Who is the GOAT?

Who is the true GOAT?

This is traditionally the most epic and frequent debate amongst sport enthusiasts: Who is the Greatest of All Time, aka the ‘GOAT’? So many perspectives. So many different arguments. Too many candidates. But only one true GOAT. So, with all of this debate I have decided to share my views and conclusions on who the true GOAT is, and I do it in an unconventional way. This article was not written to determine who the greatest basketball, football, hockey, or baseball player is. This article will determine who the GOAT of North American sports is.

I’ll begin by selecting who I believe are the greatest players in each of the four major North American Sports (Basketball, Football, Hockey, Baseball). I then compare the greats against each other in four categories common to all sports which I believe define greatness: Personal Achievements, Post-Season success, Impact, and Competition. I believe that greatness is not always measured in numbers and wins. Categories like impact also play a big role in a player’s legacy, and I believe that these categories illustrate how these athletes were well rounded and truly great, and not just exceptional point scorers.

After explaining each player’s contribution in each category, I will then give each player a grade out of 5. The player with the highest score out of 20 at the end of the article will be crowned the GOAT of North American sports.

Here are my GOAT selections in each sport:

Basketball: Michael Jordan

I don’t think I need to explain myself for this one. Michael Jordan is, one of the most iconic athletes of all time, and is, in my opinion, the best player to ever play basketball. He is my choice for the NBA GOAT.

Football: Tom Brady

Even at age 42, Brady still can’t be figured out by other NFL teams. His unprecedented dominance and longevity in the NFL makes him the greatest player to ever play football in my eyes.

Hockey: Wayne Gretzky

An argument can be made for Mario Lemieux or Bobby Orr, but numbers don’t lie, and Gretzky’s numbers are untouchable. He is the best NHL player ever in my opinion.

Baseball: Babe Ruth

The Bambino was absolutely dominant throughout his career. With an immense impact and jaw dropping statistics, he got my nod for being the best major leaguer in history.

So, there we have it. These are the greatest players in North American Sports history: Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Babe Ruth. Now I will compare them to each other, as best I can, to determine who is the best of the best.

Buckle up!

Personal Achievements

To be the best, you have to be recognized as the best: Each of these players have their fair share of personal accolades. I believe that although stats are not the most important, they are telling of how dominant each athlete was in their respective era.

Wayne Gretzky

9 x Hart Trophy (MVP)

10 x Art Ross Trophy (Scoring Champion)

2 x Conn Smythe Trophy (Finals MVP)

1 x AP Male Athlete of the Year

5 x Lady Byng Memorial (Sportsmanship)

8 x All-NHL First Team

7 x All-NHL Second Team

1 x AP Athlete of the Decade: 1980’s

Most Career Points (2,857 – Next closest 1,921)

Wayne Gretzky has regular season records that will likely never be touched. Since 2005, nobody has eclipsed 125 points in a season. Nobody has eclipsed 110 since 2009. Wayne Gretzky had four 200-point seasons, FOUR. Nobody else has ever had one. But it’s not like he only had four good seasons, Gretzky also had 10 additional seasons over 120 points. He was an unstoppable scoring machine. Here are some Gretzky numbers that are sure to blow your mind.

-      He has more assists all-time than any other player has points.

-      In the 1983-84 season he had a shooting percentage of 26.69%. That means he scored at least 1 time every 4 shots on average.

-      In 1984-85 he had a +/- of +100.

-      He scored over 70 goals in 4 straight seasons, including a 92 goal season.

-      He scored 12 shorthanded goals in one season.

-      Fastest player to 50 goals (39 games)

If those stats aren’t enough to impress you, Gretzky also had some pretty amazing feats that go beyond numbers. He is the only hockey player ever to win the AP Male Athlete of the Year, incredible. Other hockey legends like Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux, were undeniably spectacular, but only Gretzky has won this prestigious award.

Gretzky has also won 9 MVP’s. To put this into perspective, the average length of a hockey player’s career is 5 years. This 6 foot, 185-pound speedster has 9 years (at least) of utter and complete dominance.

In terms of personal achievements, Gretzky’s track record is untouchable in the NHL.

GRADE: 5/5

Babe Ruth

1 x AL MVP

12 x AL Home Run Champion

2 x All Star

6 x AL RBI Champion

1 x AL Batting Champion

1 x AL ERA Champion

The Bambino’s numbers are absolutely staggering as a hitter and as a pitcher. Yes, you read that right Babe Ruth was the best hitter in the game and probably the best left handed pitcher ever. Baseball fans can truly appreciate how difficult that is, and even sport fans can recognize that as an incredible feat. As a hitter, there is usually one focus when stepping up to the plate: Either hit the ball out of the park, or get on base. The best hitters are usually good at both, but Babe Ruth was great at both. As a power hitter, Babe Ruth was the best of his time. He led the league in HR’s 12/14 years from 1918-1931. During that time, he also led the league in RBI’s four times. Babe Ruth is first player to ever hit 50 HR’s and 60 HR’s. He was hitting more Home Runs than entire teams were during his time. Hitting more home runs than entire divisions in some seasons. If that was relative to today’s game, it would not be believable. As a base hitter, Ruth had a career batting average of 0.342, which ranks in the top 10 all time. Over his lengthy 22-year career, Ruth only hit under 0.300 in 5 seasons. That’s sustained greatness if I’ve ever seen it. Ruth ranks 1st all time in slugging %, 2nd in on base %, 2nd in all-time RBI’s and 3rd all time in Home Runs.

