Even in sports that are team competitions, some individuals stand out from the rest of the pack. Those who define themselves at the biggest moments. The players who dominate for a while, and win all the accolades that a sport has to offer. Those players are often called GOATs, which is an acronym for ‘Greatest of All-Time’. Those players are the types of players talked about through generations.
In this article, we compiled the three greatest team athletes of all-time: Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, and Wayne Gretzky. All of these players have won at the highest level, and have plenty of accolades to show for it. They have been dominant in their respective leagues throughout their careers.
Tom Brady
Tom Brady has recently set a record by winning his seventh Superbowl, something that only he has done. If that doesn’t tell you enough, then he’s a 3 time MVP and has been a 14-time Pro Bowl selection throughout his career. Brady rises to the occasion, and plenty of people have heard sports analysts say that they would never bet against Tom Brady. Tom Brady doesn’t really rush anymore like some of the modern quarterbacks, but what he lacks in athleticism he makes up for with his football IQ. Tom Brady knows how to find his receivers, and he can always step up at the moment.
Before this season, some people have tried to take away from Tom Brady’s greatness, claiming that it was due to Bill Belichik’s abilities that Brady won the six Superbowls with the New England Patriots. However, by winning a championship separate from the legendary coach, Tom Brady has shown the world that they were wrong. He brought this Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Superbowl and proceeded to beat the guy who won it last year. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan has had one of the most dominant stretches in NBA history. From 1991-1998, Michael Jordan won six championships, and that’s with retiring after the 1993 season and coming back in 1995. He has an elite 6-0 Finals record and has never gone to a Game 7 in the NBA Finals. Michael Jordan was simply amazing: defenses didn’t have an answer for him during his peak, and his elite scoring was feared by everyone who faced him. Michael Jordan was simply clutch, and there have been many game-winners that have destroyed the hopes of many fanbases, such as the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Utah Jazz.
Michael Jordan had an extremely dominant peak. He was unstoppable and led the league in scoring 10 times during his career. No-one had a solution to his combination of athleticism and skill, and he could isolate on any defender if they were covering him one-on-one. Jordan had two three-peats during the 90s but missed out on the 1994 and 1995 championships. If Jordan didn’t retire to do baseball, he might have had eight championships in a row. Michael Jordan is the definition of dominance in his prime.
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky was an amazing hockey star whose greatness needs no introduction: his nickname is literally ‘The Great One’. Wayne Gretzky has an amazing list of achievements: he won four Stanley Cups during his time in the NHL, and nine Hart Trophies (MVP equivalent). Wayne Gretzky has more assists over the course of his career than anyone else has points, but assisting wasn’t his only strength. Gretzky is the only NHL player to top 200 points in a season, and he did that four times: once would be impressive enough, but four times is pure greatness. Gretzky’s greatness is backed up by the accolades and the numbers.
Any hockey player you ask would probably say that Wayne Gretzky is the best hockey player to have ever played. The consistency and the dominance, combined with his effect in changing the game of hockey make Wayne Gretzky the greatest hockey player to have ever lived. Some of his records will take a while to get broken: but when they do, we will always be comparing the person who broke them to Gretzky himself.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there is only one thing to say. All of these players have earned ‘GOAT’ status in one way or another, by showing their ability in their respective sport. All of them have dominated throughout their careers, and have the accolades and the championships to back it up. Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, and Wayne Gretzky are all either in the Hall of Fame for their sport or will be first-ballot Hall of Famers. These players have shown that they deserve to be called GOATs in their respective team sport, and any player who wants that title will have to go through them.
Credit For Idea: MJs GOAT
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