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

[WarriorOfGandhi]

Anyways, shame Lin Dan retired in 2020, or we’d have a real conversation going. And no, I didn’t just Google “best badminton player”, that’d just be silly. Srsly though, sport is popular af in Asia, wonder how the actual numbers would compare to tennis.

speaking of which, I say that whoever is the best at a ridiculous sport like Sepak Tegraw (kick volleyball) has to be better than McDavid:

 

[The Red Helmet]

When this topic comes up I always think about what other sports could this person be great at. Lebron would also be one of the greatest NFL players of all-time if he went that route. What else could McDavid do besides hockey that he would excel at?

That is also why I laugh when people say Serena Williams is the greatest female athlete ever. What other sport would she be great at? FloJo, Jackie Joyner Kersey, several WNBA players I believe are/were much better athletes than Serena. Yes she dominated her sport but is she really athletic enough to dominate other sports?

The best athletes are in the NBA. There are a lot of NFL'ers that would rather be in the NBA if they were good enough.

 

[Amazinmets73]

and declining more day by day.

if McD can continue this into his 30s he's definitely gonna surpass Crosby, the only argument will be cups.

Crosby's style of play will (is) age better than McDavid's. I'm very interested in seeing how McDavid's game adapts to the inevitable decline in speed.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

speaking of which, I say that whoever is the best at a ridiculous sport like Sepak Tegraw (kick volleyball) has to be better than McDavid:

Absolutely insane sport, good shout out- not sure it’s as widespread/perfected as some others, but the sheer athleticism is somethin to see. I can’t toss my car keys to myself and catch ‘em half the time, these dudes call a 7 foot bicycle kick a routine play.

 

[Sheppy]

When this topic comes up I always think about what other sports could this person be great at. Lebron would also be one of the greatest NFL players of all-time if he went that route. What else could McDavid do besides hockey that he would excel at?

That is also why I laugh when people say Serena Williams is the greatest female athlete ever. What other sport would she be great at? FloJo, Jackie Joyner Kersey, several WNBA players I believe are/were much better athletes than Serena. Yes she dominated her sport but is she really athletic enough to dominate other sports?

The best athletes are in the NBA. There are a lot of NFL'ers that would rather be in the NBA if they were good enough.

I just can't get on board with this. I think Basketball is the easiest game out of all the major sports. Maybe that's my ignorance, I can't explain it, really.

 

[DFC]

Going to disagree with you big time there


The only way he puts himself in gretzky’s conversation is if he ages really well and plays at a high level well into his 40’s.

I think aging well is something he would definitely have to do, although I don't think he would have to do it into his 40s. If he puts up a few 160+ point seasons, when nobody else is hitting 130, and remains the best player in the game into his mid-30s, I think he gets into the conversation. Mind you, that's a HUGE feat, and he has yet to do it even once. What makes McDavid different is we can see that it's plausible, which isn't true of anyone else in the league.

It's really about the margin between him and the rest of his generation. He hasn't been able to maintain the level of any of the big-4... yet. But we can kind of see the possibility is there. I mean, 160, 150, even 140, isn't considered remotely possible for anybody else in the league (except maybe Draisaitl, but, you know, teammates...). If he turns that possibility into a reality, the conversation changes.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

When this topic comes up I always think about what other sports could this person be great at. Lebron would also be one of the greatest NFL players of all-time if he went that route. What else could McDavid do besides hockey that he would excel at?

That is also why I laugh when people say Serena Williams is the greatest female athlete ever. What other sport would she be great at? FloJo, Jackie Joyner Kersey, several WNBA players I believe are/were much better athletes than Serena. Yes she dominated her sport but is she really athletic enough to dominate other sports?

The best athletes are in the NBA. There are a lot of NFL'ers that would rather be in the NBA if they were good enough.

Your whole question is a red herring as athletes will always concentrate on the training that best focuses on the attributes they need. and many sports rely on different attributes.

Point is, how would Lebron do at Jockeying? Tennis? Sports racing? Figure skating?

Comparing GOATs is almost pointless.