As a pitcher, Ruth was just as impressive. In 1916 he had an ERA of 1.75 in a league best 40 games started. That is absolutely ridiculous. That same year he allowed zero home runs facing 1,272 batters. His career ERA is 2.28 and has more career strikeouts than walks. I consider him to be the best left handed pitcher of all time, and I think that there is definitely a good argument to be made for Ruth being a top-10 pitcher of all time.

His sustained greatness is what separates him from the rest, yet in his prime he never won a triple crown, only won 1 MVP, and was only named an All-Star twice. This is a bit mind boggling, and I have trouble comprehending this. My assumption as to why he didn’t receive the accolades, is that there were other players in his era that were comparable with Ruth. Ruth may have been the best, but the fact that there were players that were comparable leads me to believe that he maybe wasn’t as dominant as his numbers show. Moreover, these awards are based on a subjective analysis. While the fans loved him, perhaps the baseball writers and establishment did not.

If one looks at baseball analytics, Ruth is virtually first in every category throughout almost his entire career. Relative to his competition, Ruth was 1st in: Wins Above Replacement, On-Base %, Slugging %, On-Base Plus Slugging, Runs Scored, Total Bases, Adjusted OPS, Runs Created, Adj. Batting Wins, Extra Base Hits, Offensive Win %, AB per HR, this list goes on and on. On the surface, Ruth isn’t a convincing GOAT, but when you really dive deeper into the numbers, it shows that he is still the best baseball player ever, and a viable candidate.

GRADE: 4/5

Michael Jordan

5 x League MVP

10 x NBA Scoring Leader

14 x All Star

10 x All NBA First team

1 x All NBA Second Team

3 x AP Male Athlete of the Year

3 x Steals Champ

9 x All NBA Defensive Team

1 x Defensive Player of the year

Michael Jordan’s personal accolades are extremely impressive. Imagine what his numbers would have been if he didn’t leave to play baseball in the prime of his career. Jordan is widely recognized as the best scorer that the NBA has ever seen mainly for two reasons:

1.   Wilt Chamberlain’s games weren’t televised

2.   He could score in a multitude of ways

Right off the jump, in his first year, Jordan was dominating the league averaging 28.2 PPG on 51.5% shooting. From there he never looked back and led the league in scoring every single year except one from 1986-1997. In today’s NBA, with the influence of the three-point shot and the pace of play, teams are scoring more and more each year. With the increase in team scoring, individual scoring is expected to rise as well. Key word there is expected. Michael Jordan averaged over 30 PPG in seven straight seasons, shooting 48% or over in all of them. During that stretch he averaged 37.1 PPG when he was only 23 years old! Since then, only 4 players have averaged more than 30 PPG in a season two times, Kobe the only one to hit three. Michael had 8 30 PPG seasons, 7 of them consecutive. That is complete and utter domination. Offensively, Jordan’s numbers are only topped by Wilt, but even then there can be an argument that Jordan’s numbers are more impressive.

Per 36 Minutes stats

If Player A scores 24 points in a triple overtime game, but Player B scores 22 in a regulation game who had a better scoring output? From just a raw box score, Player A scores more, but if Player B had the opportunity to play three overtime periods, it’s likely that he would surpass 24 points scored. The same can go for full season stats. Wilt Chamberlain never, in his entire career, played less than 42 minutes a game. Throughout his career he averaged 45.8 MPG, including one season when he averaged 48.5 MPG (NBA games are only 48 minutes long)! In comparison, Jordan only had 3 seasons where he logged an average of over 40 MPG, and had a career average of 38.3 MPG. Wilt clearly had more time to make an impact; so to make it fair we measure their Per 36 minute stats.

Per 36, Wilt only hit the 30 PPG mark twice, and would have a career average of 23.6 PPG. Jordan hit the 30 PPG mark five times, and would have had a career average of 28.3 PPG. Almost a five PPG difference leads me to conclude that Jordan was a better scorer given his time on the court.

With the offensive numbers being as good as they are, Jordan was also one of the best defensive players in NBA history. Jordan is tied with a few other NBA legends for most All-Defensive First Team selections with 9! He has also won the Defensive Player of the Year Award, and is a 3 time Steals leader in the NBA with a career average of 2.3 SPG which is 3rd best all-time. The more you really look his numbers, the more you appreciate how great Michael Jordan was in all aspects of the game.

GRADE: 5/5

Tom Brady

3 x League MVP

4 x Super Bowl MVP

14 x Pro Bowler

3 x All-Pro First Team

2 x All-Pro Second Team

2 x Offensive Player of the Year

1 x Comeback Player of the Year

1 x AP Male Athlete of the Year

3 x Passing Yards Leader

4 x Passing Touchdowns Leader

2 x Passer Rating Leader

In the salary cap era, the NFL was designed to limit dynasty’s and player dominance in order for league parity to exist. This, for the most part, has worked on every team, and as a result has limited NFL dominance. That is, except for the Patriots and Tom Brady. After the 2019 Super Bowl victory, Brady has cemented his legacy as the greatest football player ever. As you can see above, his personal accolades stack up much higher than any other player in history. These awards do not however, tell the full tale of Brady’s career. Brady also holds the record for:

-      Most games won by a Quarterback (207)

-      Most road wins by a Quarterback (92)

-      Most Home wins by a Quarterback (115)

-      Best TD:INT Ratio in a season (28:2)

-      Oldest QB to lead the league in passing yards (40, 4577)

-      Oldest QB to win MVP (40)

He has sustained unprecedented greatness in a league structured for parity. Truly remarkable. Brady has also led the Patriots to 16 Division titles (he’s only been in the league for 18 years). The Patriots have never had a losing record with Brady at the helm, and that can’t even be said for legends such as Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning or Joe Montana.

