Is Mcdavid the greatest Athlete in the big 4 Sports since Lebron James?

[Vasilevskiy]

Yeah I saw he had well over a goal a game in some of those years which is insane in soccer more so than hockey is it not?

I think it's harder on hockey because of reduced TOI, anyways the numbers he and CR have managed are from another era. Erling Haaland now looks to be on the right team to get close to some of their season numbers

 

[authentic]

I think it's harder on hockey because of reduced TOI, anyways the numbers he and CR have managed are from another era. Erling Haaland now looks to be on the right team to get close to some of their season numbers

Who’s CR? So what do top level players normally score in soccer then

 

[TropicOfNoReturn]

If he had one more point today, he would be the first sine Lemieux to get 60pts in 30 games



If he had one more point today, he would be the first sine Lemieux to get 60pts in 30 games

But he's not.

 

[MCR74]

No. He's not.

 

[tabness]

Yes, Gretzky played against part-time plumbers and mechanics.

please stop making light of zoomer dudes not being able to work on their cars or fix a leaky faucet

 

[LightningStorm]

In terms of athletes younger than Lebron and/or entered their league after 2003?

For now yes. What he's accomplished so far gives him a chance to be the #5 player in NHL history. If Ohtani keeps up his play I think he passes him, because being an elite hitter and pitcher like him is more or less the baseball equivalent of Bobby Orr winning scoring titles as a d-man. There's still a question of how long he can both hit AND pitch at that level though, so him passing McDavid is no guarantee. Trout would be next behind them, followed by Mahomes, just thinking of players off the top of my head.

 

[Nick Hansen]

Just struck me watching this video, that this must be the most terrifying scenario in hockey right now - McDavid working up speed and getting the puck in a controlled manner only to advance towards the opposite goal:

 

[CalgarySnow]

Well Messi hasn’t won a World Cup and is considered the best so McDdavid is definitely there. Doubt he wins a SC with Edmonton but who knows where his journey goes?

Just struck me watching this video, that this must be the most terrifying scenario in hockey right now - McDavid working up speed and getting the puck in a controlled manner only to advance towards the opposite goal:

Well Philip Danault shut him down, stop him doing that and send him to the perimeters and he’s not much use

 

[crowi]

I would go with YES.
I saw someone complaining how NHL isn't going for EU market etc. IT'S NOT POSSIBLE due to time difference. NHL is and will remain a North American league. I was happy to wake up watching Ducks and Hawks, and now? No more, I got older, I don't have time nor do I care that much anymore.

 

[Speatleysson]

Since the title says "greatest athlete", I'd say he's not even in the top 500. Most skilled athlete? Probably top 3. His athleticism compared to most of the NBA and NFL is not on par.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Yeah I saw he had well over a goal a game in some of those years which is insane in soccer more so than hockey is it not?

Have you considered how Messi has a much more specialized and localized position, meaning his play revolves around mostly offense and scoring in a limited area of the field?

When comparing with other team sports, stars in soccer and football have a advantage/disadvantage in perception because playing mostly only one side of the field. I say both ad/dis because it depends on how you view it. Basketball, rugby and hockey are the only team sports (that I know of among the major sports) that involve everyone with direct physical confrontations, so a player dominating in those has a direct influence on every aspects of the game. Messi's advantage is being specialized, competing against a subset of his profession and having little impact on his positional peers at the other end, just like a quarterback's only impact on the other team's quarterback is how much time he can retain the ball.

 

[MacMacandBarbie]

Here are some recent winners for greatest athlete in the last few years.

Shohei Ohtani
Kevin Durant
Steph Curry
Giannis
Ovechkin
Brady

Runner ups:
Verlander
Altuve
Crosby
Aaron Rodgers
Mookie Betts
Patrick Mahomes

Espy voted on by ESPN Select Nominating Committee. With some of the names of above, it’s hard to imagine someone who isn’t breaking records, winning championships, or going to end up in a GOAT conversation in a few years would be greatest athlete. Surprised by the amount of people saying yes in this thread.

Curry is shattering records like most 3 pointers all time, winning championships and MVPs. No way any objective person could put McDavid as ‘greater’

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Curry is shattering records like most 3 pointers all time, winning championships and MVPs. No way any objective person could put McDavid as ‘greater’

Breaking records is more a function of the dynamics of different eras.

And while we're at it, 3-points related records is pretty much the only records he's touching. Despite all the 3-pointers, has only 2 Jordans, 2 scoring titles, 1 finals MVP, no defense 1st team, not anywhere close to any of the giants in terms of career season and playoffs ppg. All that in 13 years of play and 4 championships.

