Admiring Greatness

Admiring Greatness

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It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. The French Open is always played in the spring and the NBA Finals is always played in June. However, due to Covid-19, both of these events were played on the same Sunday in October. And, us fans were treated to greatness.

On Sunday, Rafael Nadal won his 20th Grand Slam Title tying Roger Federer for the most amount of grand slam titles by any player in history. He won in straight sets, earning his 13th French Open title.  At age 34, this title puts Nadal squarely in the conversation as the best ever.

A few hours later, LeBron James led the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA Championship by winning a decisive game 6, 106-93. This was LeBron’s 4th overall title. He is one of a handful of players to ever win four titles with three different teams. He is also the only player in NBA history to win NBA Finals MVP with three different teams. At age 35, this title puts James squarely in the conversation as best ever.

Joe’s Perspective: In some sports like track or swimming, you just have to look at world records to know who the best of all time is. For example, Usain Bolt has run the fastest 100 and 200 meter dash ever, so he is clearly the best sprinter of all time. Or Michael Phelps still holds world records in several events. However, in most other sports, the debate of Greatest of All Time (GOAT) is debatable. Tiger or Jack in golf? Joe Montana or Tom Brady in football? The level of greatness is in the eye of the beholder. So, whether it is Lebron or Michael or whether it is Nadal or Federer, I don’t really care.  What I do know is that we all witnessed greatness on Sunday, and it was fun to watch.

Your Turn: Who do you think is the greatest athlete of all time?

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  1. I believe that Michael Phelps is the greatest of all time, because he was the most dominant Olympian to ever be in the olympics and how he performed at every single meet was outstanding.

    1. I also believe that Michael Phelps was one of the greatest of all time. He was one of the most dominant to ever compete in the Olympics, and he trained and prepared for every situation he was put in.

    2. I think Michael Jordan is the best athlete because of all the work that he put in and all the miss shots and all the effort that he put in to become the best of the best

  2. I think Michael Jordan was one of the best athletes of all time. I believe this because he had to deal with a lot pressure from media and fans yet still be expected to preform as a top athlete.

  3. I think it’s Michael Jordan, to me it’s not about the rings or the all stars or records or anything like that. To me it’s about the impact on the game and I believe Michael jordan left one of the biggest impacts ever on the game and that’s who Lebron got his motivation from and that’s why he wears 23.

  4. I believe that Meghan Rapinoe is one of the greatest athletes of all time. She has proudly expressed her own beliefs no matter their affect on her career and has made such an impact on those younger generations watching her.

  5. I already knew Michael jordan was good, but after watching The Last Dance on Netflix, it made me realize just how much work he put in. We only saw the championships and winning, but not the training and pushing others to be better.

    1. I agree to this because I never really took notice of anything besides him being one of the greatest basketball players but after seeing what he actually went through to be the best it made me like him even more

  6. i think ains mac is the greatest of all time because she works so hard and can accomplish anything. i alway think alex morgan is because she is an inspiration to me as a female soccer player and has worked so hard to achieve greatness

  7. I think Jesse Owens was the greatest athlete. Mostly because of how, despite the prejudice against him. He still made a name for himself, and through all that continued to be a good role model.

  8. I think that the greatest athlete of all time was Jesse Owens, because he was able to preform under what I believe was the greatest amount of pressure any athlete has ever faced.

  9. I believe that Wayne Gretzky is the greatest athlete of all time. He not only changed the game of hockey, he hold several records. He changed the way people look at contact sports, not just hockey.

  10. I personally consider the greatest athlete of all time to be my Grandfather Lee Roy Matera. As he was an astounding athlete throughout high school, setting multiple records for Football, Wrestling, golf, and baseball, while also kept up with academics. Later going into the army my grandfather didn’t see a lot of conflict after is first few years, remaining only as the US army’s quarterback. As he pasted this last November I was able to appreciate his athletic ability and outstanding character.

  11. Kobe Bryant. I say this because he was an amazing player and an amazing person. He did cheroty work and would give his free time to helping people in need.

  12. I think Brett Farve is one of the greatest athletes of all time. When Don Majkowski injured his rotator cuff, Farve went in for Majkowski and became one of the best quarterbacks in NLF history.

  13. I think that LeBron James gets the name for the best athlete because this was his 4th overall best title. Although any athlete could be amazing , and it’s hard to say there is just one best one of that sport.

  14. I think Helen maroulis is the best athlete of all time because she is the first women’s wrestler to win a gold medal in the Women’s wrestling Olympics.

  15. Michael Jordan is a fun player to watch and he inspires people in sports, if he can do, we all can with sum faith on our selfs

  16. I heard Micheal Jordan was the greatest player of all time, i’ve heard that name a lot! He always succeeded with everything he’s done.

  17. I think that Michael Jordan was the best athlete because he was never satisfied and always wanted more. He also loved the big moments and didn’t crumble under pressure.

  18. I think the greatest athlete ever is Usain Bolt. He is the fastest man alive in running, and has been for quite some time. He runs every day and always pushes himself in his races. So much so, that he has won 20 Olympic and world gold medals in 21 events he has entered.

  19. I believe micheal Jordan is one of the greatest of all time. His name is very well known and he’s worked so hard to succeed

  20. Greatest of all time is Bo Jackson, he was an amazing player and was great at 2 sports with all the effort he put in to get there

  21. I believe that Usain bolt is one of the greatest athletes of all time. I say this because he is dedicated and very passionate about his sport. On and off the track he also seems like a great guy. That’s why I believe he is the greatest athlete.

