40 Greatest Athletes of the Last 40 Years

Over the last 40 years, from 1979-2019, we’ve witnessed some of the greatest athletes in the history of the world competing at the highest levels imaginable. Sometimes they competed at a level even higher than what we thought possible. These athletes not only rewrote record books; some completely changed the way their game is played. They are revolutionaries. They are idols. They are G.O.A.T.S.

When tasked with ranking them against each other, many factors were taken into account, including statistics, competition, physical stature, athletic ability, championship performance, and much more. But ultimately the two biggest factors considered were how dominant they were at their peak and how long they competed at that level. With that in mind, here are the greatest 40 athletes of the last 40 years. 

1. Michael Jordan 

Jordan is idolized for his high-flying dunks and game-winning shots. But what separated him from everyone else was his unyielding and ferocious determination to dominate every player he faced in every aspect of basketball. He led the league in scoring 10 times, was league MVP five times and made 14 All-Star Games. He also made the All-NBA defense team nine times and averaged 30.1 points, 5.3 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game during his career.

Jordan dominated some the greatest players in NBA history, including Bird, Magic, Ewing, Olajuwon, and Isaiah Thomas. Most impressive, he shined brightest on the biggest stage, winning six NBA Finals MVP awards to go along with his six championship rings. Scottie Pippen and many others played a role, but Jordan willed those teams to greatness, holding himself to a seemingly unattainable standard, and somehow always rising to it.

2. Wayne Gretzky

Perhaps in no other sport does one player stand above the rest more than Gretzky. His nickname, The Great One, says it all. He truly was, is and always will be the greatest single player in hockey history. He scored 894 goals in his career, 93 more than the next closest player. Likewise, his 2,857 career points are 936 more than anyone else. Neither of those records will likely ever be broken.

At his peak, he recorded an NHL-record 215 points in a single season (another seemingly unbreakable record) and was named NHL MVP nine times. His longevity is equally impressive as he played in the NHL from 1978-1999. Gretzky won four Stanley Cups over his 21-year career. More than just being the Great One, he is the Greatest One, and likely will be for as long as they play hockey.

3. Tom Brady 

Tom Brady didn’t even earn the starting quarterback job at Michigan over Drew Henson early his senior year. Then he was selected with the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. That lack of faith lit a fire under Brady that has yet to extinguish. When Drew Bledsoe got hurt in the 2001 season, Brady was given the reins to the Patriots offense and has guided them to greatness every season he’s played since. Six Super Bowl titles. Nine Super Bowl appearances. Four Super Bowl MVPs. Three NFL MVPs. 70,514 passing yards. 517 passing TDs. And how many miraculous comebacks and unforgettable throws?

He’s been elite for over 15 years. You can say Bill Belichick deserves a lot of credit for his success, and you’d be right. But what athlete on this list didn’t have a great coach or mentor? Brady set a new standard for quarterback play in the NFL and continues to raise that bar even as he ages. Now 41 years old, it somehow feels like he still has years to add to his nearly flawless resume.

4. Tiger Woods

During his peak, Woods was so dominant they changed the most famous golf course in the world (Augusta National) just to make it harder for him to win. Even that didn’t work. Woods singlehandedly revolutionized the game of golf, dominating like no one before or since. In 2000-2001, he won four straight major championships, the only modern golfer to hold the four majors. From 1997 to 2005, he won 10 majors playing against golfing legends like Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els.

Somehow, Woods was even more dominant on the PGA Tour, winning 81 events in 22 years. Crazier still? He changed his swing multiple times during that period, constantly tinkering with what was already the greatest golf game in the world. Why? To challenge himself. Most recently, using yet another swing, Woods won his 15th major with a captivating comeback win at the Masters, proving we are not done writing the book on him yet.

5. Serena Williams 

A fierce competitor with arguably the most powerful all-around game women’s tennis has ever seen, Williams has been the best in her sport since she was 21 years old. At that time, her biggest competition was her sister, Venus, a legend in her own right. Williams quickly established her superiority in that series (18-12 lead) as well as against the likes of Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki, among others.