Just to compare, despite playing in a much tougher, lower scoring League, after 13-14 years, Jordan had 5 Jordans, 6 finals MVP, 10 scoring titles, 9 defensive 1st team, 1 def MVP.

Without mentioning that the rule and culture changes are driving most of those records. Teams league wide shoot twice as many 3-pointers as a quarter century ago.

 

[MacMacandBarbie]

Breaking records is more a function of the dynamics of different eras.

And while we're at it, 3-points related records is pretty much the only records he's touching. Despite all the 3-pointers, has only 2 Jordans, 2 scoring titles, 1 finals MVP, no defense 1st team, not anywhere close to any of the giants in terms of career season and playoffs ppg. All that in 13 years of play and 4 championships.

Just to compare, despite playing in a much tougher, lower scoring League, after 13-14 years, Jordan had 5 Jordans, 6 finals MVP, 10 scoring titles, 9 defensive 1st team, 1 def MVP.

Without mentioning that the rule and culture changes are driving most of those records. Teams league wide shoot twice as many 3-pointers as a quarter century ago.

You’re kidding right? He’s going down as the greatest shooter to ever live, likely a top 10 player all time and much more accomplished in basketball than McDavid is in hockey which makes him ‘greater’ which is what this thread is about. Guy is coming off a year where he broke the 3 point record, finals MVP and notched his 4th ring. He’s still in his prime too.

Furthermore, people need to realize how much of what makes someone viewed as ‘great’ is their performance on the main stage that eventually leads to championships. If McDavid’s oilers don’t start getting him in the position to do that in his career it will affect his ‘greatness’ even if that isn’t necessarily fair.

As of right now, OV and Crosby who were drafted after Lebron has a better claim to being the greatest since Lebron was drafted in the big 4 than McDavid. But don’t want to derail this thread with that argument.

 

[TOGuy14]

McDavid is second to Ohtani IMO.

What Ohtani does as a pitcher and fielder is just insane in the modern sports era of specialization

 

[Johnny HFBOARDS]

Too bad what ever team hes on they'll never win anything because all the money goes to his contract

 

[Thordic]

Honestly was just going through major sports

I think if you add in Football and Cricket (huge sports in Africa/Europe/SA and Asia)

McDavid is one of the 4.5 guys to challenge for GOAT in the sport

LeBron
McDavid
Messi
Cr7 (he did challenge but now isn't there got old and couldn't keep it up. Still my favourite tho)
Virat Kohli

He's in a rare group of athletes ever

Cricket? Nobody understands cricket. You gotta know what a crumpet is to understand cricket.

 

[Sniper99]

MLB has a player with a 2.33 ERA and 34 HRs.

That level of talent even in a declining sport has to be first. Then McDavid's dominance.

Ohtani had a helluva year, but to say baseball is a declining sport is completely false.

 

[Score08]

Here are some recent winners for greatest athlete in the last few years.

Shohei Ohtani
Kevin Durant
Steph Curry
Giannis
Ovechkin
Brady

Runner ups:
Verlander
Altuve
Crosby
Aaron Rodgers
Mookie Betts
Patrick Mahomes

Espy voted on by ESPN Select Nominating Committee. With some of the names of above, it’s hard to imagine someone who isn’t breaking records, winning championships, or going to end up in a GOAT conversation in a few years would be greatest athlete. Surprised by the amount of people saying yes in this thread.

Curry is shattering records like most 3 pointers all time, winning championships and MVPs. No way any objective person could put McDavid as ‘greater’

Aside from 2 guys on that list, the common denominator that ties them all together and excludes Mcdavid from that list is championships. You can’t be considered the greatest if you haven’t brought home a championship IMO. Certainly the best offensive hockey player currently , but hockey is played at both ends of the ice and in June. A ways to go yet for the young man.

 

[AintLifeGrand]

That's fair

I have him in a group 4-5 athletes ever to challenge to be the GOAT in their sport

LeBron, Messi, , Kohli (Indian Cricketer) and McDavid

There have been absolute legends in those sports

A tier or so below

Durant/Curry, Crosby/OV, CR7 (after his decline in 2019 pushed him back here),

But those 5 are the only guys I can think of to challenge MJ, Gretzky, Pele, Bradman


Is Mike Trout going to win anymore hardware?

Super hyped and he lived up to it from individual basis. Used to follow him before and knew he had 3MVPs but is he going to add to that and other accolades?

McDavid finishing with less than 7 rosses seems impossible

Cricket and soccer don’t count