NuggetsCountry wrote:Jim Thorpe and Wilt are a must!
Phelps just won another Gold tonight, I think he and Ali have to be a must as well. I put Bo in my Top 5 but Jim Thorpe probably does belong. If any Basketball player belongs it has to be Jordan, JMO. I hated him and the Bulls but he was the GOAT IMO. 6 for 6 in Finals, 6 Finals MVP's, 5 League MVP's. Those are the 3 best accomplishments categories in Pro Basketball. Even when Bill Russell played they didn't have Finals MVP's until 1969 and even Jerry West won that in a loss to he and the Celtics. I get the Wilt love but I have no reason to think Shaq couldn't have done similar things playing in the 50's, 60's, 70's as big as he was. He may have never have scored 100 in a game but I would bet there would be a few seasons where Shaq could average 40 a game playing in Wilt's era.
I will still roll with:
1. Ali
2. Michael Phelps
3. Michael Jordan
4. Wayne Gretzky - no debate at all that he is the greatest Hockey player ever. Hockey is a rough athletic sport too! Gretzky was very athletic.
5a would be Bo Jackson, 5b Jim Thorpe
My all-time top 5
favorite athlete's list would look like this:
1. Magic Johnson
2. Peyton Manning
3. Kobe Bryant
4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
5. Sugar Ray Leonard - when he beat Hagler by sticking and moving at an older age, that was priceless. When he made Duran look an idiot in their 2nd fight by goofing/dancing around jabbing him with an 8th Round TKO that was great stuff! He made Duran quit
-those guys are my favorites as a fan. All are in the GOAT debate as well in their respective sports.