Deciding the ultimate GOAT in sports is an almost impossible conversation to tackle, but it's a fun one nonetheless. As a result, ClutchPoints is asking fans to determine the GOAT by participating in The GOAT Athlete Tournament, which features 32 of the best athletes of all time. The results of Round 1 are included here (complete with fan comments) after more than 1.6 million votes, setting up a Round 2 that is currently ongoing.
Round One
Wilt Chamberlain: 2x NBA champion, 4x NBA MVP, 1x NBA Finals MVP, 13x NBA All-Star, 7x NBA scoring champion, 11x NBA rebounding champion, holds the record for most points (100) and most rebounds (55) in one game.
— vs. —
Diego Armando Maradona: 1x FIFA World Cup champion (1986), 2x Serie A champion, 1x UEFA Cup champion, 1x FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner, FIFA Player of the Century, FIFA Goal of the Century, Napoli all-time Top Scorer.
With the two legendary icons pitted against each other, it was Wilt Chamberlain who emerged victorious over the Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona. While Maradona accomplished a lot in soccer, the majority of the fans simply believe that Wilt’s athleticism was unmatched. Furthermore, Wilt not only thrived in basketball but also made waves in volleyball.
“If we’re talking about athleticism then it’s definitely Wilt, 48 inch vert, 22 foot long jump, 49 second 400m dash and more. He also absolutely destroyed the NBA when he played too…” –Geo
“Wilt is easily the better athlete. Olympic level runner and jumper at 7 foot. Became a hall of fame volleyball player after retirement and obviously was great at basketball.” –Cody Owens
“If this is about pure athleticism then I don’t know who could beat Wilt. Man was an animal in every aspect.” –King
Jerry Rice: 3x Super Bowl champion, 1x Super Bowl MVP, 13x Pro Bowl, 6x NFL Receiving Yards leader, 6x NFL Receiving Touchdowns leader, holds the record for most career receptions (1,549), receiving yards (22,895), and total touchdowns (208).
— vs. —
Usain Bolt: 8x Olympic champion, 11x World champion, 3x Diamond League winner, 7x World Records in his career, including the fastest 100-meter dash (9.58 s)
Although Jerry Rice broke a lot of records during his NFL days, fans loved the impact of Usain Bolt on the Olympic stage. Bolt’s unmatched speed resulted in eight Olympic gold medals while breaking several world records in the process.
“It’s hard to ever say you’re more athletic than the fastest man ever” –Samuel Wallace
“Usain is the absolute best in his sport ever. Although Rices sport might be harder and he was imo the most dominant American football player ever. He can’t compare to lightning bolt. It was like watching a man race with children when he ran.” –Karlo
“Of all the people in history to run on record, Bolt was the fastest and no one else came close…I don't see this at all being close. Rice was amazingly skilled, but Bolt was just plain amazing.” –I Play Gamez
Michael Schumacher: 7x Formula 1 World titles, Most consecutive Formula 1 titles (2000-2004), Most consecutive podium finishes (19), Most fastest laps (2001 Australian Grand Prix), 5x F1 Driver of the Year, European Sportsperson of the Year (2001, 2002, 2003), FIA Hall of Fame, Germany's Sports Hall of Fame
— vs. —
Roger Federer: 20x Grand Slam champion, 31 Grand Slam Finals, Olympics men's doubles Gold Medal (2008), Olympics men's singles Silver Medal (2012), 103 ATP singles titles, 237 Consecutive Weeks as ATP No. 1, 1251-275 career record
Car racing and tennis are two different worlds. While fans acknowledge that Michael Schumacher and Roger Federer are the greats in their respective sports, Federer took this one given that the sport of tennis involves more athletic skills. On the other hand, car racing is still not as accessible by many. Furthermore, some are convinced that motorsports are a different kind of sport that doesn’t require the traditional aspects of athleticism.
