air Jordan bahaha. Plus Gretzky is hands down the most humble person ever relative to skill. No one compares.

[JRoy]

Not the greatest.

That would be Wilt.

Jordan was the greatest at his position and top 5 all time.

[KobesScarf]

The gap between Gretzky and every other hockey player is greater than any other GOAT in any other team sport.

Hasek is every bit as great a goalie as Gretzky is a forward and his 98 Olympics is greater than any single Gretzky accomplishment

[TheBallsDeeper]

Don Bradman - for a Basketballer to be as good as him they would need to average about 60 points per game over their entire career,

[ILOVEIT]

We talking "athlete" or having the most team success? How on earth is Babe Ruth included?

Federer is the greatest tennis player in history and is still top 3 at the age of 36. He's the most graceful athlete I've ever seen. His has elite level hand eye coordination, lateral movement, anticipation, clutch performance, stamina...and yes some hops. I would put him up there with Gretzky, LeBron, Jordan and over guys like Vince Carter who have incredible vertical games but, but not the soft hands, dribbling etc.

[Drygon]

No. It's Wilt Chamberlain.

[Triples333]

I'm here for the growing lore of Bo Jackson to people who never saw him play

[VanWest82]

Gretzky and Jordan are one and two on this list in some order as players, and one and two at the bottom of the list as former player GMs / owners.

[dorkestra]

If we are going by global impact it should be a soccer player. Probably Pele who is only disadvantaged by playing in an era with less media technology for sake of increasing exposure.

[MoochieNorris]

lol i remember when gretzky was dominating he was benching 140 for like 5 reps.

dude was a genius but top "athlete", gtfo.

and babe ruth? please. dude wasn't an athlete. he could swing a bat. he was a fat animal.

Are you really comparing an athlete from 100 years ago to today's standards. Like athletics hasn't evolved in a century. Babe Ruth has been studied so extensively. His hand eye is probably the best of all time in any sport. And as for Gretzky, well they don't call anyone else the Great One. What's Jordan's nickname? Air Jordan bahaha. Plus Gretzky is hands down the most humble person ever relative to skill. No one compares.

no disrespect to gretzky. i have him tattooed on my arm. srs. but he's not an athlete the same way jordan was an athlete. the beauty of gretzky was that he saw things that nobody will ever see and was able to put up the numbers that he did despite the fact that he was scrawny and not athletic.

and jesse owens was around babe ruth's time. that was an athlete. ruth wasn't an athlete, he had a skill and he was strong. you're not an athlete if you can't run your own bases at age 40.

[Metallikid]

Wayne Gretzky is better at hockey than any athlete has been at any sport ever.