  22. I think micheal Phelps because of his dominance in the olympics and his ability to represent and inspire athletes to compete and train

  23. I think that Jackie Robinson was the greatest athlete because he completely changed the game of baseball because he was the first black baseball player.

  24. I believe Messi is one of the greatest soccer players ever because he has scored the most points at Barcelona and has many more accomplishments.

  25. I’d say Michael Jordan since he ruled the game for 15 seasons, was the face of basketball and helped the popularity of it.

  26. i think Micheal Jordan was the greatest athlete of all time. bc he was known all over for do great things and being great on volleyball

  27. I think Michael Jordan is one of the greatest of all time because of how he dominated the league when he came in. After watching the last dance it showed how hard he worked and pushed his teammates

  28. i think it’s really hard to say because there could be the greatest athletes all at different sports, and as time moves, sports evolve and soo its hard to compare michael jordan to lebron james and soo on for other sports.

  29. Michael Jordan was a beast on the court everybody knew it. But seeing him train like he did makes me feel better about the way I push my team.

  30. I believe that Messi is the greatest athlete of all time, because of his athleticism and his good character inside of soccer and out

  31. I think that Lebron James is the best athlete. I think this because Lebron is dedicated to his sport and out trains almost everyone in the NBA. He has transformed the game and NBA and continues to work hard so that he can remain the greatest despite his age.

  32. I think that Michael Jordon is one of the best athletes if not the best athlete. Anyone could see how he is an amazing player from just watching him play but he also had a really good work ethic.

  33. I think that Bo Jackson was the best there was. He somehow found the time to play 2 pro sports and he was extremely successful in both sports.

  34. I think Lebron James is the best athlete of all time. His games are always entertaining and he is really good at his sport.

  35. I feel like Jackie Robinson is the greatest athlete of all time. This is because he was the first African-American athlete in Major League Baseball. Although Jackie does not have the greatest number of home runs or anything like that, what he had to deal with during the time he played is what makes him a great athlete. Jackie played to his best ability, and he was a great player, despite having to deal with racism both on and off the field at any given time. It is his mental toughness and athleticism that make him a great athlete.

  36. I believe that Serena Williams is the best athlete of all time. She is able to do what no other person has done. She is also raising a family. She encompasses being a strong women, and has shown her competitiveness despite what anyone might have said about her.

  37. It’s hard to choose just one, but when I think of the greatest athlete of all time I think of Michael Phelps. I think it says a lot that he came to my mind first, because it proves how widely known and widely respected he is. Part of being the greatest athlete of all time is skill, but it’s also the athlete’s ability to connect with the people who watch him, and Michael Phelps always connects with the world.

  38. It’s hard to choose just one, but when I think of the greatest athlete of all time I think of Michael Phelps. It says a lot that he came to my mind first over other great athletes, because yes, skill is a major part of a great athlete, but it is also important for the athlete to connect with its audience and be really memorable. Michael Phelps always connects with the world.

  39. i think LeBron is the greatest athlete of all time. Yes he is amazing at what he does but it’s not just all about his game on the court. It’s also all of the training and work he puts in off the court to make him the best he can be and doesn’t settle for what he has, always knows he can be better.

  40. I think LeBron is the best athlete of all time. It’s not just all of the work he puts in during a game. But it’s all of the hard work off the court that makes him the best. He never settles for what he has and always knows that he can be better.

  41. I think LeBron is the best athlete of all time. It’s not just all of the work he puts in during a game. But it’s all of the hard work off the court that makes him the best. He never settles for what he has and always knows that he can be better.

  42. I believe LeBron is the best athlete because he continually puts in what is needed to succeed and is still playing much better than people younger than him because of the work that he puts in.

  43. I think the best athlete of all time is LeBron James because he is always hungry and always ready to work hard at everything he does but he also stays humble about the actions that he takes.

  44. I think Michael Jordan is the greatest of all time because he dealt with failure and overcame it to make a name for himself.

  45. I think the best athlete in the world would have to be Micheal Jordan. I don’t watch a lot of basketball, but I know that he is one of the hardest working athletes of all time and that training pays off in the game since he is one of the most recognized and celebrated athlete of all time.

  46. I believe LeBron James is the greatest athlete of all time. All great athletes put in countless hours practicing the sport they love. What separates LeBron is his ability to be great in several different settings (won 4 titles with different teams).

  47. I think that Michael Jordan is the best athlete because he went through so much in his career and no matter what he always found a way to bounce back.

  48. I think that Michael Jordan is the best athlete because he went through so much in his career and no matter what he always found a way to bounce back. He also would help out in his community.

  49. The greatest athlete of all time is Henry cejudo who was an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling and a 2 division UFC world champion

  50. I think bo Jackson was one of the best athletes of all times because he almost made the hall of fame in two different sports which hasn’t been done

  51. In my opinion, I think Michael Jordan is the greatest athlete of all time because of his worth ethic and his leadership skills. Jordan left an impact on and off the court. He not only had great talent, but he had a original mindset of his own.

  52. I believe the greatest athlete of all time is Michael Jordan. He pushed himself and was very motivated when he didn’t make varsity so he would make varsity next year.

  53. I would say Michael Jordan is by far the best athlete ever. He is such a great role model as a player person and inspiration to my life

  54. Michael Jordan is the best athlete ever because he was the most dominant hard working motivated heartless and magnificent player