The worldwide leader, ESPN, released its rankings of the top 100 pro athletes of this century, and I have never seen the Internet this united before. ESPN’s list sucks, and here is the correct rankings. This is solely based from Jan. 1, 2000, until now, so any statistics from the 90s mean absolutely nothing here.
If you have any complaints, please tweet them to me @Gatesy35, and I will crunch the numbers again.
This will be a long-ass list so let’s get right into it.
100: Phil Kessel, hockey
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: NHL Ironman streak leader with 1,064 consecutive games played, 3-time Stanley Cup winner, Masterton Trophy, 3-time NHL All-Star
There is not a single better person to begin this list than Phil Kessel. This man (yes that man in the picture with the hot dogs) owns the NHL’s Ironman streak for the longest streak of consecutive games played.
I love Phil Kessel, but he looks like a bag of milk and defies everything we are told about athletes. For most of his career (17 years) made every team he was on better. While this pick may not scream top 100 athletes of this century, I cannot think of someone who is more of an athlete than Phil Kessel.
99: Pedro Martinez, baseball
ESPN Ranking: 92
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- 1 Cy Young, 1 World Series, 3-time ERA title, 1-time strikeout title, and 4-time MLB All-Star, Pro Baseball Hall of Fame
One of the top pitchers in recent memory, Pedro was one of the backbones of the Red Sox ending the infamous “Curse of the Bambino.” Martinez was consistently atop of most pitching statistics, but he spent a decent chunk of his career in the 90s (2 Cy Young awards and 2nd in MVP voting). His last season as a bonafide ace came in 2005 with the Mets, but his dominance from 2000 until then lands him on this list.
While Pedro isn’t the best pitcher on this list, his Hall of Fame career sneaks him in at spot 99.
98: John Grant Jr., lacrosse
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: 2-time NLL MVP, 2-time MLL MVP, 2nd all-time NLL goals, 7th all-time NLL assists, 3rd all-time NLL Points, NLL Champion, NLL Championship MVP Hall of Fame
ESPN did not have a single lacrosse player in its list, that is not the case here. Our first of two lacrosse players was one of the pioneers as professional lacrosse was becoming more popular. Grant Jr. is a top of the stat books for the NLL, and did so in less games compared to other top players.
While Grant skipped out on playing for my hometown Bandits, he did so before 2000 so I guess I have to let it slide. During his long professional career, Grant played in several professional lacrosse leagues and won 4 World Lacrosse Championships with his home country of Canada.
97: Jason Witten, football
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: 2-time First-team All-Pro, 2-time Second-team All-Pro, 11-time Pro Bowler, Walter Payton NFL Man of The Year
Jason Witten is one of the greatest tight-ends in NFL history, and played for the Dallas Cowboys, so I have no idea how ESPN left them of their list.
He had over 750 yards for 10 straight seasons and tallied over 74 touchdowns in his 17 years in the NFL. From 2004 to 2013, Witten was one of the best tight ends in the entire league, and if he wasn’t around during the era of explosive tight ends, he would be much more of a household name.
96: Ray Allen, basketball
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: 2-time NBA Champion, 10-time NBA All-Star, NBA Second team, NBA Third team, 3-time most 3s in a season, NBA 75th Anniversary Team, best tweet ever sent.
I think we all know that the NBA has gone under a 3-point revolution since the turn of the century, and that is in no due part to Ray Allen. Players have come since and built upon what he did, but Allen is still one of the most prolific deep shooters of all time. Allen averaged 18 points in his 19-year NBA career and his 2973 made three-pointers have him at second all-time.
Not to mention he hit the infamous shot in the 2013 NBA Finals to save the Heat’s season.
95: Bryce Harper, baseball
ESPN Ranking: 79
Awards and cool things: 2-time NL MVP, 8-time MLB All-Star, National League Rookie of the Year, 3 Silver Sluggers, 2-time NL Hank Aaron Award, NLCS MVP.
This is the first of these rankings to see a drop from ESPN’s list. Listen, I love Bryce Harper, but batting .200 in the World Series just isn’t ideal at all. Before Phillies fans start throwing batteries at me like I’m Santa, I do believe Harper will get a ring at some point in his career. Another thing dropping him is there are so many big names in baseball right now (we will get to them later), he just gets lost in the shuffle a lot.
Harper has been plagued by injuries in recent years, and is still chasing his homerun high of 42 back in 2015.
94: Phil Mickelson, golf
ESPN Ranking: 68
Awards and cool things: 45 PGA Tour wins, 6 Major victories
The lefty is one of the best golfers of all time, and his longevity in the game makes him a sure-fire member of this list. His move to LIV has definitely hurt him, but you gotta be able to pay your gambling debts somehow.
Phil is tied for 12th for all-time major wins, and I think we should enjoy getting to see his world-class short game while we can. Lefty is also tied for 8th all-time with Walter Hagen in overall tour wins. Crazier things have happened but it is unlikely the 54-year-old will get his 46th win while being on the LIV tour and his best major finish this year was tied for 43rd at The Open.
But hey, Tiger won the Masters just a few years ago.
93: Pavel Datsyuk, hockey
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: 2-time Stanley Cup Champion, 3-time Selke winner, 4-time Lady Bing winner, NHL Hall of Fame, NHL 100th anniversary team
The “Magic Man” didn’t garner that iconic nickname for no reason. As one of the best two-way centers in NHL history, Datsyuk used his other-worldly hands (has one of the most iconic shootout moves named after him) and defensive responsibility to win two cups.
He may be one of the most underrated players for folks who do not follow hockey. If you don’t know who he is, please do yourself a favor and watch one of his many highlight reels.
92: Abby Wambach, soccer
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: Most goals in USA soccer (184), 1 World Cup, 2 Olympic gold medals, 6-time US Soccer Athlete of the Year, WUSA Champion and MVP
US Women’s Soccer has been a powerhouse for quite some time (4 World Cups since 1991) and US Soccer’s leading scorer needs to be on this list.
Wambach has netted 184 international goals (14 World Cup goals) and sits six goals behind Christine Sinclair for first place all-time. Wambach, now retired, was a part of countless moments for US Soccer and was a great bridge for the new generation of strikers donning red, white, and blue.
Sidebar, it’s nice to see an athlete from WNY appear on this list.
91: Conor McGregor
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: First-ever UFC fighter to hold two belts at once in two different weight classes, 22 UFC wins, 3-time UFC Champion (2-time Featherweight, one was interim, and 1 Lightweight).
McGregor captivated fans in the Octagon while he was at his peak. His gift of the gab and the jab brought so many new fans into the UFC (myself included). It would feel wrong to not include him on this list with his historic double-championship reign.
His infamous 13-second knockout victory over Jose Aldo at UFC 194 is one of his shining moments in the MMA world.
Let’s just not look at his recent fights and personal endeavors.
90: Venus Williams, tennis
ESPN Ranking: 86
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- 12 Grand Slam doubles titles, 7 Grand Slam singles titles, 2 Grand Slam mixed double titles
Venus dominated early in her career whether it be on her own, or teamed up with her sister Serena. The older Williams sister was ranked first in the world at different points in her career in both singles and doubles play. The Williams sisters are undefeated in Grand Slam doubles, and Venus has captured 49 WTA singles titles and 22 WTA doubles.
Venus would 100% be higher up on this list with many more championships if it wasn’t for her sister. With that being said, she is one of the most important figures in tennis history and deserves to be here.
89: Zlatan Ibrahimović, soccer
ESPN Ranking: 95
Awards and cool things: 13 league titles (6 Serie A, 1 La Liga, 4 Ligue 1, Premier League), 1 Europa League,
If there is one thing Zlatan knows how to do, it’s win (take notes Bryce Harper). From 2003 to 2010, he won 8-straight league titles. He is one of the most prolific goal scorers of our time and has certainly been paid because of that (around $125,000,000 in his career).
Zlatan really shouldn’t be ranked this high because he loves playing for great teams. But I’m a dumb human, and his first MLS goal carries so much weight in my head.
88: Joe Thornton, hockey
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: 1 Hart Trophy, 1 Art Ross Trophy, 4-time NHL All-Star
Well if Zlatan was a big winner, Thornton is unfortunately the opposite of that. He played a staggering 24 seasons in the NHL (1714 games) and never got to lift the Stanley Cup. While Jumbo Joe may be a bit of a surprise here, his ability to be a top NHL for over two decades is something unheard of.
His 1,459 points are the third most in the NHL since Jan. 1, 2000 (we will see the other two farther on this list). Thornton will be a no-brainer for the Hockey Hall of Fame alongside his longtime teammate Patrick Marleau.
The Sharks’ lose in the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals to Pittsburgh in 6 games was Thornton’s only finals appearance.
87: Randy Johnson, baseball
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1 2000- Hit a bird with a pitch, 3-time Cy Young Winner, Triple Crown, 4-time MLB All-Star, Baseball Hall of Fame
Randy Johnson is one of the greatest pitchers of all time who unfortunately has his career split by this damn century marker. Even with this hindrance, he still has a great resume with the first 12 years of his career not counting in this list. You can read the stats above but it baffles me that he wasn’t included on ESPN’s list (but Pedro was) because even from 2000 to 2010 he was still a very good pitcher who brought home 3 Cy Youngs, and won the Triple Crown.
Plus he somehow hit a bird with a pitch which I will never be able to comprehend.