“Please stop this tournament: no one can hit a ball better than Federer did, but also no one knows how to drive a car better than Michael Schumacher did. Please stop this hurts to my eyes.” –Y2Jmarco1
“F1 is a hard sport but it’s not an athletic one” –therealMuffinSeller
“Federer had the Same class in their respective Sport but since Tennis is way more accesible to normal people and way more people play it, I believe that federer should be rated higher in my opinion.” –Maxi Mayr
Novak Djokovic: 21x Grand Slam titles, 32x Grand Slam finals, World No. 1 for a record 373 weeks, Olympic bronze medal winner (2008), Davis Cup winner (2010), Most ATP Masters 1000 singles titles won in a career, only player in tennis history to hold all four major titles on three different surfaces at once, 1031–206 career record
— vs. —
Jim Thorpe: 2x Olympic gold medals (pentathlon and decathlon), first Native American to win a gold medal for the United States in the Olympics, 6 MLB Seasons, played for 6 NFL teams, first president of the American Professional Football Association (later the NFL), College Football Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Track and Field Hall of Fame, AP Most Outstanding Athlete of the First Half of the 20th Century
Jim Thorpe was in a class of his own back in the day. However, Novak Djokovic’s contributions to tennis in this generation have been great enough to help him advance to Round 2 with a surprising landslide victory.
“First president of the NFL is significant but as a greater athlete Djokovic is so unbelievably clear.” –FadeOnline
“Novak is the GOAT of tennis is the modern age, easy decision.” –Abdurahman Mohamed
Lisa Leslie: 2x WNBA champion, 2x WNBA Finals MVP, 3x WNBA MVP, 8x WNBA All-Star, 3x WNBA All-Star Game MVP, 2x WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, FIBA World Championship MVP, 4x Olympic Gold Medal, 2x World Championship medal, first woman to dunk in a WNBA game
— vs. —
Pele: Only player to win FIFA World Cup 3 times, Youngest ever to score at FIFA World Cup, Youngest World Cup champion, 1,279 goals in 1,363 games (most career goals), Most assists all-time in World Cup (10), FIFA Co-Player of the Century, 6x Brasileiro Série A champion, 2x Copa Libertadores champion, Ballon d'Or Dream Team (2020)
Pele took this one by a huge blowout. He was arguably the greatest football player. Moreover, no one can forget how the man stopped a war. While Lisa Leslie was a decorated WNBA player, her accomplishments were overshadowed by the soccer legend.
“Pele should have 101% of this vote” –Derrick Bird
“Pele stopped a war. This is unthinkable” –Richardo Grejo
LeBron James: 4x NBA champion, 4x NBA Finals MVP, 4x NBA MVP, 18x NBA All-Star, 18 All-NBA selections, 3x NBA All-Star Game MVP, NBA Rookie of the Year, 4x AP Athlete of the Year, 3x Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year, 2x Olympic Gold Medal winner, Most combined points in the NBA regular season and playoffs
— vs. —
Carl Lewis: 9x Olympic Gold medal winner, 1x Olympic Silver medal winner, 8x World Championship Gold medal winner, set world records in the 100 m, 4 × 100 m and 4 × 200 m relays, 65 consecutive victories in the long jump, voted Sportsman of the Century by the International Olympic Committee, elected World Athlete of the Century by the International Association of Athletics Federations, named Olympian of the Century by Sports Illustrated
Carl Lewis is one of the most accomplished athletes in history with a mind-boggling nine Olympic gold medals. However, those weren’t enough to dethrone The King, who’s dubbed as the greatest basketball player in the world today. It also helps that James just unseated Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the all-time scoring record in the NBA.
“Both great athletes
But my vote goes to bron and those accolades don’t even tell lebron entire story
He has more accolades that’s missing a lot more and lebron has multiple records as well” –7ionell
“Carl Lewis is a phenomenal athlete even without being juiced… But Bron is 6'9 260lbs jumping out of the damn atmosphere lmao.” –BarneyStinson06000
Babe Ruth: 7x World Series champion, 2x All-Star, AL MVP, 12x AL Home Run leader, 6x AL RBI champion, MLB All-Time Team, 714 home runs (3rd All-Time), Baseball Hall of Fame member, no. 3 retired by the Yankees, named Greatest Baseball Player of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated
— vs. —
Kobe Bryant: 5x NBA champion, 1x NBA MVP, 2x NBA Finals MVP, Youngest All-Star ever, 18x NBA All-Star, 4x NBA All-Star Game MVP, 15x All-NBA Team selections, 2x NBA scoring champion, 2x Olympic Gold Medal winner, jerseys #8 and #24 retired by the Lakers, record for 2nd most points in an NBA game (81)
Babe Ruth is arguably the best player ever to play MLB. However, sports fans can’t also forget how Kobe Bryant entertained us with his daring fadeaways and tough game-winning shots. Moreover, Bryant’s scoring performances, including his 81-point masterpiece, won’t be forgotten anytime soon. In fact, Bryant took this round with an 81% victory.
