TOP 5 professional athletes in American History

[nick jacoby]

1. Michael Jordan
   
   
2. Muhammad Ali
   
   
3. Babe Ruth
   
   
4. Jackie Robinson
   
   
5. Jim Brown

I based this on skill, cultural influence, and historical status. Jackie Robinson can be argued but his importance to the history and future of African American Athletes can not be debated. If this was based on pure athleticism.. Bo Jackson would be in there.



This was a tough top 5 for me to make. Below are my honorable mentions in no order

*Edit: I had the great one Wayne Gretzky at #5 over Jim Brown. Gretzky of course was one of the of all time greats and played many years for American based NHL teams. But he was from Canada. Let me know if you think I should include him in my top 5.*

Wayne Gretzky*
Lou Gehrig
Ted Williams
Joe Louis
Michael Phelps
Mickey Mantle
Lebron James
Floyd Mayweather
Tom Brady
Walter Payton
Jim Thorpe
Jim Brown
Bo Jackson
Willie Mays
Jesse Owens
Jack Nicklaus
Tiger Woods
Ty Cobb
Babe Didrikson
Wilt Chamberlain

 

[Midnighter]

Kaitlyn Jenner

 

[Spounman]

I'd take Willie Mays over Jackie Robinson

 

[TankAbbott4Eva]

Well I'll do the top 5 Australian athletes then to piss all you yanks off:

1. Don Bradman
2. Wayne Carey
3. Jeff Fenech
4. Wayne Carey
5. Andrew Gaze

 

[Mondo Freaks]

Michael Jordan
Tom Brady
Tiger Woods
Babe Ruth
Cain Velasquez

 

[nick jacoby]

Well I'll do the top 5 Australian athletes then to piss all you yanks off:

1. Don Bradman
2. Wayne Carey
3. Jeff Fenech
4. Wayne Carey
5. Andrew Gaze

6. Alexander Volkanovski

 

[nick jacoby]

Michael Jordan
Tom Brady
Tiger Woods
Babe Ruth
Cain Velasquez

Lol, perfect

 

[Zer]

Been giving the US credit for Gretzky for years now. Why didn't anyone correct me?

 

[TheTimeIsNotNow]

Babe Ruth
Larry Bird
Tom Brady
Michael Phelps
Landon Donovan

 

[nick jacoby]

Babe Ruth
Larry Bird
Tom Brady
Michael Phelps
Landon Donovan

 

[TankAbbott4Eva]

6. Alexander Volkanovski

Hey you may not be far off, Rob Whittaker too. I went to a boozy lunch where Jeff Fenech was guest speaker a while back and was rapt with the love he gave Rob. He reckons we need to change our boxing HOF to allow MMA guys like him in, said he's by far our best combat athlete at the moment.

 

[nick jacoby]

Hey you may not be far off, Rob Whittaker too. I went to a boozy lunch where Jeff Fenech was guest speaker a while back and was rapt with the love he gave Rob. He reckons we need to change our boxing HOF to allow MMA guys like him in, said he's by far our best combat athlete at the moment.

haha I was jk. How about frickin' Ian Thorpe? Didn't that guy win like 10 Gold Medals in the Olympics?!

 

[IloveTHIS]

1 through 5

Shogun Rua

 

[TankAbbott4Eva]

haha I was jk. How about frickin' Ian Thorpe? Didn't that guy win like 10 Gold Medals in the Olympics?!

Yeah you're right, he should probably be in there. But swimmers get so much many chances to win gold medals, that's why I kind of think Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz are a bit overrated (still impressive obviously).

I basically made a list of my favourite sportspeople in my favourite sports. Ian Thorpe, Rod Laver, Peter Thompson, heck maybe even Lauren Jackson.

But Don Bradman will always be number 1, the only unquestioned GOAT of his sport in Australia (and I'd nearly say in the world), no other sport has a GOAT which no one questions I believe, daylight is second.

 

[nick jacoby]

1 through 5

Shogun Rua

6 through 10

Lyoto Machida

 

[Medical Marijuana Man]

I'd say

Jordan, Ali, Brady, Gretzky, Tiger

 

[Alphaboy]

Muhammad Ali

Michael Jordan

Bo Jackson

Wayne Gretzky

Idunno the last spot, but I wanna put Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt there.

 

[nick jacoby]

Muhammad Ali

Michael Jordan

Bo Jackson

Wayne Gretzky

Idunno the last spot, but I wanna put Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt there.

Solid list. But Usain Bolt is Jamaican, correct? Not being a smart ass here. Just confirming.
Jamaica isn't an American territory is it?

 

[Alphaboy]

Solid list. But Usain Bolt is Jamaican, correct? Not being a smart ass here. Just confirming.
Jamaica isn't an American territory is it?

My bad, I totally didn't process that part.

I guess I'd have to take Gretzky out too then.

 

[nick jacoby]

I'd say

Jordan, Ali, Brady, Gretzky, Tiger

That's the exact list my brother wrote down, lol. Then we got into the Gretzky being Canadian debate.
He of course played for Canadian based teams and American based teams. But does being
one of the TOP 5 athletes in American history... mean you have to be born in America? debatable.
Obviously there are a bunch of incredible athletes who compete and have competed in American sports
who are from all over different parts of the world

I wonder if more people remember him as an Edmonton Oiler or a Los Angeles King?