86: Annika Sörenstam, golf
ESPN Ranking: 89
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- 8 Major wins (most in that time), 54 LGPA Tour wins, played in a PGA Tour event (first woman to do so in over 50 years), World Golf Hall of Fame
Regarded as one of the best women golfers of all time, Sörenstam dominated professional golf. The Swede made the historic move to putt alongside the men, Sörenstam missed the cut by 4 strokes but paved the way forward for Michelle Wie West and Brittney Lincicome to also hit the PGA Tour.
While some of the men scoffed at the idea of playing with Sörenstam (Vijay Singh threatened to pull out if paired with her), she put more eyes on women’s golf.
85: Allyson Felix, track
ESPN Ranking: 63
Awards and cool things: 11 Olympic medals (7 gold), 18-time World Championship medalist.
Felix was a force on the track, with her Olympic medal count putting her tied for 20th all-time. A big knock I have for Felix (and why she isn’t higher) is that 6 of her 7 gold medals came in relays. Her lone solo gold came in the 200m at the 2012 London Olympics. There is nothing wrong with that, and that’s why she is still on this list. With that being said, she is still one of the greatest short-distance runners of all time.
Felix retired from the sport in 2022 at the age of 36 after securing the USA a bronze in the 4x400m relay at the World Championships. Felix’s first Olympics were way back in 2004 when she was 19, and her final was in 2021 at the Tokyo Games. She nabbed gold in the 4x400m relay and bronze in the individual 400m race in Japan.
84: Ronaldinho, soccer
ESPN Ranking: 94
Awards and cool things: Ballon d’Or, 2-time FIFA Best Men’s Player, World Cup Champion, Champions League Champion, 2 La Liga Trophies, Olympic bronze medal
Ronaldinho was regarded as one of the most fun players to watch on the pitch. He was such a magician with the ball, that he garnered the nickname “The Wizard.”
His first taste of shining on the main stage came as a 22-year-old at the 2002 World Cup. He notched two goals en route to Brazil’s fifth World Cup Trophy and was selected to the All-Star team. While Ronaldinho found success early at the international level, he never scored another goal in the World Cup for the rest of his career.
Ronaldinho’s fun approach to the game made a lasting impact, and helped shape his own successful career.
83: Marie-Philip Poulin, hockey
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: 3-time Olympic gold medalist, scored the game-winning goal in 3 out of 4 gold medal games in her Olympic career, captain of Team Canada since 2015, first female hockey player to win the Northern Star Award as Canada’s top athlete of the year, PWHL First-Team All-Star, 12 World Hockey Championship medals (4 gold).
Poulin is regarded as one of, if not the greatest women’s hockey player of all time. Properly named “Captain Clutch” she always brings her A-game when the lights are the brightest. She was tied for second in points for the inaugural PWHL season with 23 points in 21 games played.
It still doesn’t make sense how ESPN only had 3 hockey players on its list, and none of them were women. It’s hard to find anyone with a stronger resumé than Poulin.
82: Martin Brodeur, hockey
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: Most wins in NHL history (691), Since Jan. 1, 2000- 2 Stanley Cups (3 in career), 4 Vezina Trophies, 5-time NHL All-Star, 3 William Jennings Awards, Hockey Hall of Fame
Brodeur is one of the most decorated goaltenders in NHL history. Success seemed to follow him for his 22-year NHL career, where he holds the most wins for a goalie (holds the record by 130 over Marc-Andre Fleury).
His style of play mirrored a time long gone as the goaltending position went through a butterfly revolution in the early 2000s. Brodeur, playing until 2014-15, maintained his hybrid style amidst an ever-changing game. Since a decent chunk of his success came in the 90s, he is slotted at spot 82.
81: Tamika Catchings, basketball
ESPN Ranking: 34
Awards and cool things: WNBA MVP, WNBA Champion, WNBA Finals MVP, 4 Olympic gold medals, 5-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, 7-time All-WNBA First Team, WNBA career steals leader (1074), WNBA Rookie of the Year, Basketball Hall of Fame
Tamika Catchings has really done it all as a professional basketball player. The New Jersey native played 15 seasons in the WNBA and spent her entire tenure in Indianapolis.
Catchings was a defensive machine racking up 10 WNBA All-Defensive first-team selections while averaging 16 points in her career. The forward also averaged 7 boards as a member of the Fever, and racked up 2.4 assists a game.
Tamika retired in 2016 and quickly found her way into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
80: Lisa Leslie, basketball
ESPN Ranking: 74
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1 2000- 3-time WNBA MVP, 2-time WNBA Champion, 2-time WNBA Finals MVP, 7-time WNBA All-Star, 7-time All-WNBA First Team, 2-time All-WNBA Second Team, 2-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, 3 Olympic gold medals
Leslie’s pedigree speaks for itself. She is one of the greatest WNBA players of all time, and her play style really formed the modern big we see in today’s game. At 6’5, Leslie averaged 17 points and 9 boards a game throughout her 12-year career. She is only one of three (Sheryl Swoopes and Lauren Jackson) who have won the WNBA MVA three times.
Leslie retired following the 2009 season, and she finished her career holding the league records for points (6,263), rebounds (3,307), and PRA (10,444). All of those records have since been broken, but her impact still remains on women’s basketball.
79: Marit Bjørgen, skiing
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: First all-time Cross-Country World Cup victories (114), 3rd most medals in Olympic history (15), Most medals for any Winter Olympian
Bjørgen is Olympic royalty with her multitude of medals, and yet ESPN kept her off their list. I’ve never cross-country skied before, but it looks like it sucks a lot. So the fact she won 5 medals in 2018 at the age of 38 doesn’t make sense to me. I can barely get out of bed without groaning and I’m only 24.
I’ll be honest, I had no idea who Marit was before this project, but she should be a household name. Her first Olympic games took place way back in 2002 when she was 21 years old. She only (it’s crazy how this is considered bad for her) secured two medals in her first two Olympics (stomach pains ruined her 2006 plans). Bjørgen won 5 medals in Vancouver (3 golds), and could have the second most medals all-time if she was able to compete fully in Turin.
78: Kylian Mbappé, soccer
ESPN Ranking: 65
Awards and cool things: World Cup winner, 7-time Ligue 1 winner
While Mbappé doesn’t have the winning pedigree that Zlatan has, the Frenchman is just an all-around better player. His pace and finishing ability are world-class, and there is a reason he is the captain of the French team (ranked second in the globe by FIFA).
After spending the last 10 years in Ligue 1 (3 with Monaco and 7 with PSG) the striker is headed to La Liga with Real Madrid.
The 25-year-old is opting out of his home country’s Olympics in 2024 due to his La Liga season (such a dumb thing, like why don’t just push the season back like every other sporting league does when the Olympics come around (I hate you Gary Bettman)).
77: Evgeni Malkin, hockey
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: 1 Hart Trophy, 2 Art Ross Trophies, 3-time Stanley Cup winner, 1 Conn Smythe Trophy, 1 Calder Trophy, 3-time NHL All-Star, 7-time World Championship medalist (2 golds)
He is score! Malkin is a name non-hockey fans should be aware of. He often gets overshadowed in the media because he and Sidney Crosby are on the same team, but Geno would be a first-line center on any other team throughout most of his career.
Malkin was the backbone to the Penguins’ 2009 Stanley Cup win (36 points in 24 games played), and really found his stride manning the Pens’ top line when Crosby battled concussions in 2011-12. He is nearing 500 career goals and currently sits in the top 50 all-time.
76: Kahwi Leonard, basketball
ESPN Ranking: 85
Awards and cool things: 2-time NBA Champion, 2-time Finals MVP, 3-time All-NBA First Team, 3-time All-NBA Second Team, 2-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, 3-time All-NBA Defensive First Team, 4-time All-NBA Defensive Second Team,6-time NBA All-Star, NBA 75th Anniversary Team
First off, “The Claw” is one of the coolest nicknames in all of sports, and definitely had some sort of impact on my brain for this ranking.
But Leonard, bearing his injury problems, is one of the best basketball players of his generation. He willed Toronto to a Championship in 2019 and blossomed into a superstar with San Antonio’s 2024 title.
Kawhi only played in two games this postseason with the Clippers and averaged a measly 12 points. He is not playing in the Olympics this summer, so I think we all hope the 33-year-old can return to form and stay healthy for the tail-end of his prime.
75: Chris Anderson, cheese rolling
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: 23-time Cooper’s Hill cheese rolling winner, British Army Veteran, bones made of jello (can’t confirm that at all)
Okay just trust me on this one.
This man willingly throws his body down a hill, doing his best bouncy ball impression, to get a wheel of cheese. The craziest part is he is wildly good at it.
For those of you who have never heard of this English spectacle, you are missing out. Once a year, competitors from around the world (used to just be a local thing) hurl their bodies down a 200-yard hill to a finish line. The person who arrives first wins the wheel of cheese and eternal glory.
Anyways, Anderson has won a staggering 23 times from 2005 to 2022. Yes, this man would race multiple times a day and win multiple times a day (his best was three times in 2018). The kicker, he doesn’t even like the cheddar cheese he wins, he just donates it afterward.
