Greatest athlete ever? I think so. As much as i love the NFL and its players...i think this one goes to Jordan. He dominated on every level, offensively, defensively...and for two separate stretches of his career he was unbeatable. Not the best, UN-BEATABLE. [video=youtube_share;-bDKq4O8bhc]http://youtu.be/-bDKq4O8bhc[/video] [video=youtube_share;om56qV5tZHY]http://youtu.be/om56qV5tZHY[/video]
I don't know if he's the greatest athlete ever, but best basketball player ever IMO. But I do think Kobe is going to be right there with him when he retires.
I couldn't agree more. I remember getting up at 3am just to see him play. For me, he's definitely the best athlete of all time. He had talent, attitude, and a kind of grace in and out of the paint. All that in one person...it's magic.
I had the chance to see Kobe at the stapple-center. He's a great player no doubt about that. But he stays in the basket-ball sphere. Michael was beyond that.
I don't know that he's the greatest athlete ever. Basketball player, yes. Athlete, debatable. I can only imagine what Bo Jackson would have accomplished had his career not been cut short.
Nope. Kobe was the 2nd best player for his first 3 championships and Jordan led the league in scoring 8 more times then he did. Nope.
Jordan had Longley and Cartright for his centers. Kobe had Shaq, not really a fair comparison. You can call Kobe an alltime great without it being an insult to Jordan.
Maybe a should have worded that differently. I wasnt talking about physical gifts, i was talking about an athlete who is the BEST at his craft... Yea Wilt was dominant, but he was also 9 feet taller then all the skinny white guys he played with. Oscar was great too, and Russell. But Jordan dominated on an even court, and was a 6'6" guard...
Sorry...my english is not that good. I meant that Michael was a kind of symbol, out of your frontiers. My bedroom was full of his posters when i was a kid, lost in my little town in France. Why is that ? I think Michael had this magical thing. He was also the symbol of the best basket-ball team of all time in 92.
Being an athlete is much more than ones physical abilities. Jordan was the best ever, maybe someday Lebron or someone will eclipse his accomplishments, but to me is is the best of all time. Just look at what the Bull were before, while he was away, and after his career to see just how important he was. Lebron has physical skills like nobody I've ever seen on a basketball court, and he seems to have the drive to want to be great, but he hasn't even come close to the accomplishments of MJ. Jordan 6× NBA champion (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998) 6× NBA Finals MVP (1991–1993, 1996–1998) 5× NBA Most Valuable Player (1988, 1991–1992, 1996, 1998) 14× NBA All-Star (1985–1993, 1996–1998, 2002–2003) 3× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1988, 1996, 1998) NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1988) NBA Rookie of the Year (1985) 10× NBA scoring champion (1987–1993, 1996–1998) 3× NBA steals champion (1988, 1990, 1993) 10× All-NBA First Team (1987–1993, 1996–1998) All-NBA Second Team (1985) 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1988–1993, 1996–1998) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1985) 2× NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (1987–1988) NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team #23 retired by Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat NCAA champion (1982) 2× Consensus NCAA All-American First Team (1983–1984) ACC Player of the Year (1984) Oscar Robertson Trophy (1984) Naismith College Player of the Year (1984) John R. Wooden Award (1984) Adolph Rupp Trophy (1984) James NBA champion (2012) NBA Finals MVP (2012) 3× NBA Most Valuable Player (2009–2010, 2012) 9× NBA All-Star (2005–2013) 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2006, 2008) NBA Rookie of the Year (2004) NBA scoring champion (2008) 6× All-NBA First Team (2006, 2008–2012) 2× All-NBA Second Team (2005, 2007) 4× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2009–2012) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2004) USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (2012) Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (2012) Cleveland Cavaliers all-time leading scorer Naismith Prep Player of the Year (2003) 2× USA Mr. Basketball (2002–2003) 3× Ohio Mr. Basketball (2001–2003) 2× Consensus National H.S. Player of the Year (2002–2003)
Not the best athlete ever. Maybe not even the best basketball player ever. But, he was the best in his generation. He was the Tiger Woods of his era as well, sleeping with countless women 20,000 feet above sea level.