“Seeing the number 81 when I clicked Kobe just hit differently. Like the universe is telling me he is dropping 81 wherever he is now.” –This is the FBI.
“81% for Kobe that’s convenient considering that’s the most amount of points he’s ever put up in a game.” –Huddy
Tiger Woods: 82x PGA Tour event winner (T-1st), 15x majors winner, youngest Career Grand Slam winner, 11x PGA Player of the Year, 10x PGA Tour Money Leader, 9x Vardon Trophy winner, 9x Byron Nelson Award winner, spent the most consecutive and cumulative weeks atop the world rankings, only professional golfer to win four majors in a row
— vs. —
Muhammad Ali: 1x Olympic Gold Medal winner, the only three-time lineal heavyweight champion, 56-5 boxing record, 37 wins by KO, 6x The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year, named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated, named one of the 100 most influential Americans of the 20th century by Life magazine, named BBC's Sports Personality of the Century, awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005
Tiger Woods has carved out a HOF-worthy career in golf. On the other hand, Muhammad Ali was a legendary boxer. But while these two were legendary in their sport, Ali came away with the victory. Fans believed that Ali was more than an athlete. In other words, he was great in the squared circle and off it.
“Ali is an icon and the people’s champ, did far more than just being an athlete, THAT is greatness.” – Aris Chao
“Muhammad Ali wasn't just an amazing athlete he was an amazing human being.” –Doward Washington
“Tiger Woods was a better golfer than Ali was a boxer but Ali was GREATER. Greatness has more to do than solely what you did on the field” –The 1
Michael Jordan: 6x NBA champion, 1x NCAA Champion, 2x Olympic Gold Medal winner, 6x NBA Finals MVP, 5x NBA MVP, 14x NBA All-Star, 3x NBA All-Star Game MVP, 1x NBA Defensive Player of the Year, 11x All-NBA Team selections, NBA Rookie of the Year, 10x NBA Scoring Champion, 2x NBA Slam Dunk Contest Winner, 3x AP Athlete of the Year, 2× USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year
— vs. —
Joe Montana: 4x Super Bowl champion, 3x Super Bowl MVP, 2x NFL MVP, 3x First-team All-Pro, 8x Pro Bowl, 2x NFL Passing Touchdowns leader, Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (1990), 2× AP Athlete of the Year (1989, 1990), Bert Bell Award winner, 2× George Halas Award winner, San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame
Joe Montana made waves in the NFL. In fact, he remained undefeated in the Super Bowl throughout his career. However, Jordan is dubbed as the GOAT of basketball. While also having a clean slate in the NBA Finals, His Airness changed the game of basketball to the point that his impact continues to be felt until today.
“MJ isn’t athlete, athlete is MJ” –ImThatCookie
“Joe Montana is a great athlete, but MJ is… well he’s MJ” –Adrian Peña
Serena Williams: 23x Grand Slam titles, 4x Olympic Gold Medal winner, 858-156 career record, named Greatest Female Tennis Player in the Open Era by BBC and Tennis.com, named Female Athlete of the Decade by AP, ranked world No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for 319 weeks, including a joint-record 186 consecutive weeks
— vs. —
Bo Jackson: Only athlete in history to be named an All-Star in both baseball and football, 1x Pro Bowl, 1x Heisman Trophy, 1x Walter Camp award, 1x SEC Player of the Year, NFL Rookie of the Year, 1986 Cotton Bowl MVP, College Football Hall of Fame, named World's Greatest Athlete of All Time by ESPN Sport Science
Serena Williams has made her presence felt in the world of tennis. But while she’s the greatest female tennis player of all time, it’s hard to argue against a multi-sport athlete like Bo Jackson. Jackson not only succeeded in football, but he also made an impact in baseball.