She has won 23 major championships over her 24-year career, the second-most in women’s tennis history. She’s also won 14 majors as a doubles player with Venus. Overall, she’s earned 337 career match victories. Her nearest peer has 306 wins. Her powerful serve and forehand get most of the attention, which makes sense because it’s probably the strongest women’s tennis has ever seen, but her footwork and defense are equally elite. That combination has allowed her to dominate women’s tennis for over 20 years and she’s still pushing for more.

More Articles About Sports History:

6. LeBron James

More so than perhaps any athlete before him or after him, LeBron James has been shackled with seemingly unattainable expectations since before he was even in high school. Somehow, he’s lived up to all of them. He established himself as the best player in the NBA in only his fifth year, winning the first of four MVP awards. He had to leave his Ohio home to win his first two NBA Championships with the Miami Heat, but he returned and delivered Cleveland’s first championship since 1964 with a dramatic 3-1 comeback against the greatest team of this generation, the Golden State Warriors.

In his career thus far, LeBron has won three Finals MVPs, and earned 15 All-NBA first-team selections, along with six All-Defense nominations and 15 All-Star game appearances. Of course, he’s still criticized with every move he makes, but there’s no denying his place among the top 5 NBA players of all time. Simply put, he’s accomplished things no player has before all while playing under the strongest spotlight imaginable.

7. Michael Phelps 

No Olympic athlete in history has ever been more dominant than Phelps. But perhaps his most impressive quality is his longevity. In a sport where most athletes have a 4- or 8-year (max) shelf life to succeed, Phelps dominated the world of swimming for 12 years.

Everyone remembers the year he won eight Olympic gold medals at the 2008 Bejing Olympics. But don’t forget the six he won in 2004 or the five he won at the 2016 Olympics. Of course, he also won 21 gold medals at the World Championships and 13 gold medals at the Pan Pacific Championships. He’ll always be remembered for the 28 total Olympic medals he’s won, including 23 golds, both of which are Olympic records.

8. Cristiano Ronaldo 

Ever since he was a pimple-faced teenager playing for Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo has amazed on the pitch with a combination of world-class speed and incredible touch. The man can seemingly score from any spot on the field, whether powering home headers in the box or curling in free kicks from distance.

Perhaps the only thing more impressive than his amazing highlights is Ronaldo’s competitiveness and ability to convert for his team in the clutch. A five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Ronaldo has won the top League title playing for Manchester United, Real Madrid and now Juventus. He also has five Champions League titles. Overall he’s won 28 trophies, including winning the Euro with Portugal, an international title his biggest rival hasn’t matched.

9. Lionel Messi 

The debate between Ronaldo vs Messi has raged since both burst onto the scene. While Messi has never led Argentina to a top trophy, that is the only blemish on his otherwise perfect resume. Messi has won the Ballon d’Or five times. Playing for Barcelona, the only club he’s represented, Messi now has 10 league titles, six Copa del Rey victories, eight triumphs in the Supercopa de Espana, four Champions League trophies, three UEFA Super Cups and three Club World Cup winners’ medals.

His balance and control of the ball on the move is perhaps the greatest in the history of soccer. His ability to finish on free kicks is impossibly consistent. Despite being undersized, Messi has dominated for nearly two decades and isn’t done yet.

10. Jerry Rice

There are very few positions in football where there’s no debate as to who was the greatest to ever play the position. Even more than Brady at quarterback, Jerry Rice is unquestionably that for the wide receiver position. Even though he played in an era where running backs got 300 touches a year and defensive backs were allowed to manhandle receivers, Rice still set every important receiving record in NFL history, records which, despite rule changes making it easier for wide receivers, will likely never be broken.