There are a few knocks on Brady. However, there lingers the question of whether or not the Patriots success is rooted in Brady or in Belichick. Together, they make an unstoppable team. However, it’s hard to give Brady all of the credit when Belichick plays such a big role. The one season where Tom Brady went down with an injury in Week 1 in 2008, Matt Cassell stepped up and led the Patriots to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth. Is that proof that the Belichick system is what wins games, not the Quarterback? Don’t forget that the Patriots went 3-1 a few years ago without Brady when he was suspended as a result of Deflategate. Without Brady, the Pats have gone 13-6 (Brady played week 1 of the 2008 season), posting a 0.684 Win Percentage. To put this into perspective, no other team in the NFL has posted a Win Percentage that high since the Brady and Belichick era. Brady is great, but Belichick propels him to another level.

In addition, it’s hard for the greatest player ever to not even hold some of the most essential QB records. Brady ranks 4th in all-time passing yards, ranks 3rd in all-time passing touchdowns, 4th in career passer rating, 3rd in passing yards in a season, and is T-2nd in passing touchdowns in a season and 4th in season passer rating. Even though he ranks 4th or better in all of these passing categories, he is not 1st in any of them. That leaves room for debate on whether or not he is the most dominant, and shows that the gap between him and the next group of quarterbacks is not as big as people think.

GRADE: 3.5/5

Playoff Success

Personally, I believe that to be considered the greatest of all time, you have to be a winner. Winning not just in the regular season, but winning when it counts. Greatness is achieved through winning and the best way to measure this is through playoff success. Let’s take a look at how the greats rank in the post-season.

Babe Ruth

7 x World Series Champion

In the Major Leagues, playoff success is measured more or less in the World Series only. It is very difficult to make the playoffs, and when you do, a couple of bad innings could end your season abruptly. It always boggled my mind how such a long season could come to an end in only a few games. Nonetheless, playoff success is a relatively accurate measurement of how great an athlete is.

Babe Ruth won the World Series 7 times. Pretty impressive considering star players today like Mike Trout can’t even seem to reach a World Series final. In those 7 World series, Babe Ruth was… ok? In 1928 Ruth hit 0.625 in 17 plate appearances including 3 HRs (yes that’s amazing I know). In 1927 he hit 0.400 in 17 plate appearances with 2 HRs, and in 1923 he hit 0.368. That is baseball dominance. I understand that. But other than those three years, Ruth hit below his career average. Not very clutch for the ‘best baseball player ever’. In my opinion, great players will always come up big in big moments. That wasn’t always the case when the Bambino was up to bat.

From a pitching standpoint, Ruth only pitched in 3 TOTAL postseason games. To be fair, he won all three and had an ERA of 0.87 which is incredible. But it boggles my mind how the best player in baseball, and one of the most lethal lefties ever, only pitched 3 post-season contests. So as much as he was a fantastic pitcher, his overall pitching impact in the post-season was virtually non-existent. He also pitched before his prime as a baseball player which was in the mid 1920’s. Everyone praises Ruth for his ability to excel at both hitting and pitching, but yet he didn’t even really pitch when it mattered the most. It’s hard to fault him for that, considering it wasn’t his decision on when he would start or not, but I find it hard to believe that one of the best pitchers in baseball never pitched in the most important games. The fairest thing to do in this instance is to judge Ruth’s post season pitching by the games that he started. In which case he was phenomenal.

Babe Ruth’s 7 World Series wins are impressive, but his playoff stats were below his regular season average, and his pitching was insignificant in the grand scheme of things. His post-season legacy is good, but could have been much greater.

GRADE: 4/5

Tom Brady

6 x Super Bowl Champion (Most ever)

4 x Super Bowl MVP (Most ever)

Most Super Bowl Appearances (9)

Most Passing Yards in the Super Bowl (505)

Most Passing Yards in Postseason History (11, 179)

Most Games Played in Postseason History (40)

Most Postseason Touchdown Passes (73)

Most Conference Championship Appearances (13)

If you’ve watched an NFL postseason since 2001 until the present, you’ve watched Tom Brady. Tom Brady lives in the postseason. Brady owns virtually every postseason passing record, and as long as Bill Belichik has a say in the Patriots roster configuration, Brady will be playing in the playoffs for years to come.  

Brady has been able to consistently make the right throw at the right time and win in the playoffs for almost two decades. He has eclipsed every other quarterback in history in virtually every relevant category. The only criticism that Brady faces in terms of playoff success, is his Super Bowl record. He’s lost more times in the Super Bowl than Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers have appeared (3). However, if you really dive deep in the numbers, even in those losses Brady was still remarkable.

SUPER BOWL LII: EAGLES 41 – PATRIOTS 33

Brady: 28/48 (58%), 505 yards (Super Bowl Record), 3 TD’s, 0 INT, 1 FUMBLE LOST, 115.4 RTG

SUPER BOWL XLII: GIANTS 17 – PATRIOTS 14

Brady: 29/48 (60%), 266 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 82.5 RTG

SUPER BOWL XLVI: GIANTS 21 – PATRIOTS 17

Brady: 27/41 (66%), 276 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 91.1 RTG

Although it is unfortunate that Brady has lost in the Super Bowl multiple times, it is a stretch to say that he was the reason for the loss. Miraculous catches, trick plays and injuries all played their part in TB12’s super bowl losses. It is unfortunate that these factors taint people’s view of Brady’s playoff success. Personally, I still do not believe that they hinder his legacy in any way.  