74: Derek Jeter, baseball
ESPN Ranking: 53
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- 2-time World Series Champion, 5-Gold Gloves, 5 Silver Sluggers, 1 World Series MVP, 12-time MLB All-Star, 141 postseason hits (most since 2000), Baseball Hall of Fame
As a lifelong Red Sox fan, it pains me to put Jeter on this list, but I in my heart of hearts cannot put him higher than 74. I do believe he is one of the most overrated players of my generation, but that doesn’t mean he sucked. He was still one of the best baseball players of the century, but I can’t put him over others on this list.
With that being said, he may have the most “moments” in a career. From his iconic last hit, to his patented jump-throw to first, and even his flip throw he made to home in the World Series.
In an era of launch angles, it’s hard to not fall in love with a small-ball player. But when you play for the Yankees (back when they were good), you are gonna get some memorable moments.
73: Walter Jones, football
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- 4-time First-Team All-Pro, 2-time Second-Team All-Pro, 8-time Pro Bowler, NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
Now if you haven’t seen Walter Jones play, you are really missing out. He is a hard-nosed offensive lineman that any team would kill to have today. He played all 13 years of his career in Seatle and had his number retired after his retirement in 2012
This may be the best stat of the day. Jones started in 180 NFL games (136 since 2000) and was not credited for a single sack against him. The Seahawks ran 6,273 passing plays in Jones’ career (4,659 after 2000). And while Jones was not on the field for every single passing snap (missed 12 games in his career) that is still absurd.
It is even crazier he was only penalized eight times in his entire career for holding, just eight.
72: Manny Pacquiao, boxing
ESPN Ranking: 71
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- 35-6-2 pro record, multi-division world champion, held world titles in 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s (only boxer to hold in four decades (won in the 90s as well))
Few boxers have been able to captivate an audience like Manny Pacquiao. His small frame and lightning-fast fists helped Pac-Man secure world title after world title.
Unfortunately for Pacquiao, his much-anticipated fight with Floyd Mayweather happened a little too late in their careers, and didn’t live up to the insane hype surrounding it. He lost that bout and lost much of the fanfare surrounding the rest of his fights.
Manny defeated 22 different world champions over his illustrious career. Some notable names include Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, and Marco Antonio.
In 2021, Pac-Man announced his retirement on social media.
71: Pete Webber, bowling
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- 13 PBA Tour wins (37 in his entire career), 4 PBA Tour Major wins (14 in his entire career), 14 PBA50 Tour wins, the best quote ever
Now I know most of his success came in the 90s, but Pete Webber is a damn-good bowler, and an even better quote machine.
His “Who do you think you are, I am” may be the most famous sports quote of all time. This quote alone after nailing a strike to win would have him on this list, but to throw in the plethora of career achievements he has makes him a no-brainer.
70: Lewis Hamilton, racing
ESPN Ranking: 19
Awards and cool things: 7-time F1 champion (tied for first), 104 race victories (1st), 104 pole positions (1st), 199 podiums (1st)
If there is anything Lewis Hamilton knows how to do, it’s to drive incredible Mercedes cars very very quickly. I will be honest, I am not the biggest F1 fan in the world, but I can appreciate the greatness from Hamilton even though its been Red Bull’s race to lose for a few years now.
The reaction time and strength it takes to be an F1 driver is baffling, and anytime I see training videos I am always just dumbfounded by how sneaky athletic they all are.
Sir Lewis Hamilton owns like every important record in the sport, and after the 39-year-old’s lone win this season, he sits one victory away from holding the all-time record by himself.
69: Rob Gronkowski, football
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: 4-time First-Team All-Pro, 4-time Super Bowl Champion, 5-time Pro Bowler, NFL Comeback Player of the Year, NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
It’s not often the stars align like this, but there is no better person to fill this spot than one of the greatest tight ends ever.
Gronk is a physical specimen who gave the lethal Patriots offense yet another weapon for his nine seasons in Foxborough. He made history as the first tight end to ever lead the league in touchdown receptions (17) in 2011. Gronk wrangled in 92 TDS and 621 receptions in his 11 NFL seasons.
He is ranked first in average yards per target (9.9) and average touchdowns per game (0.69) among tight ends. Gronkowski also holds the Patriots franchise record of total receiving touchdowns (79).
68: JJ Delaney, hurling
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: 9-time All-Ireland, 11 Leinster titles, 8 National Hurling League Championships, 7-time All-Star,
JJ Delaney is as decorated a hurler as you will find. If you haven’t caught a clip from this Irish pastime, you are missing out. The best explanation is if hockey, baseball, and soccer had some sort of 3-sport child. It is one of the most brutal sports to watch as these people just beat each other up with these wooden clubs and hit a ball super far.
Delaney isn’t some flashy forward, he is a mean SOB defender who has way too many pictures on the internet of his face covered in blood after a game (you can search for those if you’d like.
Delaney retired from the sport in 2014 after 13 years of playing professionally and is now an analyst for Sky Sports.
67: Matt Vinc, lacrosse
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: 8-time NLL Goalie of the Year, 4-time NLL Champion, Owns the following NLL records: saves in a career (10,440), wins in a career (158), playoff games played (50), saves in a playoff career (1,849), playoff wins (35), 285 games played (3rd all-time)
So Matt Vinc just owns all the records, and second place is not close on most of these. For saves in a career, he has 3,218 more than the next closest person. Vinc has been elite for his whole career, and he was the backbone of the Bandits 2024 championship at the spry age of 42. This man is still one of the best in the world and is only 23 years away from qualifying for social security.
This man just appears to be a fine wine, getting better with age, but he may have played his last game after his championship victory.
66: Alex Rodriguez, baseball
ESPN Ranking: 43
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- 3-time AL MVP, World Series champion, 7 Silver Sluggers, 11-time All-Star, 548 HR (second most since 2000).
A-Rod was a menace on the field and especially in the batter’s box. I feel like for most of my childhood, most phenomenal hitters were reserved for the DH position and were a liability playing first base.
The only knock on Rodriguez (like every other star at this time) was his steroid use. Listen, I have Barry Bonds high up on this list because everyone was doing them, and that doesn’t discredit how dominant they were. Granted he was dinged with the longest steroid suspension of all time by being sidelined the entire 2014 season. A-Rod ruined my childhood a few too many times, but I cannot sit here and not say how influential of player he was. Every time he was up at the plate was a scary sight.
65: Thierry Henry, soccer
ESPN Ranking: 48
Awards and cool things: 2-time Premier League winner, La Liga winner, two-time FA Cup winner, Copa del Rey winner, Champions League winner, Euros winner, Club World Cup winner, leading French goalscorer (51 goals).
Well if Henry knows how to do anything in this world, it’s how to win. The Frenchman found profound success at the club level, and while his World Cup win was before 2000, he was still able to find success with France in the 21st century with his Euro and Confederations Cup victories.
Barcelona’s historic 2007 treble victories when they won La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League were in no small part to Henry’s play.
Henry fell just short on claiming a Ballon d’Or and FIFA Player of the Year honors, but he was still one of the best strikers of the century and unfortunately was around the same time as some other phenomenal players.
64: Steve Nash, basketball
ESPN Ranking: 51
Awards and cool things: 2-time NBA MVP, 3-time First-team All-NBA, 2-time Second-Team All-NBA, 2-time Third-Team All-NBA, 5-time assists leader, 8-time NBA All-Star NBA 75th Anniversary team, Pro Basketball Hall of Fame
Nash is the most stereotypical version of what I guess is now considered an “old-school” point guard. Listed at 6’3, Nash’s ball movement and ability to push the floor made him a deadly competitor in the early 2000s. While he only averaged 14 points a game during his 18-year career, Nash also averaged 8.5 assists a night.
While he was never able to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy, Nash is still one of the greatest point guards in league history. In the NBA’s 77-year history, only 6 players have more MVPs than Nash.
63: Jimmie Johnson, racing
ESPN Ranking: 47
Awards and cool things: 7-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (tied for most all time), 83 NASCAR Cup Series wins, the only driver to win fives titles in a row
We have never seen a man be able to turn left in the 2000s better than Jimmie Johnson. From 2006-2010, he won five straight championships (the first and only driver to ever do so).
His iconic Lowes secured the checkered flag a staggering 83 times which is the most in the 21st century, and is sixth all-time. You may be asking yourself why I have him higher than Lewis Hamilton. In my opinion, Hamilton benefited so much from the best car and great teammates. Johnson was the better driver in a more even playing field.
62: Giannis Antetokounpo, basketball
ESPN Ranking: 42
Awards and cool things: 2-time NBA MVP, NBA Champion, NBA Finals MVP, 6-time First-Team All-NBA, 2-time Second-Team All-NBA, Defensive Player of the Year, 8-time NBA All-Star, NBA 75th anniversary team
Has there ever been a man to put his team on his back than the Greek Freak has done in Milwaukee? Giannis’ 2021 NBA Finals run will go down in history for how incredible he was.
The way Antetokounmpo plays basketball is truly a sight with his lengthy frame, explosiveness, and drive to want to be great. He was the first player in NBA history to finish a regular season in the top 20 in total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. The Greek Freak plays at an elite level at every aspect of the game (let’s not dive too deep into his 3 ball), and his defensive prowess, while not what it was, is still something NBA stars should strive for.