“My God, Bo was a world class at football, baseball, and sprinting. The man could have literally beat 99.9 % of people at anything involving athletic ability.” –Gabriel Richwine
“As an athlete you simply can’t do much better than Bo, but for a career in a specific sport Serena is one of the best.” –Funny Man
“Bo Jackson will always be one the greatest pure Athletes, bro competed at a high level for both NFL and the MLB” –Coreysmith
Peyton Manning: 2x Super Bowl champion, 1x Super Bowl MVP, 5x NFL MVP, 2x NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, 7× First-team All-Pro, 14× Pro Bowl, 3× NFL passing yards leader, 4× NFL passing touchdowns leader, NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, 3× Bert Bell Award, Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (2013), SEC Player of the Year (1997), holds the record for most passing touchdowns in a season (55)
— vs. —
Rafael Nadal: World record 22x Grand Slam titles, 92x ATP singles titles, ranked world No. 1 for 209 weeks, finished as the year-end No. 1 five times, 2x Olympic Gold medal winner, 1067–219 career record, 5x ATP Player of the Year, 5x ITF World Champion, 2x Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year, Most consecutive years winning an ATP title (19), Most consecutive sets won on a single surface (50 on clay)
Peyton Manning collected a lot of accolades during his days in the NFL. But while he made his mark in football, people just can’t seem to favor him over Rafael Nadal, who has been dominant in tennis.
“Nadal is an insane athlete. Still competing at the highest level. Even through all his Injuries. True champion!” –Dr NuggZ
“I think the athlete IQ is what does it for me, personally I think it’s a lot harder to predetermine what, when, and where
But raw athletics nadal” –Sidekick b Thicc
Lionel Messi: 4x Champions League winner, 1x FIFA World Cup winner, 10x La Liga winner, 1x La Ligue winner, 7x FIFA Ballon d'Or winner, 6x European Golden Shoe, 2x FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, 2x Copa América Best Player, 6x La Liga Best Player, Laureus World Sportsman of the Year (2020), 12x UEFA Team of the Year, 7x UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season, 3x Best International Athlete ESPY Award, Most official goals for a single club (672, Barcelona)
— vs. —
Jackie Robinson: First African American to play in Major League Baseball, member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, 6x MLB All-Star, 1x World Series champion, 1x NL MVP, MLB Rookie of the Year, Major League Baseball All-Century Team, posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and Presidential Medal of Freedom, no. 42 retired by all MLB teams
Jackie Robinson made historic impact on and off the baseball field. Furthermore, he also carved out a Hall of Fame-worthy career. Unfortunately, pitted against Lionel Messi, who is arguably the GOAT of football, Robinson didn’t stand a chance.
“Messi solos he wins the whole tournament easily” –ProGoat
“If this was about off the field, then maybe. But on the field, has to be Messi.” –SirGenesis206
Mike Tyson: Undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990, youngest boxer ever to win a heavyweight title, first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles, member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame, 58 fights, 50 wins, 44 wins by KO, 2× Ring magazine Fighter of the Year (1986, 1988)
— vs. —
Wayne Gretzky: 4x Stanley Cup champion, 9x NHL MVP, 10x NHL's season points leader, 2x Stanley Cup MVP, 3x NHL All-Star Game MVP, most career regular season goals (894), assists (1,963), points (2,857) and hat-tricks (50), has more career assists than any other player has total points, record for career playoff goals (122), assists (260), points (382), hat-tricks (10) and game-winning goals (24), still holds or shares 60 NHL records
Wayne Gretzky is undoubtedly the NHL GOAT. However, people just can’t forget how Mike Tyson once solidified himself as the most dangerous fighter on the planet.
“We all know Wayne is the goat of his sport but Mike at one point was the most dangerous man alive” –Seyam Rahman
“This one’s tough as it gets for a first round. both are icons. Tyson” –Zac Bateman
Simone Biles: 4x Olympic Gold Medal winner, 1x Olympic Silver Medal winner, 2x Olympic Bronze Medal winner, 19x World Championship Gold Medal winner, 2x Pacific Rim Championship Gold Medal winner, Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2021 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award, TIME's 2021 Athlete of the Year, one of People Magazine's 2021 People of the Year, 2019 AP Female Athlete of the Year, named the Most Dominant Athlete of 2018 by ESPN the Magazine, Most decorated U.S. women's gymnast ever
— vs. —
Cristiano Ronaldo: 5x Champions League winner, 1x European champion, 5x Ballon d'Or winner, record for most goals (140) and assists (42) in the UEFA Champions League, 4x UEFA Best Player in Europe, 2x The Best FIFA Men's Player, 4x FIFA Club World Cup winner, 5x Golden Boot winner, 3x English Champion, 2x Spanish champion, 2x Italian champion, 1x UEFA Nations League Winner, 3x Uefa Supercup winner, 6x Player of the Year, 4x ESPY Best International Athlete, Ballon d'Or Dream Team, Euro All Time XI, All-time Men's World Dream Team
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best football players today. In fact, his accolades speak for themselves. On the other hand, Simone Biles took over the gymnastics scene and became arguably the best to do it. Although Biles seems like the more accomplished athlete in her sport, surprisingly, more fans ultimately selected Ronaldo.