He had 22,895 receiving yards, 197 touchdowns, and 1,549 catches over his 19-year career. Rice’s work ethic is legendary and so is his competitiveness. He won a Super Bowl MVP and three Super Bowls in his career. He’s the GOAT wide receiver, and that’s not up for debate.

11. Roger Federer

Playing in an era featuring two of the other best to ever do it, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, Federer somehow established himself as the greatest tennis player of all time. He’s won 20 major championships, a record, and 101 ATP events in his career. He started off as a massive server with a powerful forehand, but evolved into arguably the greatest all-around player to ever grace the court, displaying a mix of touch and creativity from the baseline and around the net never seen before.

Equally impressive, he’s done it over 20 years, continuing to beat younger, faster and stronger players in a game where your prime usually ends in your early 30s.

12. Usain Bolt

Fastest man in the world? No, not enough. Fastest man of all time? Unquestionably. Combining incredible length (6’3”) and strength with precise technique, Bolt completely rewrote every record book when it comes to sprinting. He ran the fastest 100-meter dash of all time (9.58 seconds). He ran the fastest 200-meter dash time in Olympic history (19.30 seconds).

He won eight Olympic medals and he did over an eight-year career. And he did it all with a style and panache that made his accomplishments that much more impressive — he used to literally stop running as hard as he could to celebrate while still breaking records. Bolt was the greatest sprinter the world has ever seen from the time he was 21 until he retired in 2017. That’s true greatness.

13. Magic Johnson 

There was always something special about Magic, starting when he led Michigan State to the National Championship in 1979 (over Larry Bird). It continued the next year when he led the Lakers to the NBA Championship despite having to play center after losing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to injury. With a combination of size and athleticism rarely seen in sports, Magic injected flash and excitement into a sport that was, at the time, fading from public interest.

His (and Bird’s) talent was too awe-inspiring to overlook and basketball is what it is today in large part because of Johnson. He finished his career with five titles, three MVP awards, 12 All-Star appearances, and nine All-NBA First-Team nominations. But Magic was more than just numbers. He was a revolution.

14. Larry Bird 

Bird was the yang to Magic’s ying. He wasn’t flashy. He wasn’t overly athletic. He was an old-school, blue-collar player from America’s heartland. And that’s what made him so appealing. He did anything to win. He fought, he dove, he elbowed, he bled. He did it all. Oh, and he also is one of the greatest shooters of all time.

During his 12-year career, Bird won three NBA championships with two Finals MVPs, 10 First-Team All-NBA nominations, and three NBA MVP awards. His career sputtered in the end because of back injuries, but Bird left a mark on the game that can never be erased.

15. Floyd Mayweather 

Mayweather is known worldwide for his flash a bravado. He should be remembered for his incredible athleticism, conditioning and coordination in the ring. Arguably the greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time, Mayweather won Olympic bronze in 1996 and then compiled a perfect 51-0 record as a professional from 1996 to 2017. His defense was nearly flawless. Hitting him was like trying to hit a shadow.

Coupled with his precise counterpunches, Mayweather was the perfect middleweight fighter. His paychecks and cash-pile pictures will be what he’s remembered by the generation that watched him fight. But his tactical ability in the ring was what truly separated him over two decades of dominance.

16. Lawrence Taylor 

Perhaps no single player changed the game of football on the defensive side of the ball more than Lawrence Taylor. Before Taylor, stopping the run was the most important element of defense. After him, rushing the passer was, is, and seemingly always will be the most critical element to a great defense. And under Taylor, the Giants had the best defense in the league, knocking off the dynasty 49ers on their way to the 1986 Super Bowl and the heavily-favored Bills in the 1990 Super Bowl.

Over a 12-year career, Taylor finished with 132.5 sacks, was a 10-time Pro Bowler, eight-time All-Pro and the only player to win both Defensive Player of the Year and MVP in the same season. More than the stats, however, Taylor changed the way football is played. How many players can say that?