61: Ed Reed, football
ESPN Ranking: 99
Awards and cool things: Super Bowl Champion, 5-time First-Team All-Pro, 3-time Second-Team All-Pro, Defensive Player of the Year, 9-time Pro Bowler, 3-time interception leader, NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, Holds the following records: most career interception return yards (1,590), longest interception return (107 yards), tied for most career postseason interceptions (9), most seasons leading NFL in interceptions (3), Pro Football Hall of Fame
Ed Reed is probably one of if not the most feared defensive players ever faced in the history of the NFL. His ball-hawk ability can be seen from all of his picks and returns. But if you were lucky enough (or unlucky) to get the ball he was probably the hardest-hitting safety of all time on top of it.
I am kind of shocked EPSN only had him at 99 because there will never be another Ed Reed.
60: Tony Gonzalez, football
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- 5-time First-Team All-Pro, 4-time Second-Team All-Pro, 13-time Pro Bowler, NFL receptions leader for 2004, NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame
The fact ESPN didn’t rank the best tight end in NFL history is a crime. I don’t know if I just love tight ends more than the average human, but these guys are freaks. They are big, fast, agile enough to run routes, able to catch a football in dangerous spots, and not to mention forced to block some of the best pass rushers in the NFL.
Tony Gonzalez only missed 2 games in his 270-game NFL career which is just absurd to me. This man isn’t punting, he is in the trenches and guys are trying to take his head off every Sunday. He notched a total of 6 First-Team All-Pro honors in his career and went to the Pro Bowl 14 times. Gonzalez retired from the game in 2013 and somehow only lost two fumbles in his 17-year career.
59: Jonathan Ogden, football
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- 3-time First-Team All-Pro, 3-time Second-Team All-Pro, Super Bowl Champion, 8-time Pro Bowler, NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame
While Ogden only spent 8 seasons playing in the 21st century (four in the 90s), they were certainly memorable.
Ogden wasn’t credited with a sack against him for any of the 176 games he started in his career (115 since 2000). The offensive line isn’t the sexiest of things to talk about, but I am shocked ESPN didn’t include a single one in its list. I have already named two and have one more yet to list.
Also, the Ravens are cleaning up on this list and have another name to add here. They were stacked in the late 90s and early 2000s.
58: Christine Sinclair, soccer
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: All-time leader for International goals (190), Olympic gold medal, 2 Olympic bronze medals, CONCACAF champion, 5-time WPS/NWSL Champion, WPS Championship MVP
Sinclair has the most International goals for either men’s or women’s soccer with 190 tallies. So, the fact ESPN didn’t have her ranked at all is beyond criminal and doesn’t make the most sense. I understand not everything is numbers, but why would they put Phelps at 1 if that isn’t the case?
To have the most goals, on the world’s largest stage, in the world’s most popular sport, is something we should be talking about more. Sinclair and Wambach’s battle for the crown was legendary and made for an incredible rivalry.
57: Max Scherzer, baseball
ESPN Ranking: 40
Awards and cool things: 3-time Cy Young winner, 2-time World Series Champion, 8-time MLB All-Star
Honestly, Scherzer should be a lot higher on this list, but I just got pitcher fatigue. There have been so many great gunslingers this century, and Max just falls outside of the other top pitchers. With that being said, his career 3.16 ERA and 3391 strikeouts (led MLB for three years) are out of the world for his 17-year career on the mound.
Scherzer is a strikeout machine. He became the third-fastest player ever to record 2,000 career strikeouts. He recorded more wins (161) and strikeouts (2,452) than any pitcher in the 2010s.
We are honestly just blessed to be living in a time with so many future Hall-of-Fame pitchers on the mound.
56: David Ortiz, baseball
ESPN Ranking: 45
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000: 3-time World Series champion, World Series MVP, 7 Silver Sluggers, 10-time All-Star, 2-time AL Hank Aaron Award, 531 HR (third most since 2000), Pro Baseball Hall of Fame
This man right here gave me one of the best childhoods ever. This man was a machine in the postseason, especially in the World Series. He batted .455, had 3 home runs, and 14 RBIs in 14 World Series games.
His ability to flip a switch when all eyes were on him makes him an all-time great. No moment sticks out in my head more than his grand slam in the 2013 ALCS against the Tigers. I remember watching this with my dad in our living room and from that moment, that team became a team of destiny.
55: Ray Lewis, football
ESPN Ranking: 61
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- 2-time Super Bowl winner, Super Bowl MVP, 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, 6-time First-Team All-Pro, 1-time Second-Team All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler, NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame
If Ed Reed isn’t the scariest man to face for an offense, there’s a good chance the other name is Ray Lewis. The linebacker terrorized the NFL for 17 seasons (13 since 2000), and is only one of four defensive players to win a Super Bowl MVP in the 21st century.
Lewis retired in 2012 with 1,568 solo tackles, the most since the statistic began being recorded in 1994. As the NFL continues to change its rules for player safety, it’s safe to say we won’t see a linebacker strike fear into an offensive player like Ray Lewis did.
54: Joe Thomas, football
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: 6-time First-Team All-Pro, 2-time Second-Team All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler, NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, longest consecutive snap streak in NFL history (10,363 snaps), Pro Football Hall of Fame
It’s hard for offensive linemen to ever receive their flowers, let alone a guy who spent all 11 years of his career in Cleveland. No offense to the Browns, but I think most fans want to forget 2007-2017.
Thomas was not credited for a sack against him for all 167 games he started in the NFL and yet was left off ESPN’s list. I get that offensive linemen are sexy picks, but damn to be that good for that long at such a physically demanding position is incredible.
The tackle did not miss a snap until the final year of his career. This man went out to cold-ass Cleveland to play for a terrible Browns team and never took a maintenance day. This man is one of if not the greatest offensive lineman in NFL history.
53: Ichiro Suzuki, baseball
ESPN Ranking: 37
Awards and cool things: AL MVP, AL Rookie of the Year, 10-time Gold Glove Award winner, 2 AL batting titles, 3 Silver Sluggers, 1-time AL stolen base leader, 10-time MLB All-Star
Ichiro was truly a one-of-a-kind enigma in the game of baseball. He spent the first nine years of his pro career in Japan before spending the next 12 with the Mariners and 2 with the Yankees (I totally blocked out the Yankee years). While he started his MLB career at 27, he still surpassed 3000 hits and his small-ball style of batting is still my favorite.
Plus his throws were always lasers no matter where he was throwing to.
Sidebar, I tried so hard to model my game after him (and Dustin Pedroia) as a kid, it didn’t work out.
52: John Tavares, lacrosse
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- NLL Champion, 2-time NLL MVP, set NLL all-time records for games played (306), goals (815), assists (934), and points (1,749), 2 World Championship gold medals
Our third and final lacrosse player is the best to ever do it. While he found a lot of success in the 90s, Tavares was still the best player in the world during the early 2000s. He racked up two MVPs and secured the Bandits’ fourth championship.
For those of you who have never seen an NLL game, I cannot recommend it enough.
Plus this man has been a part of every Buffalo championship (this city is cursed) 4 as a player and 2 coaching the team.
51: Mia Hamm, soccer
ESPN Ranking: 64
Awards and cool things: 2-time World Cup winner, 2-time Olympic gold medalist, second all-time for US Soccer goals (158), US Soccer Hall of Fame
While the previous two women’s soccer players were the best goal scorers of all time Mia Hamm may be the best soccer player ever.
And hey, I know she barely played in the 2000s but I don’t care. I crunched the numbers again and she is 100% on this list. She was the first woman’s soccer player to hit global superstardom. She was a killer on the field, and if she played in today’s game with today’s players, there is no doubt she would have the most goals of all time.
Her 158 international goals put her second in the US history books, and
50: Mariano Rivera, baseball
ESPN Ranking: 59
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- 2 World Series, ALCS MVP, 4-time AL Reliever of the Year, 2-time MLB saves leader, 523 saves and 29 postseason saves (both most since 2000), 11-time MLB All-Star, Baseball Hall of Fame
That stat line above would be even better if we looked back to 1997. Rivera is the best closer of all time. To be able to have the success he had, as a closure, for the New York Yankees is other-worldly.
His lifetime 2.21 ERA and 652 saves (most in MLB history) don’t make any sense to me. Most athletes’ final year or two are forgettable, but not Riveras. He boasted a 2.11 ERA, notched 44 saves, struck out 54 batters, and was named an All-Star all at the young age of 44.
Plus when Jeter and Andy Pettitte took him out of his final game tears me up every damn time.
49: Dirk Nowitzki, basketball
ESPN Ranking: 41
Awards and cool things: NBA Champion, NBA Finals MVP, NBA MVP, 4-time All-NBA First Team, 4-time All-NBA First Team, 5-time All-NBA Second Team, 3-time All-NBA Third Team, 14-time All-Star, NBA 75th anniversary team, Basketball Hall of Fame
If Giannis put the Bucks on his back, Dirk dragged the Mavs to an NBA Championship in 2011. The German defeated the super-team Heat in an all-time David vs. Goliath moment in sports. He averaged 27 that playoff run, while the next closest person (Jason Terry) put up 17.
Dirk’s iconic fadeaway in the post was unguardable at times and was a mainstay during his 21-year NBA career in Dallas. He wrapped up his career in 2019 with 31,560 points (sixth all-time and second since 2000).
Also the guy CARRIED German basketball forever.
48: Floyd Mayweather, boxing
ESPN Ranking: 25
Awards and cool things: 50-0 record from 1996 to 2017, 27 knockouts, five-division world champion
Neva lost!
