Who is, regardless of sport or sex, dead or alive, the greatest athlete ever?

juvie wrote:

yahdidit wrote:

King James. Could’ve been all pro in any major sport.

Football, maybe

He wouldn’t be able to hit a curveball (ask MJ). He couldn’t skate either. I can’t see him dribbling a soccer ball. Golf no way. Tennis?

You’re kidding yourself. He couldn’t even learn to skate? Lol that’s rich.

Don Bradman, cricket. His batting average was 40% better than anyone else who has played the game.

Chamberlain/Thorpe/Owens

Jim Thorpe was so GD good that they knew he was a Native American and let him compete in "whites only" sports leagues.

Before doing anything formally athletic, he was walking home past the T&F team practicing high jump. JT walked up in street clothes and kept cleared the bar until it couldn't go any higher.

While playing full time football in the states, he went to the Olympics and competed in Decathlon, Pentathlon, long jump, and high jump. He never a decathlon before, threw a javelin for the first time in this Olympics, and set an Olympic record that stood for 20 years. Oh he also did this in mismatched shoes from a trash can because someone stole his the day of the competition.

Batman once ran a sub 3:00 mile and Robin was right with him. I go with them as 1 and 2.

Thorpe and/or Zaharias. No one else is even close. Who else can do what Thorpe did in Track and Field and then get into the football HOF and play professional baseball? Zaharias excelled at every sport she played and was unbeatable as a professional golfer.

Carl Lewis

Kobe Bryant

Christiano Ronaldo

Agree with this.

Male: Jim Thorpe and Bo Jackson (tie)

Female: Babe Didrikson (not even close)

it's bolt, obviously

thorpe being a legend of unprofessional bullsh*t times only says he'd be very good in any era. to just assume he'd automatically elevate to goat is the same as assuming every 15 year old that goes sub 10.5 is the next bolt

Andre the Giant. Imagine him as a shot putter, or football lineman, or in a rugby scrum......

I have to throw Jim Brown out there. While most know him for his gridiron accomplishments including leading the NFL in rushing 8 times he was an amazing multi-sport college athlete at Syracuse. He was one of the best collegiate lacrosse players ever, earning All American status his junior and senior years, played varsity basketball and track and finished 5th in the National Decathlon Championship in 1955. In terms of all around athlete, Brown checks all the boxes.

Stoppit Smith wrote:

Athletically, all things included, I have to go with Rich Froning.

Yes, I know letsrun and Cross-Fit don't mesh well.

But in terms of fitness, it is Froning.

Few in any sport can lift and carry what Froning can.

Bigfoot can....faster too.....

Ronaldo. Dude has been at the top of his game for so many years and soccer is by far the most competitive sport on this planet.

Actually Messi came to mind first, but I think he doesn't have the well-rounded athleticism like Ronaldo does, so the latter would be my pick.

DanM wrote:

Mr. Ed wrote:

Secretariat

His 31 length victory in the 1973 Belmont Stakes was the all time greatest performance by an athlete in a single event.

His move from last to first in the Preakness was equally impressive.

Thorpe or Jim Brown for North American athletes. I'm not familiar with the athletes from other continents.

la gente esta muy loca wrote:

Jackie Robinson

Bruce Jenner

Noah Hansen wrote:

Discus

Any Current decathlon WR holder

With all due respect, Americans will typically lack global awareness when answering that question.

First of all if it is a global question, all athletes from sports that are "niche" sports should not be considered. That includes american football, which hardly anyone in the world rather than americans care about. Also baseball is out. Ice hockey is out.

By far, the most popular and most important sport in the world is football, known is the US as "soccer".

And the most influential player ever, who is still alive (80 years old) is Pele. Not only because he was the greatest in the field, the only athlete to ever win three world cups, but because he was a truly global figure. Anyone in the world will know who he is - from Africa to Oceania and including places not historically related to football, the US being one (by the way Pele had a key role on developing the sport in the US). He is also known from stopping a war (very interesting read by the way).

Jordan is a decent answer, arguably the greatest ever in a global sport who had a key influence in modern sport from a marketing perspective.

Comparing Jordan with Pele is like comparing basketball with football. Both are the very best of truly global sports.

But Football is simply bigger and more influential in the vast majority of the world.

Umm... ever heard of Jordan Hassay?