Brady’s success in the postseason is unmatched throughout NFL history, and it is unlikely that we will find anyone as dominant in the playoffs as Tom Brady in this generation.

GRADE: 5/5

Wayne Gretzky

4 x Stanley Cup Winner

2 x Conn Smythe Winner (Finals MVP)

Most Playoff Points (382)

Most Playoff Goals (122)

Most Playoff Assists (260)

Most Game Winning Goals in the Playoffs (24)

Most Points in one Postseason (47 points in 18 games)

3rd Highest Playoff +/- (+86)

Wayne Gretzky’s regular season success was replicated in the playoff’s to nobody’s surprise. Gretzky was equally as dominant in the playoffs, and he owns virtually every offensive playoff record in NHL history. Even in the playoffs Gretzky holds records that I suspect will never ever be touched. In 1984-85 he recorded 47 points in 18 games (17 goals, 30 assists). In the last decade, only one player has reached over 35 points in a single postseason (Evgeni Malkin, 36) and nobody other than Mario Lemieux has hit the 40-point milestone. Gretzky hit it 3 times. To put this in perspective, last season Evgeni Kusnetzov was phenomenal in the Capitals Stanley Cup run, and was the playoffs leading point scorer with…32 points. This year, Ryan O’Reilly was the top point scorer in the playoffs and received the Conn Smythe by totalling an astounding…23 points. The discrepancy between Gretzky and the next prolific scorer is massive. The way that hockey continues to evolve, it is unlikely that Gretzky’s playoff records will ever be broken. Not to mention he’s also first all time in playoff GWG’s, goals, assists, and points.

Gretzky however, does not hold records that would have undoubtedly defined him as the greatest player ever. He does not have the most Stanley Cup Championships (far behind many of the Montreal legends) and he only has two Conn Smythe trophies, one less than Patrick Roy. To be the greatest of all time, winning in the playoffs has to be an integral part of your legacy. Gretzky was great, but he wasn’t the most successful.

Overall, his playoff records are still extremely impressive. He is the leader in essentially every offensive statistical category, yet it somehow did not equate to consistent winning. It can be concluded that Gretzky was very good in the playoffs, but was not the greatest postseason player the NHL has ever seen. 

GRADE: 4.5/5

Michael Jordan

6 x NBA Champion

6 x Finals MVP

Perfect NBA Finals Record (6/6)

Career Playoff Average 33.4 PPG

When you think of defining moments in Michael Jordan’s career, some that come to mind immediately are his game winning shots in the NBA finals. The one where he hangs in the air just enough to get a shot up over Craig Ehlo to eliminate them from the playoffs. The moment where he drives middle, gets away with a blatant push off on Byron Russell, pulls up around the free throw line and knocks down a jumper to take the lead late in the 4th to win the NBA Finals. The list goes on and on. It’s a testament to Michael Jordan’s playoff dominance. MJ is known not just in the NBA, but is renowned among all athletes as the player with the most lethal killer instinct in professional sports history. If you need someone to take a big shot in a big game, MJ is the guy to go to, and his playoff resume is a product of that. Michael Jordan has made the NBA Finals 6 times and has won the championship 6 times. A perfect finals record, something that not many other greats could/can accomplish. Even more impressive than that, he has 6 Finals MVP’s to show for his performance in the postseason. Every single championship that the Bulls won, Michael Jordan was the reason why. Over his playoff career he averaged 33.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.7 APG, 2.1 SPG, while shooting 48.7% and over 82% from the line. He was remarkable. The most important aspect to consider about these numbers are that they equated to wins. In today’s NBA, great statistics don’t always translate to winning basketball (James Harden’s biggest criticism). To see these impressive numbers equate to championships makes MJ’s postseason play even more astounding.

Grade: 5/5

Impact

Each player’s impact on their respective sport is completely subjective, there are no stats to measure the impact that a player has on the game. However, as each game has evolves in its own unique way there is often a revolutionary player who impacts the game in such a way, that the course of the sport becomes altered. I believe that impact is arguably the most important of these categories because of how it dictates the future of the game. Shaping the future of one’s sport leaves a legacy of such a significant magnitude, and ultimately factors into a player’s greatness.  

Tom Brady

When Tom Brady entered the league in 2000, he was a 6 foot 3 scrawny, unathletic, slow QB with average arm strength. Nobody believed that the 6th round pick would ever make an impact at all in a star-studded NFL. Drew Bledsoe goes down early in the season, and the NFL has never been the same since. Brady wrote the narrative for being an underdog. Brady was the ULTIMATE underdog. His story ultimately leaves him with one of the most unique legacies in sports. Does that translate into impact? No, not all the time. In fact, Brady’s impact is something that you need to really think about before you can assess it properly.

A)  Is Tom Brady’s playing style being adopted by Quarterbacks today?

No. In fact, the playing style of modern quarterbacks is pretty much the opposite of Tom Brady. Brady is a strict pocket passer who excels in short-medium throws and uses his remarkable football mind to go through his progressions and tear defenses apart. Today, the ideal QB prospect can throw the long ball and is mobile. He can use his legs to make a play, or make a throw on the run outside of the pocket. I don’t think Brady has made a throw outside of the pocket in years.  

B)  Do athletes grow up wanting to be ‘The next Tom Brady’?