Mayweather won titles in a casual five weight classes and is arguably the best pound-for-pound boxer of all time. While his last few fights, Pacquiao and McGregor, have been more about the money than in-ring work, he is still the best boxer I have ever seen. There probably never be another boxer to do what Mayweather has done.
The nickname Floyd “Money” Mayweather didn’t appear randomly. He is estimated to have won a breezy $1.1 billion.
47: Clayton Kershaw, baseball
ESPN Ranking: 31
Awards and cool things: 3-time NL Cy Young winner, World Series Champion, NL MVP, 1-time All-MLB Second-Team, Triple Crown winner, 3-time NL wins leader, 5-time NL ERA leader, 3-time NL strikeouts leader, 10-time MLB All-Star, no-hitter
The lefty may have had one of the most dominant stretches we have seen from a pitcher in the mid-2010s. While some injuries have slightly hampered his career, his career 2.48 ERA and 210-92 record are Hall of Fame worthy. There is no doubt that he will be in Cooperstown the second he is eligible.
If you are asking yourself why I have Verlander higher, it is because he has just had a longer career of being elite. Kershaw has been the better pitcher at his peak, but Verlander has just been consistently good for so long.
46: Miguel Cabrera, baseball
ESPN Ranking: 33
Awards and cool things: 2-time AL MVP, World Series Champion, Triple Crown winner, 7 Silver Sluggers, 2-time Hank Aaron Award winner, 4-time AL batting champion, 2-time AL home run champion, 2-time AL RBI champion,
Yeah, this guy can fucking hit a baseball. Cabrera’s historic career ended in 2023 (following a great $90 bottle of wine from the Athletics) and he is one of three players in MLB history to have a career batting average above .300, 500 home runs, and 3,000 hits (Hank Aaron and Willie Mays). Not bad company to be with if you ask me.
Cabrera’s best season of his 21-year career was in 2012. He won the Triple Crown that year and it was the first time a player had grabbed that honor in 45 years. He batted .330, crushed 44 home runs, and knocked in 139 RBIs that year.
45: Dwyane Wade, basketball
ESPN Ranking: 35
Awards and cool things: 3-time NBA Champion, NBA Finals MVP, 2-time All-NBA First Team, 3-time All-NBA Second Team, 3-time All-NBA Third Team, NBA scoring champion in 2009, 13-time NBA All-Star, NBA 75th Anniversary team, Basketball Hall of Fame
I think we are all guilty of looking past Dwyane Wade’s success before the Big 3 formed in Miami. D-Wade averaged 28 points during his 2006 Championship playoff run. In the last four games of that Finals series against Dallas, Wade put up 42, 36, 43, and then 36 points to win his first championship.
His scoring obviously took a bit of a dive once Lebron and Bosh joined him in South Beach, but Wade still averaged 22 points a game over his 17-year NBA career.
44: Nicklas Lindström, hockey
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- 7-time Norris Trophy winner, 2 Stanley Cups (4 total in career), Conn Smythe Trophy, 8-time NHL first All-Star team, 2-time NHL second All-Star team, Olympic gold medal, NHL 2000s All-Decade First Team, Hockey Hall of Fame
Nicklas Lindström is one of the best defensemen in NHL history, and it’s heartbreaking he was not on ESPN’s list. He was named as the best defenseman in the NHL a staggering seven times in his 20-year career, all with Detroit. He is only one behind Bobby Orr for most Norris Trophies of all time.
While we see defensemen today prioritize offense, Lindström was kind of the last of that “old guard” of the league’s best defensemen being defenders first. That doesn’t mean Lindström didn’t put up points. The Swede tallied 1142 points in his 1564-game career while sitting sixth all-time in +/- by defensemen.
It’s crazy to think of a guy with the resume Lindström has being underrated, but we never hear his name brought up in conversations like this.
43: A’ja Wilson, basketball
ESPN Ranking: 90
Awards and cool things: 2-time WNBA MVP, 2-time WNBA Champion, WNBA Finals MVP, 6-time WNBA All-Star, 2-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, WNBA Rookie of the Year, 3-time All- WNBA First Team, All- WNBA Second Team, 3-time WNBA blocks leader, Olympic gold medal
Well, that is certainly a laundry list of accolades for the blossoming career of A’ja Wilson. Since being the consensus first-overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft by the Aces, she has exceeded her lofty expectations. She is the best player in the league right now and will be the backbone of the USA’s gold medal dreams in this upcoming Olympics.
An absolute disgrace by ESPN to have her ranked 90. They ranked
42: Marta, soccer
ESPN Ranking: 32
Awards and cool things: 6-time FIFA World Player of the Year, Brazil’s top goal scorer all time (118), record World Cup goals (17), Golden Ball winner, Golden Boot winner, first soccer player to score at five consecutive Olympic Games, 2 Olympic silver medals, 2-time WPS Champion
Marta is so unbelievably good. I’ll be honest I didn’t know as much as I should have about her going into this, but the more I learned the more I was star-struck by her dominance. I mean it does suck and hurt her ranking, that Brazil couldn’t come home with any trophies, but it’s a team sport. She has the individual accomplishments, and I really hope her squad can make a run for gold at these Paris Olympics.
She does have two WPS Championships under her belt, but international gold is the highest standard.
41: Shohei Ohtani, baseball
ESPN Ranking: 62
Awards and cool things: 2-time AL MVP, 4-time All-MLB First Team, 2-time All-MLB Second Team, 2 Silver Sluggers, Hank Aaron Award winner, 3-time Edgar Martínez Award, AL home run champion, AL triple champion, AL Rookie of the Year, 4-time MLB All-Star
Look, I get he might not have the long-term pedigree of other ball players right now, but he is a goddamn spectacle and is doing something we haven’t seen since Babe Ruth. I have no idea how ESPN only had him ranked 62nd.
I struggled with where to place him, and I feel like he could be top-20 just because of how much of a freak he is. How is he one of the best batters and pitchers in the game right now? He should be in the circus not, selling out Dodger stadium.
He currently leads the MLB in home runs with 30, slugging, and OPS. While he hasn’t hit the mound this year due to an ongoing elbow injury. He has two 40-home run seasons so far and has a career 3.01 ERA pitching along with a 38-19 record.
I hope to be able to catch a series someday with Ohtani on the mound for one game then batting the next.
40: Diana Taurasi, basketball
ESPN Ranking: 21
Awards and cool things: 3-time WNBA Champion, 2-time WNBA Finals MVP, WNBA MVP, 10-time All-WNBA First-Team, 4-time All-WNBA Second-Team, WNBA Rookie of the Year, 5-time WNBA scoring champion, 1-time WNBA assist champion, WNBA 25th Anniversary Team, 11-time WNBA All-Star, 6-time EuroLeague champion, 5 Olympic gold medals, 3 World Championship gold medals
Diana Taurasi 42 years old and is still playing in the WNBA. She’s not just playing either, Taurasi is averaging 16 points and nearly 5 boards a game. Her nickname “White Mamba” was coined by Kobe Bryant, and I can’t think of better recognization a player could get from another player.
Taurasi leads the WNBA in all-time regular season and postseason points (11,902 total) and 3s (1,682 total).
She is the most decorated player in women’s basketball history and is poised to win her sixth gold medal at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
39: Justin Verlander, baseball
ESPN Ranking: 40
Awards and cool things: 3-time AL Cy Young winner, 2-time World Series Champion, AL MVP, 2-time MLB First-Team, Triple Crown winner, AL Rookie of the Year, 4-time AL wins leader, 2-time AL ERA leader, 5-time AL strikeouts leader, 8-time MLB All-Star, 3 career no-hitters
The thing that sets Verlander apart from the other phenomenal hurlers (not the Irish one) on this list is his freaky durability. We see in today’s game pitchers, like Paul Skenes, being protected more, but Verlander has pitched over 200 innings 9 times in his 19-year career (the most innings pitcher per game since 2000, minimum of 400 games played).
While his ERA has shot up to 3.95 this season, the 41-year-old has 51 k’s in his 57 innings pitched with the Astros. There is no doubt Verlander will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he decides to hang them up.
38: Aaron Donald, football
ESPN Ranking: 20
Awards and cool things: 3-time Defensive POY (tied for most all time), 8-time first-team All-Pro, Super Bowl winner, NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year, 10-time Pro Bowler
This past season was the first time since 2014 that NFL QBs haven’t had to worry about Aaron Donald sacking them. The defensive tackle had 111 career NFL sacks, and while there are other players with more (JJ Watt and Jared Allen), I just think Donald has been a better and more impactful player.
I don’t know if it was the video of him training with knives but I can’t say that didn’t play some sort of factor in my dumb brain.
37: Nikola Jokic, basketball
ESPN Ranking: 28
Awards and cool things: 3-time NBA MVP, NBA Champion, NBA Finals MVP, 4-time All-NBA First Team, 2-time All-NBA Second Team, 6-time NBA All-Star, Olympic silver medal
The man who was drafted during a Taco Bell commercial is the best player in the NBA right now. He is one of only nine players to win three or more MVPs, and he is only 29 years old.
Jokic looks like an old-school center, is one of the most creative passers in the league, sees the court so well, and can hit basically any shot on the floor.
He thankfully got his championship in 2023 and can put that narrative to bed that he has never gotten a ring.
He probably should have another MVP under his belt, but voter fatigue is a bitch.