17. Barry Sanders 

Simply put, Sanders was magic on the football field. His vision and ability to change direction on a full sprint was and is unrivaled. He could turn a 5-yard loss into a 70-yard touchdown. And he did. Routinely. Despite playing for a Lions franchise that only made the playoffs once during his nine-year career (due to the lack of talent rather than his own performances), Sanders ran for 15,269 yards with 99 touchdowns. He won the MVP in 1997. He also won the Heisman at Oklahoma State in 1998.

A quiet and humble man by nature, Sanders could have easily set the NFL record for rushing yards, but decided to retire from football at 30 years old in 1998.

18. Tim Duncan 

Shaq once made fun of Tim Duncan by calling him “Big Fundamental.” To Duncan, that was probably the ultimate compliment. He was arguably the most fundamentally sound big man to ever play the game, with the ability to dominate on both sides of the court in the quietest way possible.

Duncan played 18 years for the San Antonio Spurs, winning five NBA Championships and making 15 All-Star games. He also made 15 All-Defense teams and won two MVPs. He wasn’t a flashy player or person. But he was consistently and fundamentally outstanding for nearly 20 years, and for him and for any fan of basketball, that’s more than enough.

19. Joe Montana 

People love to debate Joe Montana vs. Tom Brady. But before Brady won his fourth Super Bowl, it was Montana vs. no one. He was in a league of his own. Over 15 years, Montana was the orchestrator of the 49ers dynasty, combining with Jerry Rice to form the greatest offense the league had seen to that point. He won four Super titles. Was Super Bowl MVP three times and the NFL MVP twice.

But what separated “Joe Cool” from the rest was his calm under pressure. Everyone remembers “The Catch”, which put the 49ers in the 1982 Super Bowl. But he also orchestrated countless other game-winning drives, including in the 1989 Super Bowl, leading the Niners down the field and scoring the go-ahead TD with only 34 seconds to go. He was the ultimate gamer and changed the way teams looked at the quarterback position forever.

20. Peyton Manning

Like many all-time greats, Manning revolutionized his position, taking a bigger role in calling plays on the field than almost any quarterback before or since him. He was the Colts and Broncos quarterback/offensive coordinator, using his vast knowledge of the opponent to make calls and adjustments on the fly. More times than not, he got it right.

Manning threw for 71,940 yards over his 17-year career, an NFL record until Drew Brees passed him last season. He won four MVP awards and two Super Bowls. He also had a Hall-of-Fame college career at Tennessee, throwing for 11,201 yards and 89 touchdowns in his four seasons at the helm. Manning’s numbers certainly stand out, but it was preparation and mind that separated him from the rest and changed the way quarterbacks prepare and play the game.

21. Shaquille O’Neal 

We have never seen a physical talent like Shaq before and likely will never see one like him again. A hulking 7’1”, 320-pound behemoth, Shaq moved with the grace of a ballerina. His athletic versatility allowed him to run the court for an ally-oop, bang down low in the post and defend anywhere on the court.

He was the MVP of the 1999-2000 season, and averaged 23.7 points and 10.9 rebounds over the course of his 18-year career. He was also the catalyst for the Lakers dynasty, winning three titles in LA and adding another in Miami. He was a physical force of nature on the court and simultaneously an athletic marvel who dropped jaws around the world for two decades.

22. Rafael Nadal 

The King of Clay staked his claim to a place on this list with his never-ending dominance at the French Open. But Nadal was/is so much more than just a clay-court specialist. He won twice at Wimbledon, once at the Australian Open and three at the U.S. Open. Add those to his 12 French Open titles and you have the second most majors in men’s tennis history.

Perhaps equally important to note, he did that during the greatest era of men’s tennis, playing against fellow legends Novac Djokovic and his biggest rival, as well as the greatest men’s tennis player ever, Federer. An incredible baseline player, Nadal inflicted his will on his opponent and never relented, hitting amazing winners from places on the court never imagined before.

