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The best athletes ever?

🏈Jim Brown belongs in the discussion. He was also a phenomenal LAX player. Could have excelled at any sport he tried IMHO
 
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ben said:
As a pistons fan I couldn’t stand him, but there’s no denying he is the GOAT.
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The **** he used to do to the Heat and the Hawks was GOAT like.... true story I saw him in college vs Ralph Sampson and UVA at the old Carmichael Auditorium. He pinned Ralphs' **** to the backboard and sprinted down the court for his patented kiss the sky dunk, the building was about to come down the crowd erupted so hard. I ain't never seen no **** like that since.
 
CashMoneyCane said:
This might be the most uneducated opinion I've ever heard. Find me ANY UFC fighter EVER who could remotely compete with Lee's documented physical feats. I'll wait.
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Physical skills mean nothing when Bruce lee had absolutely no ground game to speak of. I don’t give a **** what “physical feats” he could accomplish u clearly know nothing about combat sports if u think he would be able to defend takedowns against high caliber wrestlers in the UFC like khabib Nurmagomedov and others. U could take the worlds strongest man and put them in the UFC heavyweight division and based on their “physical gifts” they would still be unable to compete with elite heavyweight fighters.
 
My personal list:

NBA - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Tim Duncan, Shaq O'Neal, Allen Iverson

NFL - Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Reggie White, Barry Sanders, Lawrence Taylor, Sean Taylor, Randy Moss, Deion Sanders

MLB - Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Vladimir Guerrero, Rickey Henderson, Ken Griffey, Andruw Jones, Roberto Clemente, Manny Ramirez, Adrian Beltre, Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson

Olympic Wrestling - Alexander Karelin, John Smith, Jordan Burroughs, Buvaisar Saitiev, Bruce Baumgartner, Cael Sanderson, Dave Schultz, Mark Schultz, Hamid Sourian

Martial Arts - Ip Man, Chu Shong Tin, Bruce Lee, Masahiko Kimura, Mas Oyama, Kano Jigoro, Mitsuyo Maeda, Helio Gracie, Rolls Gracie, Rigan Machado, Jean Jacques Machado, Chuck Norris

Muay Thai - Dany Bill, Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukaran, Samart Payakaroon, Kaensak Sor Ploenchit, Saenchai

Boxing - Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Floyd Mayweather, Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr, Julian Jackson, Felix Trinidad, Julio Cesar Chavez, Pernell Whitaker

Track & Field - Florence Girffith Joyner, Usain Bolt, Carl Lewis, Jesse Owens, Jackie Joyner-Kersee

X Games - Tony Hawk, Bucky Lasek, Bob Burnquist, Travis Pastrana, Ishod Wair, Jamie Bestwick, Matt Hoffman, Dave Mirra, Pierre Luc Gagnon, Nigel Sylvester, Nyjah Huston, Theotis Beasley, Kareem Campbell, Darren Harper, Karl Watson, Stevie Williams
 
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Trescerocinco said:
Physical skills mean nothing when Bruce lee had absolutely no ground game to speak of. I don’t give a **** what “physical feats” he could accomplish u clearly know nothing about combat sports if u think he would be able to defend takedowns against high caliber wrestlers in the UFC like khabib Nurmagomedov and others. U could take the worlds strongest man and put them in the UFC heavyweight division and based on their “physical gifts” they would still be unable to compete with elite heavyweight fighters.
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Wow. You have no business in a logical discussion. Literally. This thread is about athletes and athleticism. Not combat fighting. How do you think Michael Jordan's take down defense was? Bo Jackson? MUHAMMAD ALI???

You're also making the wildly absurd assumption that IF he were around today, he couldn't learn ground game. And you're talking about a man who could throw a grain of rice in the air and catch it with a pair of chopsticks, and who moved so fast that they slowed the cameras down for him while speeding them up for everyone else.

But sure, physical skills "mean absolutely nothing" in a fight. Because that makes a ton of sense.
 