36: Kevin Garnett, basketball
ESPN Ranking: 23
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- NBA MVP, NBA Champion, 4-time All-NBA First Team, 3-time All-NBA Second Team, 1-time All-NBA Third Team, NBA Defensive Player of the Year, 4-time NBA rebounding champion, 13-time NBA All-Star, NBA 75th Anniversary Team, 1 Olympic gold medal
KG found individual success with the team that drafted him, Minnesota. He did find some team success when he led the T-Wolves to their first playoff series win and trip to their first conference final. Garnett ended up leaving Minnesota for Boston in 2007, forming the first “super team” when he joined Paul Pearce and Ray Allen.
Garnett’s lengthy frame and ability to move and shoot was ahead of his time. I do think if he was playing in today’s NBA he would have another MVP trophy.
35: Jaromir Jagr, hockey
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- 2-time Art Ross Trophy winner, 3-time NHL first All-Star team, 2-time Lester B. Pearson Award winner, Bill Masterton winner, 6-time NHL All-Star Olympic bronze medal, 3 World Championship medals (2 golds), 52 and still playing professional hockey
Hey there is no doubting Jagr did his best work on the ice in the 90s. Back-to-back Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh, 3 more Art Ross Trophies, 4 more first All-Star team selections, and a Hart Trophy all happened before the 21st century and make Jagr one of the greatest players ever.
With that being said, he played in the NHL until he was 45 years old, and was still playing professionally in his home country of Czechia this year. To be able to play in the show at 35 is incredible, let alone do it at 45. He is one of the best goal-scorers of all time with 766 tucks (421 since 2000). I don’t care that there have been better players this century, Jagr is a physical specimen and deserves to be on this list.
34: Mikaela Shiffrin, skiing
ESPN Ranking: 44
Awards and cool things: 3-time Olympic medalist (2 golds) Alpine record 96 World Cup wins, 60 World Cup slalom victories (most in a single skiing discipline), 17-total global medals
When I think when a lot of us think about US Skiing, we think of Lindsey Vonn. While she deserves her flowers, Mikaela Shiffrin should be a household name by now.
While she only has 2 Olympic golds (still a lot for what she does) she has been beyond dominant on the Alpine Ski Circuit. She sits fourth in all-time World Cup wins by skiers, and has the most by any alpine skier.
Her 17 global medals make her the most successful skier in the modern era and earned her a spot on the Times 100 most influential persons list in 2023.
33: Hayley Wickenheiser, hockey
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- 4 Olympic gold medals, 10 World Championship medals (4 gold and 6 silver), Canada Women’s Hockey all-time leader in goals (168), assists (211), and games (276), The first woman to play full-time professional men’s hockey in a position other than a goalie, Hockey Hall of Fame
Considered the best women’s hockey player to ever lace up a pair of skates, Wickenheiser captured a total (Olympic and World Championship) of 11 gold medals during her lengthy career.
In 2003, she made the move to play pro men’s hockey in Finland’s third division and became the first woman to score a goal in a professional men’s hockey game. Women’s hockey has taken massive strides in recent year (the forming of the PWHL) and that is in no due part to Wickenheiser.
I wish she could have played during today’s era with professional women’s hockey, but without her who knows if we would have it at the level it’s at today.
32: Mike Trout, baseball
ESPN Ranking: 30
Awards and cool things: 3-time AL MVP (2nd most all-time), 3-time All-MLB First Team, 9 Silver Sluggers, AL Rookie of the Year, 2-time Hank Aaron Award winner, 1-time AL RBI and stolen base leader, 11-time MLB All-Star
God, Mike Trout is so good at baseball but he has been cursed to be playing for the Angels. That team had him and Ohtani and still somehow sucked. I guess it’s not all bad since he signed a contract in 2019 for a cool $426 million.
Mike Trout made his MLB debut in 2011, and has only played in 3 postseason games. That may be the craziest stat on this list, which is saying a lot (Chris Anderson won three cheese-rolling events in a single day).
He needs to get out of Anaheim, and head to a contender if he wants to cement his legacy (staying healthy also helps with that).
31: Connor McDavid, hockey
ESPN Ranking: 98
Awards and cool things: 5-time Art Ross Trophy winner (most in the 21st century), 3-time Hart Trophy winner, Conn Smythe winner, 5-time Ted Lindsey Award winner, Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner, 5-time NHL First All-Star team, 2-time NHL Second All-Star team, 153 points in 2023 (most in a season since 2000)
How the hell did ESPN only have McDavid at 98? He is the best player in the NHL today and has been for the last 7-8 seasons. McDavid is the fastest skater in the league, one of the smartest with the puck, and transcends anything we have seen before offensively.
His biggest knock is that he hasn’t won a Stanley Cup yet, but he finally willed the Oilers to the finals this year. While he was held without a point in the last two games, his 42 points this postseason (fourth all-time) earned him the Conn Smythe despite losing to the Panthers.
McDavid has an unheard-of 982 points in only 645 NHL games.
If we do this list in 4 more years he will be top-10 for sure.
30: Shaun White, snowboarding/skateboarding
ESPN Ranking: 72
Awards and cool things: 3-time Olympic gold medalist in halfpipe (most gold medals by a snowboarder), 18-time Winter X Games medalist (13 gold), 5-time Summer X Games medalist (2 gold), Most X Games medals
This guy dominates a half-pipe on snow and on wheels. I have no idea how difficult of a transition that is, but no one else has done it to the level he has so I’d say it’s pretty damn hard. He was the first person to compete in both the summer and winter X Games.
White is the most decorated X Gamer of all time and has the most Olympic gold medals in snowboarding.
He finished fourth in the 2022 Olympics, his final time competing at the Games.
29: Kevin Durant, basketball
ESPN Ranking: 39
Awards and cool things: NBA MVP, 2-time NBA Champion, 2-time Finals MVP, 6-time All-NBA First Team, 5-time All-NBA Second Team, NBA Rookie of the Year, 4-time NBA scoring champion, 14-time NBA All-Star, NBA 75th Anniversary Team, 3 Olympic gold medals
The “Slim Reaper” (we gotta use that nickname more) is one of the best scorers in NBA history. He is so tall 6’11 and can move like he is 5’11. When he is playing his best basketball, there is nothing anyone can do to stop him. I think back to the 2021 playoffs with Brooklyn (if his foot wasn’t on the line he’d have 3 championships).
My only knock on Durant is he has never won a championship outside of his absurd super team in Golden State alongside Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
His 28,924 career points place him 8th all-time and fourth since 2000.
28: Rafael Nadal, tennis
ESPN Ranking: 12
Awards and cool things: 22-time Grand Slam singles champion, 209 weeks as world No. 1, fourth-most men’s singles wins in Open era, great on clay
I am no tennis expert but I am always shocked at how good Nadal is on clay. I don’t understand the science behind it, but I wish he was also the king of more than just clay.
Out of his 22 Grand Slam trophies, 14 of them came on clay. He is just one of three (Wilander and Djokovic) to have at least two Grand Slam championship wins on grass (2), hard court (6), and clay (14).
Nadal is undefeated in the final of the French Open which is so unbelievable they put a statue up of him in front of the stadium.
27: Tim Duncan, basketball
ESPN Ranking: 17
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- 4-time NBA Champion, 2-time Finals MVP, 2-time NBA MVP, 8-time All-NBA First Team, 3-time All-NBA Second Team, 2-time All-NBA Third Team, 14-time NBA All-Star, 7-time NBA All-Defensive First Team, NBA 75th Anniversary team, Basketball Hall of Fame
I struggled with where to put Tim Duncan. He is the most underrated player in NBA history, and I fell right into that trap by only having him at 27th. I am also shocked he never won a defensive player of the year award.
Duncan ended up winning 5 NBA Championships over the course of his career, and him and the Spurs just knew how to win.
The center concluded his 19-year career averaging over 10 boards and two blocks a game. If his career didn’t begin in 1997, he’d be higher on this list.
26: Magnus Carlsen, chess
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: Youngest person to be ranked #1 in the world and surpass an ELO of 2800, 5-time World Chess Champion, seven-time World Blitz Chess, record 151-month consecutive world #1 ranking
If you want to yell at me for putting a chess person on this list, I ask you where the line is on athlete. If we include auto-racing, I can’t see why we aren’t including chess.
Magnus is considered the greatest chess player of all time and continues to one-up his own records. The level he has played at for the time is absolutely unheard of, and goes to show the competitor he is and the level of his greatness.
It is hard to find anyone on this list more dominant than Magnus Carlsen.
25: Randy Moss, football
ESPN Ranking: 27
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1- 4-time First-team All-Pro, 4-time NFL receiving touchdown leader, 4-time Pro Bowler, 2nd all-time in career receiving touchdowns (156), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame
Well if one of the best things a wide receiver can do is named after you, I’d say you are pretty damn good. Randy Moss, and his iconic Mossed, is one of the best wide receivers of all time. If he didn’t have those down years in Oakland, he’d probably be higher up on this list.
He unfortunately lost both Super Bowls he was in, but that really doesn’t take too much away from how good he was on the field. It felt like any ball thrown his way he’d be able to jump up and grab, bailing his QB out. While he wasn’t the fastest man on Earth, he was certainly one of the best wide receivers.