Yes and No. Judging purely off of playing styles, Brady’s style of play at the QB position is beginning to seem obsolete. I don’t think many kids are growing up wanting to be unathletic pocket passers in the NFL. With that being said, there will always be competitors who play a sport because they love to compete. A drive to win is the single most important factor in a successful athlete, and if an up and coming athlete wants to embody the playing style of a winner, they will most definitely idolize Tom Brady. He possesses so many winning football traits and has the ultimate winning tool- an exceptional football mind. I can see players studying and idolizing Brady purely off of his winning pedigree.

C)  Is Brady’s success at his age something that will motivate capable Quarterbacks to continue playing into their 40’s?

Yes. No doubt about it. Brady has set the bar so high for aging Quarterbacks, it has really shaped the way how the league views veteran QB’s. For example, Aaron Rodgers signed a 5-year, $110 million deal at age 34. Before Brady, it was unheard of to pay a 34-year old that much money for such a long term? Drew Brees continues to put up Pro-Bowl numbers at age 39, and recently just signed an extension. Matt Ryan landed a 150-million-dollar deal at age 32 and will likely continue to play until at least his late 30’s. Philip Rivers’ quest for a Super Bowl continues deep into his 30’s and he’s still playing at a high level. Never before has there been so many Quarterbacks getting paid huge money at the age of 35+. Even with a ‘dynamic, young quarterback’ who can run, scramble, and throw the ball 60+ yards bursting onto the scene- these old timers still remain the dominant forces in the league. Why? They’re all chasing Tom Brady’s legacy.

Football is a dangerous game. You see more and more early retirements now (shoutout Andrew Luck), and with new studies emerging almost weekly on the dangers of head trauma- it’s difficult to comprehend why so many quarterbacks are staying in the game. The only logical reason is the inspiration they find in Brady. Brady wins titles. Brady earns respect. Brady has shaped the tenure of quarterbacks who are trying to leave a legacy.

GRADE: 3.5/5

Michael Jordan

When the NBA began, the basketball superstar landscape was completely subjugated by Centers and Forwards who imposed their will in the paint, using physical dominance and sheer size to take over games. Wilt Chamberlain’s numbers are undeniable, and Kareem created an unstoppable shot. Until the 1980’s, it seemed as though that was how games were won. Then Magic & Bird emerged, and the league set on a new course. Passing & transition play by one iconic star, lights out shooting & toughness by another. The landscape of the league now centred around 2 different components of the game. But this era of basketball was relatively short lived; all because of Michael Jordan.

Jordan was the first player to combine so many essential components of the game. It was the first time the league had seen such a dominant athletic wing player who could lock down the opposing team’s best player, finish above the rim, and score at will from anywhere on the court. Jordan truly was revolutionary. The turn around jumper, the pull up mid-range, the killer instinct, and most importantly the rings. Jordan’s winning pedigree and will to win changed how the game was played. He was something that we had never seen before, yet something that we would see in future NBA stars.

A)  Did Jordan’s winning pedigree change the league?

Yes. How many times have people had the ‘Who’s the NBA GOAT debate (ironically enough) and argue Michael Jordan against player x,y, and z. The debate always seems to favour the player who has the most championships. Why, you may ask? It’s because Jordan placed such an emphasis on dominance and winning that those factors became the standard to what constitutes true greatness. Jordan’s ability to take over the league and consistently win is what drives modern NBA players. Jordan’s 6 title’s are what the current day greats like LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are chasing. Jordan’s combination of statistics and winning pedigree set the standard for greatness in the NBA.

B)  Did Jordan change the style of play in the NBA?

When Jordan retired, the NBA’s focus shifted momentarily back to the big man as Shaquille O’Neal took over, but he did have quite the accomplice- Kobe Bryant. Kobe was a modern clone of what Michael Jordan was, and like him, was very successful and became a basketball icon. Moving forward, for years the NBA’s best players have been wing players. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Paul George; are all wing players who combine athleticism and talent to take over games. Jordan did in fact change the way the game has been played for a number of years.

With that being said, there are players who have impacted the game far more than Michael Jordan has. Stephen Curry being one of them. Curry’s erratic shooting from the outside has sparked a trend in the NBA to attempt far more threes per game than the standard in previous years. Curry’s shooting abilities have shaped the way games are won in the NBA. The Houston Rockets are completely dependent on the three-ball, and team’s main offensive focuses are primarily based on three-point shooting. Guard prospects are all expected to be able to shoot the ball, and guys like Trae Young and Darius Garland are built the way Steph Curry is and are both expected to make a similar impact. The shooting trend has even affected Power Forwards and Center’s who are now expected to have the ability to shoot the ball from beyond the arc, or from mid-range at the absolute minimum. Although Jordan may have changed way the game was played, he did not impact the game quite like Steph Curry or other NBA players.

GRADE: 3.5/5

Wayne Gretzky

It would be hard to imagine a player like Wayne Gretzky not having a lasting impact on the game of hockey, considering his statistics over his career. Gretzky completely dominated the league, and only one other player (Mario Lemieux) came even close to replicating his numbers. Impact, however, is measured by far more than just numbers.

A)  Was Gretzky’s playing style adopted by future generations?

