18 Years old and GOAT level ability - Basketball or Golf?

[Laimbeer]

If you were 18 and you had the ability to develop into a GOAT level basketball player or GOAT level golfer, which would you choose? You can only play one sport for life.

Remember you have to consider things like potential injury, toll on your body, longevity of career, and lifestyle.

[McKenna]

Golf. No question.

Better on the body. More longevity. You can essentially play competitively till you croak. Good times.

[BackseatBoss]

This is a weird question to ask on a basketball forum. If I only cared about the money, I’d go with golf. But since I don’t care about golf whatsoever and money definitely wouldn’t be a problem if I was a GOAT basketball player, I’d go with basketball 10 times out of 10.

[SeattleJazzFan]

basketball is more fun. so basketball. I'd rather have the ability dunk regularly than shoot birdies regularly.

[Dupp]

Golf sucks.

I’d take the sport that requires you to be an actual athlete over the one that requires extraordinary coordination.

[azcatz11]

I personally don't consider golf a sport.

[lakerz12]

Tough question because I love both (played golf in college).

My heart would say basketball because that would be more exciting and fun.

However, my mind would say golf because of the longevity.

Ultimately I'd probably choose golf because you can do it at a high level so much longer.

[Lazy10]

True question is would you rather be Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan. Easy answer is Jordan, Woods had nice peak but terrible fall

[Atmanne]

Easily golf. Regardless of ability, you have to have a huge amount of injury luck/durability to reach GOAT discussion in basketball.

[Effigy]

Golf. No question.

Better on the body. More longevity. You can essentially play competitively till you croak. Good times.

Is that even a plus? I mean, I know these guys hate forced retirement, but I gotta think it's nice to have a natural stopping point instead of refusing to give up for the rest of your life and still out there plugging away in your 80's.

And looking at the GOAT modern day golfer (Tiger) and GOAT modern day NBA player (MJ) and I think golf has actually been harder on Tiger's body than NBA has on MJ's. Again, without that stopping point you have even longer for the wear and tear to accumulate.

I'd go NBA personally. I'd like the camaraderie of having teammates vs always being out there alone. Your contract is also guaranteed so if you get a career ending injury you still get paid, wheras you get nothing in Golf.

[codydaze]

Golf sucks.

I’d take the sport that requires you to be an actual athlete over the one that requires extraordinary coordination.

Coordination is absolutely an athletic ability. You might not have to be as fast or be able to jump as high to be a great golfer but you still need to be a pretty darn good athlete to be elite.

[SeattleJazzFan]

Golf. No question.

Better on the body. More longevity. You can essentially play competitively till you croak. Good times.

Is that even a plus? I mean, I know these guys hate forced retirement, but I gotta think it's nice to have a natural stopping point instead of refusing to give up for the rest of your life and still out there plugging away in your 80's.

And looking at the GOAT modern day golfer (Tiger) and GOAT modern day NBA player (MJ) and I think golf has actually been harder on Tiger's body than NBA has on MJ's. Again, without that stopping point you have even longer for the wear and tear to accumulate.

I'd go NBA personally. I'd like the camaraderie of having teammates vs always being out there alone. Your contract is also guaranteed so if you get a career ending injury you still get paid, wheras you get nothing in Golf.

yep, sports like golf are like working on commission. team sports are like having a steady salary job.

[McKenna]

Golf sucks.

I’d take the sport that requires you to be an actual athlete over the one that requires extraordinary coordination.

Coordination. Strategy. Muscular and psychological endurance maintained over the course of days on end, not only in 48 minute bursts of activity.

There is much more to golf than you're suggesting.

[Laimbeer]

Golf sucks.

I’d take the sport that requires you to be an actual athlete over the one that requires extraordinary coordination.

Coordination. Strategy. Muscular and psychological endurance maintained over the course of days on end, not only in 48 minute bursts of activity.

There is much more to golf than you're suggesting.

Maybe, but I wouldn't bring up endurance if I were you.

[lakerz12]

True question is would you rather be Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan. Easy answer is Jordan, Woods had nice peak but terrible fall

Tiger is still playing though.

I guess you have to factor whether this question includes post-playing business career.

Because if it weren't for Jordan's great business career and he just dissapeared after bball ended, that life would look pretty depressing.

[McKenna]

And looking at the GOAT modern day golfer (Tiger) and GOAT modern day NBA player (MJ) and I think golf has actually been harder on Tiger's body than NBA has on MJ's. Again, without that stopping point you have even longer for the wear and tear to accumulate.

NBA players don't stop because they love the game any less, it's because their body is no longer capable of keeping up.

[levon]

Whichever one lets me make contested fadeaway jumpers as the shot clock expires.

[McKenna]

Maybe, but I wouldn't bring up endurance if I were you.

Endurance isn't just 82 games, or a 10 year career and your body is done.

I'm talking about games that literally go for days and weeks on end, and a career that can span 60+ years and allow you to still make millions in the process.

Completely different level of endurance.

[codydaze]

Golf sucks.

I’d take the sport that requires you to be an actual athlete over the one that requires extraordinary coordination.

Coordination. Strategy. Muscular and psychological endurance maintained over the course of days on end, not only in 48 minute bursts of activity.

There is much more to golf than you're suggesting.

Maybe, but I wouldn't bring up endurance if I were you.

Try playing 18 holes three straight days in a weekend. Endurance is incredibly important for golf. Not necessarily cardiovascular endurance but you get to that 17th-18th hole and your body is drained.

[THE J0KER]

Question are you more want to be Basketball or Golf superstar is equal to question what you more want to be in your next reincarnation: Eagle or Peacock?