LeBron James was just named fourth on ESPN’s list of greatest athletes since the year 2000. He places behind Michael Phelps, Serena Williams, and Lionel Messi on the list, and is the highest-ranked basketball player to make the list. Kobe Bryant also made the top 10 in 10th place, and Stephen Curry was ranked 14th.
You can find the top 50 athletes on the list below:
1. Michael Phelps
2. Serena Williams
3. Lionel Messi
4. LeBron James
5. Tom Brady
6. Roger Federer
7. Simone Biles
8. Tiger Woods
9. Usain Bolt
10. Kobe Bryant
11. Novak Djokovic
12. Rafael Nadal
13. Cristiano Ronaldo
14. Stephen Curry
15. Katie Ledecky
16. Tim Duncan
17. Shaquille O’Neal
18. Patrick Mahomes
19. Lewis Hamilton
20. Aaron Donald
21. Diana Taurasi
22. Sidney Crosby
23. Kevin Garnett
24. Albert Pujols
25. Floyd Mayweather
26. Peyton Manning
27. Randy Moss
28. Nikola Jokic
29.Michael Schumacher
30. Mike Trout
31. Clayton Kershaw
32. Marta
33. Miguel Cabrera
34. Tamika Catchings
35. Dwyane Wade
36. Maya Moore
37. Ichiro Suzuki
38. Barry Bonds
39. Kevin Durant
40. Justin Verlander
41. Dirk Nowitzki
42.Giannis Antetokounmpo
43. Alex Rodriguez
44. Mikaela Shiffrin
45. David Ortiz
46. Max Scherzer
47. Jimmie Johnson
48. Thierry Henry
49. Aitana Bonmati
50. Zinedine Zidane
Other notable NBA names on the list are Tim Duncan (16th), Shaquille O’Neal (17th), Kevin Garnett (23rd), Nikola Jokic (28th), Dwyane Wade (35th), Kevin Durant (39th), Dirk Nowitzki (41st), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (42nd). WNBA legend Diana Taurasi also made the list at the 21st spot.
There will be great debate about the placements of certain players on this list, and omissions from the list, not just among basketball fans, but sports fans across the world. James undeniably demanded the top spot on the list when it came to basketball players, as he is undoubtedly the best basketball player to emerge post-2000.
Can LeBron Be Considered Part Of The GOAT Club?
LeBron James is considered one of the greatest players in the history of basketball. Many consider him to be the outright GOAT over Michael Jordan. But there is too much scrutiny and disagreement among NBA fans for them to decide who their unanimous GOAT will be.
James and Jordan might be the only duo from the same sport to be considered eligible for the GOAT club – the small group of athletes that would be considered the best at their respective sports. This list would include Lionel Messi, Roger Federer, Michael Phelps, Serena Williams, Tom Brady, and many other GOATs from different sports.
There has always been great disagreement among fans about who between Jordan and LeBron should be considered the greatest player of all time. Both players have their ardent fanbases who fight tooth-and-nail in all corners of the world in favor of their GOAT.
LeBron James has had a sensational career, winning 4 NBA championships, 4 Finals MVPs, 4 regular-season MVPs, 20 All-Star and All-NBA selections, and 6 All-Defensive selections. What makes James one of the true GOATs is the fact that he is still playing at the highest level possible after 20 seasons in the NBA.
As for Michael Jordan, he has what many consider to be the greatest career in NBA history. Jordan won 6 NBA championships, 6 Finals MVPs, 5 regular season MVPs, 1 Defensive Player of the Year award, a whopping 10 NBA scoring titles, along with 14 NBA All-Star selections, 11 All-NBA team selections, and 9 All-Defensive selections.
We may never come up with one outright player who can be considered the greatest of all time, or at least not until LeBron James calls time on his legendary career. Regardless of who you think the GOAT is, there is no denying that Jordan and LeBron both changed the game for the better, and left an indelible mark on the sport of basketball, a mark that will not be soon forgotten by fans, players, or anyone else.
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