There are a few ways that we can measure this. The first to consider is skill with the puck. Gretzky’s ability to weave through defenses and work magic with the puck was poetry in motion. Before Gretzky, hockey was largely rugged, gritty and tough. After Gretzky’s era, hockey experienced more and more skilled hockey players leading teams to Stanley Cups. Mario Lemieux, Petr Forsberg, Pavel Bure, and now Sidney Crosby have adopted Gretzky’s skill based game and have shaped how the NHL is played today. Fighting is pretty much obsolete, and the greatest value in hockey now comes from skill. I thank Gretzky for that.

B)  Did he have a signature move/style that was adopted?

Gretzky not only changed the direction of the league, he also revolutionized the game by adding his own element to hockey. Before Gretzky, playing behind the net was unheard of. Irrelevant in most people’s eyes. Once Wayne stepped on the ice, he decided to make use of the space behind the opposing team’s net. In fact, that area was Gretzky’s own office. He would park back there and dare defences to come get him because he knew he was too fast with the puck and too skilled to not make a play. He would create magic. He would set teammates up, dominate on the power-play, and have the defence worry about yet another area on the ice. He made something happen on the ice in a place which otherwise was a dead-zone. His impact on hockey is truly remarkable. Gretzky was the first to do this. In today’s NHL, the back of the opposing team’s net is one of the most commonly used area’s to set up a power-play, or at least a decent scoring opportunity.

C)  Did Gretzky’s excellence & winning pedigree affect the league?

Gretzky is easily the most offensively dominant player the NHL has ever seen. Did his winning pedigree and statistical dominance change the league for years to come? It’s hard to say. Winning consistently in the NHL really started with the Henri Richard era in Montreal, but it only makes sense that Gretzky’s combination of being an offensive juggernaut & winning, shaped the minds of some current hockey stars.

D)  Were there any players who impacted the NHL more than Wayne Gretzky?

This is where Gretzky loses points in my opinion. Even though he is the greatest hockey player ever, there are other NHL legends who had a much more impactful career. The first person who comes to mind is Bobby Orr. As a defenseman, Bobby Orr led the NHL in scoring and was easily the best skater in the NHL. Before Orr, defenseman parked in the defensive zone and tried their best to stop the offense from scoring. That was the extent of their abilities. Bobby Orr revolutionized Defense and the complete game of hockey far more than Gretzky revolutionized forwards.

GRADE: 4/5

Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth played far before my time, and so were the generations that followed him, so it’s hard to say what his impact was. But one thing is for sure, even I know that: Babe Ruth was larger than life. Just like how LeBron James is now, Babe Ruth was ‘the guy’. He was the sports hero that every kid wanted to grow up to be. Baseball was a dying sport, brought back to life by The Bambino.

A)  Did Babe Ruth have a significant impact on baseball?

Judging by the fact that major league baseball was just surviving on fumes before Babe Ruth, and became ‘America’s Favourite Past Time’ after Babe Ruth, I’d say he had a pretty significant impact. In most American sports, the fan is drawn to the sport because of the stars that play the game. They present kids a role model, someone to aspire to be. In baseball (really in all North American sports) Babe Ruth was the first sports icon. He was the first truly dominant force that had an astounding influence on young kids who had aspirations to play in the major leagues. If you asked someone in the 1920’s who they wanted to be when they grew up, more likely than not, they would tell you Babe Ruth. He was Michael Jordan before Michael Jordan. A full-fledged icon. It would be foolish to say that Ruth did not have the most significant impact in baseball history. 

B)  Did Babe Ruth’s playing style get adopted by future baseball generations?

If you take a look at Babe Ruth, he does not look like an athlete by any means. He was a pudgy, round-faced man, with adequate speed and a big, protruding gut. He’d smoke in between innings, and drink beers before and after the game. Not your prototypical athlete. Yet, he was so powerful both offensively and defensively that he changed the way baseball was played, and what traits were valued in a player. Before Ruth, the homerun was a rare commodity. The emphasis was placed more on base-hitting and pitching. Ruth shed light on the fact that homeruns are actually one of the most impactful components of baseball. When a player can hit homeruns at such a high clip, they will cash in the players on base, leading to more runs. Fans love offence, and that’s what the homerun is. Instant scoring.

It also affects how the pitcher approaches the at bat. They may throw more off-speed pitches or intentionally walk power-hitters like Ruth because of the fear of giving up multiple runs. These components of baseball were non-existent before Babe Ruth. Ruth had seasons where he was hitting more homeruns than entire teams, or even divisions! He was the original slugger, and one of the main reasons why slugging percentage is even a stat that is counted to this day. Today, total league homeruns increase year after year. There is a bigger emphasis placed on slugging now than there ever has been. I do not see this trend breaking any time soon.

Furthermore, Ruth’s dual capability as a baseball player was truly remarkable, and is still to this day one of the most impressive feats in baseball history. Although every player may want to pitch & hit at an all-star level, only a couple of people have actually been capable of doing it. Ohtani might be the first player since Ruth to have such a unique skill set.

Overall, Ruth’s playing style has been adopted, as much as it could have been. The dual-threat component of Ruth’s game may never be replicated at such a high degree. The emphasis on the homerun and power hitting is now a priority for MLB teams, whereas before Ruth, it was an afterthought. Ruth’s legacy is embedded in how he impacted baseball.