23. Kobe Bryant 

Bryant’s competitiveness and drive is legendary. Like Michael Jordan before him, he refused to lose the battle of effort. That’s how he transformed himself from a high flyer during his first Lakers dynasty to a clutch shooter during their second run. 

An 18-time All-Star, Bryant averaged 25 points per game throughout his career and made 12 All-Defense teams. He won five NBA Championships and two NBA Finals MVPs. But more than the titles, it was his relentlessness in all aspects of basketball that allowed him to elevate his own play and the play of his teammates.

24. Stefi Graf

Graf was the most dominant female tennis player for seven years, winning 22 major singles titles. She was ranked No. 1 in the world for 377 weeks in her career and is tied with Serena Williams for the most consecutive weeks ranked as No. 1 at 186. Her game was powerful and versatile, though most still think first of her dominant forehand drive. She’s seen as the founder of the modern tennis game, a pioneer with her aggressive style and upper-echelon athleticism that would come to define women’s tennis.

While her records have slowly been taken down by Serena Williams since she retired, she remains not only the one woman, but the only tennis player in history who has achieved the Golden Slam: Winning all four major championships and an Olympic gold medal in the same year. Graf is considered by many to be the greatest women’s tennis player of all time, and while Williams has already started to make her case for that title, Graf had no peers throughout her career.

25. Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Joyner-Kersee is, without a doubt, one of the greatest Olympic athletes to compete, and one of the best all-around athletes to participate on the world stage. After she scored over 1,000 points in her college career playing basketball at UCLA, she went on to compete at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, winning gold in the heptathlon and the long jump. In the process, she set the world record for points scored during the heptathlon with 7,291, as well as the Olympic record for the long jump, leaping 7.40 meters, both of which still stand to this day.

She would go on to compete at the world and Olympic level for another 10 years at an elite level; the only thing that could defeat her was injury. Joyner-Kersee is one of the greatest Olympic athletes ever, and her still-standing records will attest to that.

26. Derek Jeter

Jeter was the beneficiary of playing on a Yankees dynasty that included Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettite, Bernie Williams and other greats. But make no mistake, Jeter was the catalyst of that success. His defense was questioned, but he always came up with big plays when it mattered most. Whether he was crashing into the stands, making a jumping throw to first or hitting a walk-off homer when the clock struck November, Jeter made miracles happen.

He was selected to 14 All-Star games, hit .310 over the course of his career, finished with over 3,400 hits and won five World Series titles. But Jeter can’t be defined by numbers. It was his overall clutch play, consistency, and character that truly separated him.

27. Martina Navratilova 

Navratemlova ems regarded as one of the best tennems players of all temme and the best doubles player ever, for good reason. She was ranked No. 1 emn the world for 332 weeks emn semngles and for a record 237 weeks emn doubles, makemng her the only player emn tennems hemstory to have held the top spot emn both semngles and doubles for over 200 weeks. She holds the all-temme record for doubles major wemns wemth 31, and won the semngles temtles at Wemmbledon a record nemne temmes. At one poemnt, she won semx straemght temtles, a run of domemnance that has yet to be matched emn the years semnce.

She was simply dominant from wire to wire over the course of her career, and her prime surpasses any in tennis history, with a 1,982-86 record as the No. 1 player in the world. Simply put, no one could touch her, and her 31-year career should be remembered as one of the greatest in sports history, not just tennis history.

28. John Elway 

Elway will always be remembered for going out on top with back-to-back Super Bowl wins. But long before then, he was a generational athlete who was also drafted by the Yankees. He leveraged that to force a draft-day trade from the Baltimore Colts to the Broncos. There he dominated from the beginning.

Over his 15-year career, Elway threw for 300 touchdowns and 51,475 yards, winning an MVP trophy and making nine Pro Bowl appearances. He had been to three Super Bowl before finally getting over the hump with an upset win over the Packers in 1997-98. He orchestrated “The Drive” to stun the Browns in 1986. And who can forget him spinning in the air after taking a big hit on a first-down run in the Super Bowl? That was Elway though and through. He was a gamer with the talent to back it up.

