Kansas Crimson

Sorry Phelps, I think swimming offers way to many opportunities to medal.
100s, 200s, 400s, relays etc.
You don't make my top 5.

My top 5:

1. Tom Brady
2. LeBron James
3. Djokovic ( don't like him but yea, most majors, more than Serena )
4. Messi
5. Serena

https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/40 ... st-century

1. Tiger Woods
2. LeBron James
3. Serena Williams
4. Michael Phelps
5. Tom Brady

I’m not sure I would put Phelps one, but the next nearest medal winner is 12. Everyone has opportunity to compete in all the same events if it were as easy as ‘there are so many events’. He was built different.

I scrolled through and looked for Ohtani. The logic makes sense for him to be so low, but then I got to thinking how I dislike how this is based on lifetime achievement. By definition, being good enough to be a great hitter and batter makes you automatically a better athlete than those that can’t, regardless of longevity.

I also think team sports can provide a boost that needs to be considered.

I love me some Tom Brady, but he was on some good teams too.

LeBron has carried some shitty teams, which I also considered.

I can't see the argument to put Serena above Djokovic at all.
Djokovic has more titles and had to go against greats on this list like Federer and Nadal.
LeBron and Brady shattered records - Tiger didn't.

Brady has the most passing yards and touchdowns all time - by a big margin - and did so with often times a pretty meh cast of receivers.

Tiger transformed golf. He won't pass Jack in total majors (but did pass him in total wins), but he's the greatest of all time to me.

Serena changed the way we think about women's tennis. She's the greatest women's tennis player by a wide margin. Djokovic is awesome. Agree his career accomplishments are better totals wise. But he's not even the most iconic in my lifetime, Federer is.

Djokovic was better than Federer though—if we are voting on icons then guys like Jeter would be way higher on the list.