24: Peyton Manning, football
ESPN Ranking: 26
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- 5-time NFL MVP (most all time), 2-time Super Bowl Champion, Super Bowl MVP, 7-time First-Team All-Pro, 2-time Second-Team All-Pro, 3-time NFL passing yards leader, 4-time NFL passing touchdowns leader, 3-time NFL passer rating leader, 2-time NFL completion percentage leader, 3rd all-time in touchdowns thrown
If there is an award to win, or a record to get, Peyton got it (except running, dude was so slow). But Peyton, like I feel like with many on this list, was the last of an “old guard.” He was a traditional pocket passer who could read a defense like no other and place a ball wherever he wanted.
Leaving Indianapolis was a risk, but winning a Super Bowl in Denver forever cemented his legacy as one of the best football players ever.
I also love OMAHA!
23: Albert Pujols, baseball
ESPN Ranking: 24
Awards and cool things: 3-time NL MVP, 2-time World Series Champion, NL Rookie of the Year, 2 Gold Gloves, 6 Silver Sluggers, 2-time NL Hank Aaron Award winner, NL batting champion, 2-time NL home run leader, NL RBI leader, 11-time MLB All-Star, 4th all-time in home runs (703), 9th all-time in hits (3,384)
Pujols’ race to 700 homers was a great time to have been alive. His historic 22-year career stuck fear into pitchers with his unique ability to hit the ball into orbit but also just reach base as well. His two Gold Gloves add another dimension to his game the average big hitter doesn’t have.
Also, the nickname “Machine” is cool as hell and I wish I had a nickname like that.
22: Alex Ovechkin, hockey
ESPN Ranking: 54
Awards and cool things: 9-time Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner, 3-time Hart Trophy winner, Stanley Cup Champion, Conn Smythe winner, Calder Trophy winner, 8-time NHL First All-Star team, 4-time NHL Second All-Star team, Art Ross Trophy winner, NHL 2000s All-Decade First Team, 2nd in all-time goals (853)
It feels like every record is owned by the Great One, Wayne Gretzky. But that might not stay true forever as Alex Ovechkin only sits 41 goals behind Gretzky for the most ever. He tallied 31 last year and feels like he will stick around until he breaks it.
Obviously, Ovi is one of the best goal scorers but his ability to find the back of the net on the powerplay is his best attribute. Properly named “Ovi’s Office” is where is patented one-timer comes from.
His 2018 Stanley Cup win was such a feel-good moment for all hockey fans, and his subsequent party with the cup will go down in history as an all-timer.
21: Roger Federer, tennis
ESPN Ranking: 6
Awards and cool things: 20-time major champion, eight Wimbledon titles (most by a man all time), 103 tour singles titles (second most by man in the Open era),
I have no idea why ESPN put Federer above Djokovic in its ranking but it happened. I’ll be honest I’m not the biggest tennis fan, but the numbers paint Novak as the better player this century. Unless we are talking best Wimbledon players ever, I can’t put Roger any higher.
Federer will forever be one of the greats and would be the best ever if he wasn’t in the same generation as Nadal and Djkovic. But that doesn’t discredit what he’s done, if anything it shows just how good he is.
20: Calvin Johnson, football
ESPN Ranking: 57
Awards and cool things: 3-time First-Team All-Pro, 1-time Second-Team All-Pro, 2-time NFL receiving yards leader, 1-time NFL receptions leader, NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame
You may be asking yourself why Megatron is so high up here compared to ESPN. Well, just reread that nickname again because its cool as hell, and also Johnson is the greatest and most disruptive (on the field) wide receiver of all time.
He was a physical specimen, who had the unfortunate fate of being a Detroit Lion. His stat line above isn’t the best here, but this is an eye-test selection. Megatron was never ever in single coverage, and if he had any sort of secondary help, he would have even more receptions and touchdowns
The Lions killed his 9-year NFL career and I will never forgive them.
19: Shaquille O’Neil, basketball
ESPN Ranking: 17
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- 4-time NBA Champion, 3-time Finals MVP, NBA MVP, 7-time All-NBA First Team, 1-time All-NBA Third Team, NBA scoring champion, 9-time All-Star, NBA 75th Anniversary team, Pro Basketball Hall of Fame
Shaq was one of the most dominant players of all time regardless of the sport. His biggest downfall on this list? He spent a good chunk of his best years in the 90s.
He and Kobe together is one of my favorite duos ever, and when Shaq was on, he was on. One of the best big men in league history, and averaged 23.7 points, 10.9 boards, and 2.2 blocks a game over his 19-year career.
Plus who doesn’t love a backboard being brought down?
18: Barry Bonds, baseball
ESPN Ranking: 38
Awards and cool things: Since Jan. 1, 2000- 4 NL MVPs, 317 home runs (MLB-record 73 in 2001), 6-time MLB All-Star, 5 Silver Sluggers, 2 batting titles
I do not care that Barry Bonds was roided up to the max. He hit baseballs farther to the moon and I love that, and he wasn’t the only guy juicing.
Bonds was an absolute menace in the batter’s box. He racked up an MLB record 762 home runs along with 688 walks.
Sure, some came in the 90s but he was his best in the early 2000s. He should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
17: Patrick Mahomes, football
ESPN Ranking: 18
Awards and cool things: 3-time Super Bowl Champion, 3time Super Bowl MVP, 2-time NFL MVP, 2-time NFL First Team All-Pro, 1-time NFL Second Team All-Pro, 1-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year, 6-time Pro Bowler, 2-time NFL passing touchdown leader
I hate his man. I am a lifelong Bills fan, and his dumb face shows up every playoffs and absolutely kills me. He should be banned from the league, or just like moved to the NFC.
Now that is out of the way, he is so fucking good. What he has done to change the position already is insane, and there is no doubt that if I do the list again in a few years he will be in the top 10. The only thing holding him back now is the fact he has only been a starter in the league since 2018.
16: Cristiano Ronaldo, soccer
ESPN Ranking: 13
Awards and cool things: 5-time Ballon d’Or winner, 5-time Champions League winner, 3-time Premier League winner, 2-time La Liga winner, 2-time Serie A winner, UEFA European Champion, holds records for the most international goals (130) and appearances (183), Champions League goals (140) assists (42) and appearances (212)
Ronaldo is one of the best finishers of all time (even if he is a backdoor merchant). His ability to win at the club level is astounding, and if he had more luck internationally he’d be higher on this list.
Don’t get me wrong he can create offense on his own, but he benefits a lot more from better teammates than a certain Argentinian does.
15: Usain Bolt, track
ESPN Ranking: 10
Awards and cool things: 8-time Olympic gold medalist, 100m world-record holder, the only person to win 100m and 200m titles at three consecutive Olympics, 14 World Championship medals (11 gold)
The fact this man doesn’t have any silver or bronze medals is mind-boggling. He is obviously the fastest man ever, but to do so over the course of his three Olympics is so impressive.
Should he be higher up on this list? Probably, but in my head he is just fast, and every other athlete above him brings more to the table than just speed.
With that being said, he was always the highlight of the Summer Games.
14: Tony Hawk, skateboarding
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things: Completed and documented first “900,” 16 X Games medals
Okay I can already hear you yelling at me about this, but Tony Hawk made skateboarding what it is today.
I don’t care that he made his mark in the 90s, he was still at the top of the world in the early 2000s. I know this shouldn’t go in the rankings but he had the best video game ever too.
13: Novak Djokovic, tennis
ESPN Ranking: 11
Awards and cool things: 24-time Grand Slam singles champion, record 422 weeks as No. 1, third in men’s singles titles (98), wins (1,110) in Open era, Olympic bronze medal
Djokovic has really done it all. 10 Australian Open championships, seven at Wimbledon, four from the US Open, and three at the French Open. I have him ranked as the best tennis player of this century and the numbers above just prove my argument.
He has the most Grand Slam wins so he just has to be ranked above Nadal and Federer. Plus, Joker is only 37 years old and may be able to grab another Grand Slam championship.
The tennis world needs new superstars ASAP to replace this trio.
12: Kobe Bryant, basketball
ESPN Ranking: 10
Awards and cool things: 5-time NBA Champion, 2-time Finals MVP, NBA MVP, 11-time All-NBA First Team, 2-time All-NBA Second Team, 2-time All-NBA Third Team, 9-time NBA All-Defensive First Team, 2-time NBA scoring champion, 18-time NBA All-Star, NBA 75th Anniversary team, Pro Basketball Hall of Fame, 2 Olympic gold medals
What can I say about Kobe that hasn’t already been said? His name has been said probably a billion times by people shooting a paper ball into the garbage. His “mamba mentality” is echoed by athletes and pundits daily.
I remember watching his final game (81 points) so vividly and being at the edge of my seat for each free throw he drained. Truly a special moment and a once-in-a-lifetime player.
Kobe was one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and the basketball world will forever miss him.
11: Simone Biles, gymnastics
ESPN Ranking: 7
Awards and cool things: Seven-time Olympic medalist (tied for most by American gymnast), 4 Olympic gold medals at the 2016 Games, 23 World Championship gold medals (30 total)
The things Simone Biles can do feels like she is bending time and space to accomplish these feats.
It feels like she is the best at every event, but what she can do on the floor will never not leave my jaw on the floor. She is the greatest gymnast to ever grace this planet.
The only downfall was when she got the “spins “twisties” at the Tokyo Olympics and did not add to her medal count. I am so excited to see what she does in Paris.