29. Emmitt Smith 

The NFL’s all-time leading rusher, Smith was the centerpiece of the Cowboys dynasty during the 1990s. Yes, they had a great offensive line, but it was Smith who burst through the holes and, in many cases, ran over opposing defenders. He was a gritty running back, a throwback who lowered his shoulder for every extra yard.

That led to 18,355 rushing yards in his career along with 164 touchdowns. He was the 1993 NFL MVP and won three Super Bowl titles. He might not have blown anyone away with pure athleticism, but his ability to find holes and explode away from defenders allowed him to become one of the greatest players in NFL history.

30. Ronaldinho

A magician on the pitch, plain and simple. Ronaldinho made the extraordinary look easy, and he did it on the grandest stages.

At the international level playing for Brazil, Ronaldinho won the World Cup in 2002. At the club level, he received the Ballon D’Or twice, won a Champions League Title to go along with three Spanish Super Cup victories and two Spanish Championships. He scored 281 goals over the course of his career. His touch, pace, and tactical ability to effortlessly create plays across the field, for both himself and others, made him incredible to watch and he did that for 17 years.   

31. Novak Djokovic 

Djokovic somehow carved out his own place in history playing in an era against arguably the two greatest male tennis players ever in Federer and Nadal. He was never the most powerful player, but he more than made up for that with speed, stamina and incredible technique that allowed him to wear down the opposition and strike when the opportunity presented itself.

He’s won 16  majors in his career, has 75 career titles, and holds a record of 28-26 against Nadal, while finally overcoming Federer on the biggest stage, winning a marathon title match in 2019 at Wimbledon. It’s a testament to his greatness that he was able to accomplish that while playing against the best.

32. Carl Lewis 

Lewis was the most dominant sprinter in the world for 10 years, and among America’s most decorated Olympic athletes. He set world records in the 100-meter dash, 4 x 100-meter relay and 4 x 200-meter really, and his record for indoor long jump remains unbroken to this day. He won 65 consecutive long-jump competitions, a streak that ranks up with the greatest of all time in all of sports.

Lewis racked up nine Olympic gold medals and eight World Championship gold medals throughout the course of his career and gained a reputation as a fierce competitor as well as a national sensation. Lewis was at the top of the world, garnering recognition reserved for only the greatest of the sport. His run of excellence is matched by very few throughout Olympic history, and his name will live in sprinting forever.

33. Steph Curry

Curry changed basketball forever, plain and simple. Before he came along, shooting from five feet behind the 3-point line was considered absurd. Then he started making them at a 40% clip and now everyone is doing it. Literally, every team now understands how important shooting a high percentage from deep is and they’re all trying to incorporate it into their game.

Beyond his unquestioned status as the greatest shooter in NBA history, Curry is an incredible playmaker with the ability to get to the rim and make an acrobatic layup or pass it out to the open man. He’s won three NBA Championships, is a two-time NBA MVP and six-time All-Star. But, beyond adding to those numbers, Steph’s greatest contribution will be changing the way basketball is played.

34. Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson was a national sensation, captivating a massive audience whenever he stepped in the ring. It was a pure spectacle, and Tyson delivered for years, starting out his career 28-0 with 26 knockouts. He won Olympic gold and became the Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Then he was upset by Buster Douglas and things fell apart for Iron Mike, both personally (domestic violence) and professionally (losses to Evander Holyfield in 1996 and 1997). But at the height of his power, Tyson may have been the most violent puncher boxing has seen.

35. Pete Sampras 

Sampras quietly dominated the sport of tennis for 14 years, winning a then-record 14 grand slam titles. Using a monstrous serve and deft touch at the net, Sampras was most dominant on the fast courts of Wimbledon, where he won seven titles.

He also won the U.S. Open five times and the Australian Open two times. He was the No. 1 ranked player in the world for a record 312 weeks playing in an era that included Andre Agassi and Ivo Karlovic.