GRADE: 5/5

Competition

Every time people compare players from different eras, you hear the phrase ‘It was a different time back then! Today they wouldn’t stand a chance’. Personally, I don’t completely agree with this statement. In fact, I refute it most of the time. Yes, times have changed. In every single sport, athletes have become better, faster, stronger, and more skilled. That is a product of accessibility to training facilities, increased knowledge of sport technical development, popularity and opportunity, training innovations, and technology. At the end of the day, I firmly believe that athletic performances are all relative. Yes, Wilt Chamberlain averaged 50 PPG one season, and today that would be absolutely absurd. How can one not mention him as one of the greatest players ever? He played against who was in front of him, and completely dominated in a way that not many other ever did. Yes, goalies may not have been as skilled, and their pads were not as big, but technology in hockey sticks, helmets, and skates also weren’t at the level that they are at today. If it was so easy to score back in the day, why didn’t anyone else in the league put up numbers like Gretzky?

These debates can go on and on. Competition is a huge component of how a player’s legacy is measured. Let’s dive into each player’s relative competition, and whether it negatively impacts their legacy, or bumps them up a few spots in relation to other eras.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan entered the league in 1984-85 as a 21-year-old rookie from North Carolina. At that time many iconic superstars were still dominating in the league:

-      Magic Johnson

-      Larry Bird

-      Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

-      George Gervin

-      Julius Erving

-      Isiah Thomas

-      Moses Malone

-      Robert Parish

-      Sidney Moncreif

-      Bernard King

-      Alex English

-      Ralph Sampson

The list above contains 8 of who are considered to be the 50 greatest players of all time, and other stars that arguably could be considered as such. That list also arguably contains 3 of the top 10 players of all time. This was Michael Jordan’s competition as a rookie. At first glance one would think that there was obviously some struggle in Jordan’s initial few years because of how good the competition was. That wasn’t the case. In Jordan’s rookie year he averaged 28 PPG and was voted as an all-star starter. After an injury in his sophomore year, Jordan led the league in scoring in 10 of the next 12 years, including 7 seasons in a row. The only reason why he didn’t go 12/12 was because he decided to play baseball for one of those seasons, and only played 17 games in the other (wasn’t eligible for a scoring title).

Furthermore, the above list only accounts for players that were stars in Jordan’s rookie year. As his career progressed, he had to play against Charles Barkley’s Suns, Patrick Ewing’s Knicks, Shaquille O’Neal’s Magic, and Stockton & Malone’s Jazz. More top 50 players, more Hall-of-Famers. The competition in the 80s and 90s was better than ever, and Jordan dominated.

The whole ‘He didn’t play against good competition’ argument is void in this case. In fact, I believe that the case for Jordan as the greatest ever becomes magnified if you analyze who he competed against.

Jordan didn’t have the luxury of breezing through the Eastern Conference like the current so called ‘GOAT’. He had to beat Bird, Parrish & McHale, or Shaq & Penny, or Ewing & Starks every year. Once in the finals, he would have to face a stacked Jazz team, constructed to take down Michael, or a star studded show-time Lakers team who was in win-now mode because of their aging talent. Jordan had to beat the best to become the best. That is one of the main reasons why I consider him the greatest basketball player of all time.

Sure, people may say “Jordan never beat a 73 win Warriors team with 4-all stars”, and that’s true. But that was because he was on the 70+ win team from his respective era, and he didn’t need a team of all-stars to do that. He was just that good. He didn’t need to form his own super-team. He took on the challenge and played whoever was in front of him, like a true competitor. In my opinion, Jordan’s era was one of the best eras in basketball, and his competition was the some of the best that pro basketball had ever seen.

Judging by the talent pool in today’s game, and the increased popularity of basketball, we see more stars today than ever before. Never have we seen Centers who can run an offense from the high post (Jokic), point guards who can shoot over 40% from 30+ feet (Dame & Curry), guards who can score at-will from anywhere on the court (Harden) and 7-footers with guard skills and a lethal jump shot (Durant). Today’s era is the most talented era of players. I don’t think that can even be a debate. I do believe however, that the 90s encompassed more toughness, physicality and competitiveness. There were no super teams, just players competing for a championship. Although the talent may be better today, the competition is just about even.

GRADE: 4.5/5

Tom Brady

Football is one of those sports that hasn’t really fundamentally changed much rule wise, for a long time. The objectives have remained constant, and other than technological advances and upgraded equipment (and coach’s challenges), there haven’t been any real major alterations to how the game has been played. However, like any major American sport, as time goes on, the athlete pool becomes stronger and stronger. The question then remains whether this era of football is the best era of football ever. In my opinion, the answer is yes, and it is yet another factor which shows why Tom Brady is the best football player ever.

The Quarterback position is so unique. No matter how athletic one can be, the ability to read defenses and put a pass right on the money really separates the good from the great. Tom Brady may be the least athletic player in the entire NFL. If not last, he’s likely very close to the bottom. Yet he excels on the gridiron because of his exceptional football mind.

Football IQ is important at every position, but athleticism usually factors in heavily as to how good a player is. Receivers rely on speed & size, running backs rely on agility, lineman on either side need explosiveness. No other position is as heavily IQ focused as the QB.

As the player pool continues to get better and other players continually get bigger, faster and stronger, the tool most important to a good QB continues to be his QB brain. If one could read a defense back in 1940, one could read a defense now. Sure, schemes have become more complex, but a QB who dominates the league today would surely be able to dominate in any era.