Trescerocinco said:
Physical skills mean nothing when Bruce lee had absolutely no ground game to speak of. I don’t give a **** what “physical feats” he could accomplish u clearly know nothing about combat sports if u think he would be able to defend takedowns against high caliber wrestlers in the UFC like khabib Nurmagomedov and others. U could take the worlds strongest man and put them in the UFC heavyweight division and based on their “physical gifts” they would still be unable to compete with elite heavyweight fighters.
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To say Bruce Lee had no ground game just isn't accurate at all, he's the Godfather of MMA was the first martial artists to incorporate a ground game in stand up traditional fighting. He used the triangle choke & armbar techniques all the time in his teaching.









 
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Liberty City El said:
To say Bruce Lee had no ground game just isn't accurate at all, he's the Godfather of MMA was the first martial artists to incorporate a ground game in stand up traditional fighting. He used the triangle choke & armbar techniques all the time in his teaching.









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Bruce lee May have had a rudementry understanding of submission grappling but still would not have the take down defense to successfully defend takedowns against elite level wrestlers. Based on your previous post about best athletes in wrestling I would believe that you have an understanding of grappling to the point you surely cannot believe he could defend takedowns against khabib, Matt Hughes, GSP, or any of the other elite wrestlers that have fought in ufc. I would even go as far to say that josh koscheck in his prime would finish prime Bruce lee in one round.
 
CashMoneyCane said:
Wow. You have no business in a logical discussion. Literally. This thread is about athletes and athleticism. Not combat fighting. How do you think Michael Jordan's take down defense was? Bo Jackson? MUHAMMAD ALI???

You're also making the wildly absurd assumption that IF he were around today, he couldn't learn ground game. And you're talking about a man who could throw a grain of rice in the air and catch it with a pair of chopsticks, and who moved so fast that they slowed the cameras down for him while speeding them up for everyone else.

But sure, physical skills "mean absolutely nothing" in a fight. Because that makes a ton of sense.
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If you really believe Bruce lee caught a grain of rice with chop sticks idk what to tell you. The majority of his incredible feats were staged and 100 percent not real including playing ping pong with nun chucks etc....
 
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paksat said:
Lol full l39ron james hype train

Give me jordans roster aka his help in those games you mentioned and their career stats
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Nah, There have been many more athletic guys than James in the NBA. As good as some of the 6'6 guys were I'd never take them over a good center. I saw how Jabbar could dominate when he wanted too. How many times did Jordan take 35 or 40 shot or more? I saw him in person many times, always the most athletic on the floor but he choked against the best teams in the 80's when he was in his prime.
 
ThomasM said:
Wilt was a heck of an athlete. Dude could have played any sport he wanted. People think he was just tall, but the man was very strong, and could jump through the roof. Not a lot of people could block Kareem’s sky hook, but Wilt could, and near the end of his career.
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Wilt was the GOAT CUK MASTER, 3000 women yikes what a man
 
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Trescerocinco said:
Bruce lee May have had a rudementry understanding of submission grappling but still would not have the take down defense to successfully defend takedowns against elite level wrestlers. Based on your previous post about best athletes in wrestling I would believe that you have an understanding of grappling to the point you surely cannot believe he could defend takedowns against khabib, Matt Hughes, GSP, or any of the other elite wrestlers that have fought in ufc. I would even go as far to say that josh koscheck in his prime would finish prime Bruce lee in one round.
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It's an absurdist argument considering the sport didn't exist in his time, if it did he would've trained in it, especially since he was already leaning in that direction anyway before he died.

And saying new generation fighters would've beat him is the same thing as saying Mike Tyson would've KO'd a fighter from the 50's-60's completely different era's so there's no way of knowing who would've done what.

Hatred of Bruce Lee from hardcore MMA fans (which I am myself) is really ridiculous considering nearly every great MMA trainer, teacher & all of the best BJJ practitioners all have stated they respect Bruce & were greatly inspired by him.
 
it depends, best athlete overall. we need to break them down. athlete, in what sport. one cant say, the best athlete. sorry but in what sport. its a trap.
 
its like saying, who is the best surgeon of all times. what division, what specialty, what training . An example, best Plastic surgeon cant operate on a motorcycle accident on his own. he needs a team of best surgeons. kid almost lost is leg in an accident, all best surgeons are there to save is life . best athletes. the real ones are who save the athletes. if it was not for doctors and surgeons, WE would not have the best ATHLETES and this conversation.
 
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