10: Sidney Crosby, hockey
ESPN Ranking: 22
Awards and cool things: 3-time Stanley Cup Champion, 2-time Conn Smythe winner, 2-time Art Ross Trophy winner, 2-time Hart Trophy winner, 2-time Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, NHL 2010s All-Decade first team, 4-time NHL First Team All-Star, 10-time NHL All-Star, 10th all-time in points (1,596), youngest player to have a 100 point season, youngest player to reach 200 points, youngest Art Ross Trophy winner, Youngest NHL All-Star, youngest captain to win Stanley Cup, youngest player to lead playoff scoring
Well, what hasn’t Sidney Crosby done? He has been one of the best hockey players since he reached the NHL as an 18-year-old.
You’d think at 36 he’d start to slow down, but Sid tallied 42 goals and 94 points this past season as well as being named an All-Star. He is a phenomenon that I wish I could understand.
Sidebar, I interned with the Penguins this past year and Crosby is the nicest person I have ever met before in my entire life. He doesn’t need to be but he is.
9: Tom Brady, football
ESPN Ranking: 5
Awards and cool things: 7-time Super Bowl Champion, 5-time Super Bowl MVP, 3-time NFL MVP, 3-time First-Team All-Pro, 3-time Second-Team All-Pro, 15-time Pro Bowler, NFL 2000s and 2010s All-Decade teams, 5-time passing touchdown leader, 4-times passing yards leader, and like a million other things
All-time NFL records: quarterback wins (251), career passing completions (7,753), career passing touchdowns (649), career passing yards (89,214), longest touchdown pass (tied at 99 yards), career playoff quarterback wins (35), career playoff passing yards (13,400), career playoff passing touchdowns (88)
You name the record and its Brady’s.
But Tom Brady is just the best QB ever. Something about him just wins football games, and he has an “it” factor that transcends any reality I know. He was just a player you knew when he had the ball for a 2-minute drill the game was over (granted I don’t think the Bills ever put him in that spot).
The worst part about what I said about Patrick Mahomes is I can’t even say this about Brady because the Bills sucked his entire career (spin zone he could never beat a good Bills team)
The whole narrative through his career was how Brady couldn’t win without Belichick. So, Brady took his ball and won a Lombardi in Tampa Bay, signifying his legacy.
The only reason he isn’t higher on my list is that in my head I can’t justify putting a football player so high up who can’t run faster than a snail. But as much as it pains me to say, he is the best football player ever.
8: Steph Curry, basketball
ESPN Ranking: 14
Awards and cool things: 4-time NBA Champion, Finals MVP, 2-time NBA MVP, 4-time All-NBA First Team, 4-time All-NBA Second Team, 2-time All-NBA Third Team, 2-time NBA scoring champion, NBA 75th Anniversary team, most 3-pointers in NBA season (402) and history (3,747)
This pick will certainly ruffle some feathers. But I will stand by my decision to put Steph over Kobe and Brady.
Curry completely turned the game of basketball on its head. His 3-point shooting ability is something we have never seen before and who knows if we ever will. He has the most threes in history and its not even close. We see kids chucking up half-court shots to be like Curry (we can discuss another time how this has affected basketball as a whole).
Steph has always been surrounded by great players to help elevate his own game. If he was stuck at a Charlotte who knows where he’d land on this list? But with 4 Finals Championships, he is a no-brainer for my top 10.
I also love Curry because he was doubted for his size and just ended up being one of the most impactful NBA superstars ever.
7: Serena Williams, tennis
ESPN Ranking: 2
Awards and cool things: 23-time major champion (second most by any player), 365 major match wins (most by a woman), 4 Olympic gold medals
Serena certainly did all that you can do as a tennis player. From her dominant singles success to her undefeated major finals streak with her sister Venus, Serena is one of the greatest athletes of all-time.
The fact that she was so good for so long too doesn’t make any sense to me. We’ve seen tennis players get dubbed the “next big thing” only to disappear just a few years later. She spent 319 weeks as the number-one ranked player in the world, which is over 6 years or around 2,233 days.
I don’t think we will ever see another Serena, mainly because this person needs a world-class sibling as well.
6: Michael Phelps, swimming
ESPN Ranking: 1
Awards and cool things: Most Olympic medals (28 total with 23 being gold), most gold medals in a single Olympics (eight in 2008), holds 4 world records (400m individual medley, 4 x 100m freestyle relay, 4 x 100m medley relay, and 4 x 200m)
Oh boy here we go.
ESPN put Phelps first on their list, and I respect that. Just kidding, I think it’s pretty dumb. This has absolutely zero knock on Phelps, but his record-setting medals is as much to do with the USA being a swimming powerhouse for 12 of his Olympic medals. If he was from a smaller country with worse teammates, he wouldn’t be where he is at with his medal count. I think it’s silly to base so much of his success (nearly half of his medals) to how good 3 other people were. Especially when out of his four world records only one is an individual one.
I didn’t mean to rag on Phelps that much because he is one of the best to ever do it, but he is just not my GOAT.
While Phelps is the most decorated Olympian, but he is not my highest-ranked one or even highest-ranked swimmer.
5: Lionel Messi, soccer
ESPN Ranking: 3
Awards and cool things: record 8 Ballon d’Or, World Cup Champion, 10-time La Liga champion, 7-time Copa del Rey winner, 4-time Champions League winner, 2-time Copa America winner, 2-time FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner, 6-time Champions League top scorer, record holder goal scorer for Argentina and Barcalona.
Messi is one of the best to ever do it in any sport. He and Ronaldo were always discussed as who was better, but Messi has beyond pulled away in recent years. This is in no small part to him winning his first World Cup in 2022 at the age of 34.
It felt like everyone on Earth was rooting for Messi to get his World Cup moment and victory. Few players have ever gotten the universal love he got during that 2022 run.
I think Messi’s play is by far and away the best I have ever seen, and the fact he has done it for as long as he has makes it even more special.
4: Tiger Woods, golf
ESPN Ranking: 8
Awards and cool things: 13 major wins (2nd most all-time), tied for most tour wins of all time, 5 Masters wins (2nd most all-time)
Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer to grace this planet. While he trails Jack Nicklaus in the wins at a Major, Tiger is just by far and away the better golfer. Now, I know it’s different eras, but Nicklaus was facing plumbers on a weekly basis.
Unfortunately, injuries have derailed Tiger for the past 15 years (some are certainly on him) so he hasn’t been able to surpass Jack.
Tiger did something no one thought possible, he got golf to go mainstream. I don’t have enough time to talk about the societal barriers he broke on the course.
Some of the best moments in the history of golf involve Tiger and a red shirt. From his Masters win in 2019 to his iconic chip-in at Augusta in 2005, Tiger Woods is golf.
3: Katie Ledecky, swimming
ESPN Ranking: 15
Awards and cool things: 10 Olympic medals (7 golds), Record-holding 21 World Championship gold medals, world records in 800m free and 1,500m free
Okay anyone who puts Phelps ahead of Ledecky is just wrong. We have never seen dominance in sports like Ledecky in long-distance swimming. She makes the best swimmers in the world look like Squints at the pool in the movie Sandlot.
When she races, the conversation is not “who is going to win?” It’s how many seconds is Ledecky going to win by.
If we are talking about best athletes, I like to think of individual dominance and she absolutely owns long-distance swimming (something that looks like it sucks doing). Only two of her Olympic golds came in relays, while two of her three silvers did as well. Ledecky is a beast and will look to add to her large medal count at the Paris Olympics.
This picture alone is enough to justify her at this spot.
2: LeBron James, basketball
ESPN Ranking: 4
Awards and cool things: All-time NBA scoring leader (40,474), 4-time NBA Champion, 4-time Finals MVP, 4-time NBA MVP, 13-time All-NBA First Team, 3-time All-NBA Second Team, 4-time All-NBA Third Team, 5-time NBA All-Defensive First Team, NBA Rookie of the Year, NBA 75th Anniversary Team
It is time for LeGoat to get his time to shine here. To have all the eyes on him when he entered the league to then somehow surpass them is remarkable.
His only career fault in my eyes was forming the super team in South Beach, but it added to the incredible stat line above this. But James returning home and dragging the Cavaliers year in and year out until Cleveland became a city of champions is the stuff of legends.
I love to joke about LeBron and his legacy but there is no one who has been as good for as long as he has been in the big 4 major sports.
1: Joey Chestnut, eating
ESPN Ranking: NA
Awards and cool things:
The fact this man wasn’t on ESPN’s list at all is beyond criminal and disqualifies their entire article. Joey Chestnut completely revolutionized professional eating and the things his stomach can do are not real. I feel like he is more magician than athlete.
He is a household name every single 4th of July (even when he was banned this year), and has 55 world records in eating. Yes, 55 world records. From asparagus to hot dogs, Joey is the greatest athlete we have ever seen before.
Since 2007, he only lost one time at the Nathan’s Hot Dog eating competition. Since that defeat, he took his eating game to a different level by breaking his own record 4 times in 5 years.
I am honored to be alive at the same time as this legend.
Final thoughts
Holy shit we actually did it. Whether you read one word or all 14,817 of them I want to say thank you. This project took me roughly 30 hours to complete, from research to graphics to writing.
I’d love to do more of these massive projects in the future, but I was only able to do this one because I am between jobs. If you want to support me and want me to do more of these and more video content you can “buy me a coffee” by clicking this link.
Thank you again, and I hope you enjoyed this list.