If we're really going down the road of impact of the player/physicality/needed physical attributes specifically in a team sport, the field will be cut down to only a few sports that aligns the most of these attributes, like hockey, basketball, football, rugby and soccer.

Now out of all of these, basketball aligns the most of the attributes as the limited rosters makes it natural that a single player can completely change the game at a higher degree than the other sports mentioned, while playing both sides of the game, physically abd directly battling opponents (more in MJ's time though, I concede in advance, same for hockey). Each of these sports also have different eras that had very different set-ups, whivh further muddies the water.

 

[Neil Racki]

Greatest "athlete" ... like who would win a decathalon with 100 yd dash, a long jump, bench press, etc?

or

Greatest player in his respective sport?

---------------

No way hed win or come close to winning a decathalon vs some of the athletes in football etc

Most dominant player in his respective sport? has he won several Cups yet? A single Cup? made it to the Finals?

No. No he hasnt.

McDavid is the best player in the NHL ainec, LOVE watching him play, generational talent ... but hes got a lot of work to do to reach a Mahomes type level.

 

[glovesave_35]

What is your criteria for time period? Messi probably ranks higher in the soccer world all time than McDavid does in hockey.

 

[Salsa Shark]

As of right now where both players are, Mike Trout > McDavid

I also don’t see that changing. And if Shohei Ohtani keeps doing what he’s doing, then add him to the list of current athletes better than McDavid.

Pujols> trout. More power higher average, much fewer Ks. Pujols greatest baseball player since millennium. His first 10 years are better than Trouts

 

[Voight]

Yeah, just like let's not pretend the league didn't expand immensely between 1967 and 1990, creating the highest scoring era and also the bigger gap in talent, creating more seperation.

The separation argument is completely devoid of any understanding of what dilution and saturation of talent will do.

Gretzky is Gretzky. He would be winning Art Ross' by 30+ points in any era.

Going to disagree with you big time there


The only way he puts himself in gretzky’s conversation is if he ages really well and plays at a high level well into his 40’s.

Even then. He hasn't been above his peers to the extent Gretzky was.

 

[The Red Helmet]

I just can't get on board with this. I think Basketball is the easiest game out of all the major sports. Maybe that's my ignorance, I can't explain it, really.

NBA players are the best athletes in the world AINEC.

 

[Sheppy]

NBA players are the best athletes in the world AINEC.

They play the easiest sport, that's for sure.

 

[paracord]

Gretzky is Gretzky. He would be winning Art Ross' by 30+ points in any era.



Even then. He hasn't been above his peers to the extent Gretzky was.

Or Lemieux. He's definitely the best offensive player today, but he hasn't even ever lead the league in goals yet. He's never captained his team to even the SCF finals yet, let alone win one.

He certainly may, but he has a ways to go.

 

[The Red Helmet]

Your whole question is a red herring as athletes will always concentrate on the training that best focuses on the attributes they need. and many sports rely on different attributes.

Point is, how would Lebron do at Jockeying? Tennis? Sports racing? Figure skating?

Comparing GOATs is almost pointless.

If we're really going down the road of impact of the player/physicality/needed physical attributes specifically in a team sport, the field will be cut down to only a few sports that aligns the most of these attributes, like hockey, basketball, football, rugby and soccer.

Now out of all of these, basketball aligns the most of the attributes as the limited rosters makes it natural that a single player can completely change the game at a higher degree than the other sports mentioned, while playing both sides of the game, physically abd directly battling opponents (more in MJ's time though, I concede in advance, same for hockey). Each of these sports also have different eras that had very different set-ups, whivh further muddies the water.

NBA players are the best athletes in the world. NHLer's are probably the worst. How many hockey players could realistically play another professional sport where skating wasn't involved. There are some but not many. All you butt hurt Canadians come at me.

They play the easiest sport, that's for sure.

Take all major sports and have players from those sports do the combine skill drills for other sports. NBA players will be at the top of all of them except for the strength drills which will be dominated by the NFL players. NHL players won't register in anything but skating. It's not controversial, it's factual.