36. Reggie White 

White’s first 10 years in the league saw him notch 157 sacks and 964 tackles. Those are Hall-of-Fame numbers right there. Then he won a Super Bowl with the Packers and added another 35.5 sacks to his numbers. Truly outrageous.

White combined power and quickness. His club move is legendary. He literally knocked offensive lineman to the ground with it. The man simply couldn’t be stopped, and that was true for 13 years.

37. Mia Hamm

Hamm is one of, if not the, greatest women’s soccer player in American history, but she was so much more than that. She was the face of the game for her entire career, and competed in four FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments, and was a member of the U.S. National Team for 17 years, beginning when she was only 15. She held the record for most international goals with 158 for 14 years before Abby Wambach passed her by.

She was the first national sensation as a woman’s soccer player and paved the road for thousands of women after her. She was a four-time NCAA National Champion, two-time FIFA World Cup Champion, and two-time Olympic gold medalist. Her stretch of excellence and dedication to the game will stand as the standard for U.S. Women’s teams for decades to come.

38. Barry Bonds 

Did Bonds take steroids? Yes. Does that make him any less of an incredible athlete? No. Bonds was on his way to the Hall of Fame before juicing up. After it, he was, by all statistical measurements, the greatest power hitter in MLB history. He hit 73 home runs in a year. He hit 762 in his career. He’s the only member of the 500 home runs/500 stolen base club. He also won the MVP seven times. You don’t accomplish all that based on performance enhancers alone. You do it with incredible hand-eye coordination and reflexes, natural elements that can’t be enhanced with drugs.

Based on seemingly every report, he wasn’t generally a good teammate or person. But he was a great ballplayer, one of the best to ever play, and ultimately that can’t be ignored.

39. Deion Sanders 

Prime Time was one of the greatest pure athletes to grace professional sports. Sanders was an All-Pro cornerback and return man who electrified fans whenever he was on the field. It’s not often a defender is considered a threat to take it to the house at any given moment, but that was the case with Neon Deion. His larger-than-life persona and overflowing confidence made him a divisive figure among the public in a manner few football players had ever before. He notched 53 interceptions throughout his career and returned nine of them for touchdowns, and his antics down the sideline during his returns are permanent fixtures in any decent NFL highlight reel.

None of this is to mention Sanders’ baseball career. He split time between the sports, most famously suiting up for the Falcons before taking a helicopter to play in the World Series for the Braves. Sanders provided one of the greatest all-around years for an individual in professional sports history in 1992; Sanders hit .304, stole 26 bases, and led the league in triples for the Braves while notching three interceptions and over 1,000 return yards for the Falcons. The only man to ever play in a World Series and a Super Bowl, it’s unlikely we’ll ever see the likes of Prime Time again.

40. Kevin Durant 

Kevin Durant is a physical anomaly. He’s listed at 6’10”, 240 pounds with a 77-inch wingspan and wears a pair of size 18 shoes. Somehow that towering figure is able to run the court with grace, shoot with endless range, break down opponents off the dribble and play better defense than he’s given credit for.

Durant has been doing that for 12 years and seems to get better every offseason. He’s been named to 10 All-Star teams and 9 All-NBA teams. He won two NBA MVP awards with the Warriors and has also won two Olympic Gold Medals. The only question is how much higher he’ll be on this list when his career is over, if he gets over the Achilles injury of course. 

Honorable Mentions

Manny Pacquio (Boxing), Lance Armstrong (Cycling), Calvin Johnson (Football), Terrell Owens (Football), Steve Young (Football), Ronnie Lott (Football), Marshal Faulk (Football), Randy Moss (Football), Michael Johnson (Track), Kevin Garnett (Basketball), Isaiah Thomas (Basketball), Karl Malone (Basketball), Dwyane Wade (Basketball), Bo Jackson (Baseball, Football), Phil Mickelson (Golf), Venus Williams (Tennis), Mike Trout (Baseball).