Tom Brady is playing in what I believe is the most competitive era of football, and notwithstanding that fact, he remains the most successful QB. He is playing in an era where linebackers are as fast as receivers, and defensive lineman are running sub 5.0 seconds 40 times. This is not to say that other eras weren’t competitive. Bo Jackson would have been a star in any era, and Ronnie Lott would have dominated any secondary even today. It is just a testament to Tom Brady’s greatness to be playing against the very best competition football has ever had to offer and still winning championships. Never before have we seen NFL players do what they do today. Kam Chancellor is built like a linebacker laying guys out in the secondary. Calvin Johnson was bigger than some defensive ends while playing wide receiver. Athletes nowadays are just built differently. Yet as athletes become better, and defenses become more complex, Tom Brady remains dominant. It is truly remarkable to witness the greatest football player ever. Even into his 40s he is able to take over games (won league MVP), and at age 41, put together a playoff run to win his 6th Super Bowl ring.

GRADE: 5/5                                                       

Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth may have hit more home runs than entire divisions during his time in the MLB, and pitched better than anyone the league had ever seen, but part of his success could be attributed to the league’s weak competition. That’s not to say that Ruth wasn’t skilled, because that would be foolish. However, there are a few things that have to be said about the Babe Ruth era of baseball.

The first, and most glaring deficiency of that time was that the league was not fully integrated yet. Black athletes were not allowed to participate in the Major Leagues during Babe Ruth’s tenure. The integration of black athletes could have dramatically weakened Babe Ruth’s dominance in the MLB. Just a few decades later, MLB saw Jackie Robinson become one of the leagues biggest stars. Then came Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and other Hall-Of-Fame caliber athletes. It would be presumptive to think that Babe Ruth would have been just as successful against an entirely new pool of competition.

Another deficiency in Babe Ruth’s legacy is the fact that there were far less teams to face, and far less players in the league to battle for the crown of best player in the league. When Ruth entered the league in 1920, there were only 8 teams in the MLB. When he retired, there still were only 16 teams. Compare that to more recent eras and you can see that Ruth had far less competition just judging by sheer numbers. That is not to say that Ruth would not be good player in today’s era, but I believe that better competition league-wide would even the playing field.

Even though there weren’t many, during Babe Ruth’s era there were still some MLB greats who provided competition. Guys like Lou Gehrig, Hank Greenburg and Chuck Klein add some argument regarding the difficulty of Ruth’s competition, but not by much.  

GRADE: 2.5/5

Wayne Gretzky

Every time there is a debate about Gretzky not being the best ever it usually stems from an argument that ‘Goalies weren’t as good as they are now’. I agree, but only to a certain extent. It’s not that goalies were not as skilled back then as they are now, it’s mostly that goalie equipment has progressively improved. Better masks, more effective blockers, thicker goalie sticks, and bigger pads have all contributed to less goal scoring now than in previous eras. With that being said, it’s not as if Gretzky played in a time when goalies didn’t have pads, or weren’t wearing masks. In the 1980s and 1990s, hockey technology was relatively advanced and star goalies like Grant Fuhr and Patrick Roy were still unbelievably talented. 

Even if one were to concede the fact that goalies are better now than they were back then, it does not excuse the other players on the ice or coaches that were tasked to stop Gretzky. No defense could figure his game out. He was virtually unstoppable. Yes, the game has evolved and players have evolved with it, but Gretzky played in a very strong era of hockey and there’s no denying it. It would be ludicrous to think that someone would be able to dominate that much in modern hockey and not be able to do so in any other era.

If anything, this argument takes away from the legend of some of the old timers like Gordie Howe or Bobby Orr. They played in an era where the goalies really weren’t as skilled as they were even in the 80s & 90s. Dominik Hasek, Patrick Roy, and Martin Brodeur all came out during the 80s & 90s. That’s the best goaltending era in my opinion. Those are arguably the 3 best goalies of all time! Gretzky’s era of goaltending was just as good, and if not, just a fraction less challenging than the goalies today. I’m sure he would light up Carey Price a few times a year even now.

GRADE: 4/5

TOTALS

In 4th Place: Babe Ruth

Regular Season Success: 4/5

Post Season Success: 4/5

Impact: 5/5

Competition: 2.5/5

TOTAL: 15.5/20.

He was an MLB legend and probably the first ever sports icon. When you think of baseball, you think of Babe Ruth. Unfortunately, compared to some of the more recent sport stars, Ruth falls short.  

In 3rd Place: Tom Brady

Regular Season Success: 3.5/5

Post Season Success: 5/5

Impact: 3.5/5

Competition: 5/5

TOTAL: 17/20

Tom dominates the playoffs and created a dynasty in an era designed to stop dynasties from occurring. His sustained greatness is unprecedented in such a physical sport. He fell only a couple points short of taking the crown.

In 2nd Place: Wayne Gretzky

Regular Season Success: 5/5

Post Season Success: 4.5/5

Impact: 4/5

Competition: 4/5

TOTAL: 17.5/20

Wayne was just a hair away from being considered the best by my scoring. That does not take away from how truly great he was to the game of hockey. Legend on the ice, and in the vineyards!

And the winner is… Michael Jordan

Regular Season Success: 5/5

Post Season Success: 5/5

Impact: 3.5/5

Competition: 4.5/5

TOTAL: 18/20

Ask anyone on planet earth if they know who Michael Jordan is, and 99.9% of the time they will say yes. Whether that’s because of his extremely successful footwear line, or his exceptional play on the court, Michael Jordan is one of sports’ most recognizable public figures. To add to his already impressive resume, it can now be concluded that Jordan is also the best professional team athlete in history. What an accomplishment.

This article was so much fun to write, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Next time there’s a sports debate about the GOAT at your dinner table, or when you’re hanging out with your friends, consider my conclusions.

If you’ve read to this point, I thank you for your commitment. I know this was a long one to read, but I believe that this is my best piece yet.

I appreciate the support.

David Monaco