 

[Sheppy]

NBA players are the best athletes in the world. NHLer's are probably the worst. How many hockey players could realistically play another professional sport where skating wasn't involved. There are some but not many. All you butt hurt Canadians come at me.


Take all major sports and have players from those sports do the combine skill drills other sports. NBA players will be at the top of all of them except for the strength drills which will be dominated by the NFL players. NHL players won't register in anything but skating. It's not controversial, it's factual.

What drills & skills? I'd argue a guy like Georges St Pierre could have been regarded the best athlete on the planet at one point.

I'm not saying they're not athletic, just saying that basketball is the easiest, least taxing sport on the body to play.

 

[danpantz]

NBA players are the best athletes in the world AINEC.

Idk man. Some NFL players are absolute freaks. Aaron Donald and Jadeveon Clowney both ran under 4.6 second 40's while being lineman weighing like 280+ pounds.

Terron Armstead ran a 4.65. 300 pound offensive lineman.

 

[Frosty415]

Crosby's on pace for another 100 point campaign at 35 lmao

That's cool, that has nothing to do with the post I quoted.

He's not averaged 120/115 pts consistently like the previous poster mentioned.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Yes he is because McDavid has the cups and hardware.

 

[Daximus]

This is not as good of an argument as you think it is.

You could take any goon from the NHL and they could run circles around any soccer player on the rink.

True. But every NHLer presumably can run, not every other athlete can skate.

 

[Daximus]

Like MJ winning MVP and best defensive player. The difference is MJ had to physically battle and dominate much bigger players to create his dominance. Somehow being the best at throwing a ball and swinging a bat should be seen on the same level?

Didn't MJ try the old ball game in his 30's and suck at it? Maybe it's tougher than it looks.

 

[T REX]

Trout and Ohtani are a part of one of the worst teams in baseball and they are quite clearly 2 of the best players to ever play baseball.

Lemieux took 6 years to win his first cup in the b2b. Gretzky never won a cup after being traded - The Oilers literally won again 2 years after he was gone.- he retired in 1999..... 11 years after the Oilers saga.


Lebron didnt win anything until he was in Miami on a super team 8 years later.


Mcdavid just put up generational numbers in the playoffs... His team has 0 defensive capabilities. He's clearly a GOAT level player. Any individual award he feels like winning he can. He's either the MVP or in the running for it every year and sets the bar for the art ross race.

Sometimes it doesn't matter how good you are in a team sport, but I mean football if you're Brady it's like being on the powerplay the entire game, yes. Look at Hasek, a singular stanley cup in the latter half of his career.

Are all of these guys trash compared to Bill Russell? Maybe

Goat level player? Wth does that even mean?

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

The best NFL players play one side of the ball.

The best MLB players (aside from exceptions from Ohtani) either are pitchers or batters/fielders.

NBA and NHL players impact both offense and defence, however I would say NBA players have a much bigger impact given stars play over like 75% of games.

I would say the greatest athlete at their peak since Lebron would be Kevin Durant. However overall I want to say the answer would be Giannis Antetokounmpo. The guy keeps getting better and better, has won two MVPs and led Milwaukee to a championship. He's played with some very good players, but hasn't had an MVP level sidekick such as Curry with KD or a Draisaitl with McDavid.

 

[thefutures]

NBA players are the best athletes in the world. NHLer's are probably the worst. How many hockey players could realistically play another professional sport where skating wasn't involved. There are some but not many. All you butt hurt Canadians come at me.


Take all major sports and have players from those sports do the combine skill drills for other sports. NBA players will be at the top of all of them except for the strength drills which will be dominated by the NFL players. NHL players won't register in anything but skating. It's not controversial, it's factual.

Some NHL fans have a weird insecurity when it comes to analyzing across leagues/athletes. I think what ur saying is pretty obvious tho and it's no disrespect to any NHLers

 

[TooManyHumans]

I said if he stays healthy and keeps producing. Anything you can say about Trout can be used toward McDavid with respect to Gretzky.

Trout is nearing the end of his peak years. I just don't think he is going to keep up the production or play long enough to challenge Ruth, or even Honus Wagner for that matter.