“Some impressive feats from Simone Biles for sure, but I gotta go with Ronaldo for this one (siuuuuuuu)” –some random guy
“Biles is the goat of his sport but ronaldo is so iconic” – ah ah ah
Michael Phelps: 23x Olympic Gold Medal winner, 3x Olympic Silver Medal winner, 2x Olympic Bronze Medal winner, most decorated Olympian of all time, most Olympic golds at one Games (male), 26x World Championships (LC) Gold Medal winner, 16x Pan Pacific Championships Gold Medal winner, set 39 world records (29 individual, 10 relay), 8x Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year Award, 7x Golden Goggle Male Athlete of the Year, 1x Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, 2x Associated Press Athlete of the Year
— vs. —
Lewis Hamilton: 7x World Drivers' Championship titles, holds the records for the most wins (103), pole positions (103), and podium finishes (191), 5x DHL Fastest Lap Award, 11x Hawthorn Memorial Trophy, Laureus Breakthrough of the Year Award (2008), Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award (2020), 2x Best Driver ESPY Award, 2x BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, L'Équipe Champion of Champions (2020), FIA Hall of Fame, Member of the Order of the British Empire, Knight Bachelor
Michael Phelps' 23 Olympic gold medals and 26 world championships speak for themselves. As a result, he’s ultimately the face of swimming. In fact, his greatness is heavily favored over a seasoned world class driver such as Lewis Hamilton.
“Just being a 23 time Olympic gold medalist is enough for me to say Phelps” – Carbs in Milk
“Michael Phelps was so dominant and won so many gold medals” –Bread
“I'm trying to find every reason why Lewis wins this as an F1 fan but dude, 23 golds in the Olympics” –Lumberjack
Jesse Owens: 4x Olympic Gold Medal winner, 1x AP Athlete of the Year, set three track and field world records and tied one in 45 minutes, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Presidential Medal of Freedom, Living Legend Award, inaugural U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame class, ranked 6th greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN, six-man shortlist for the BBC's Sports Personality of the Century, Jesse Owens Award is given annually to the country's top track and field athlete
— vs. —
Tom Brady: 7x Super Bowl champion, 5x Super Bowl MVP, 3x NFL MVP, 2x NFL Offensive Player of the Year, 1x NFL Comeback Player of the Year, 15x Pro Bowl, 5x NFL passing touchdowns leader, 4x NFL passing yards leader, Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year (2007), 2x Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (2005, 2021), Most career quarterback wins, Most career passing touchdowns, Most career passing yards, Longest touchdown pass
It could’ve been a generational thing. Jesse Owens earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom and won the Olympic gold medal four times, despite facing international tensions that were as high as ever. Nevertheless, Brady also made his case as the GOAT NFL player. And to do this in the current generation, it made sense how Brady surpassed Owens.
“Its hard to compare these great athletes. But for me I had the chance to watch the single best quarterback of all time” – Garret Oldenkamp
“Unfortunately, not enough people know who Jesse Owens is” – Your Good Friend
“Brady has so many Super Bowls and that tops it.” – TWV
Round Two
Wilt Chamberlain vs. Usain Bolt
“It’s bolt but people don’t realize wilt was a track and volleyball god too” – zimmerboy
“You can say ppl better then wilt in his own sport… but you can’t say anyone faster then Usain Bolt” – Broly
![[NBA awards] Nikola Jokic next to Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama, Jalen Brunson, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.clutchpoints.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2F2024-NBA-awards-Official-picks-for-MVP-All-NBA-more-150x150.jpg&w=320&q=75)
***
Pele vs. LeBron James
“Pelé will always be under appreciated especially as time goes by.” – Rollastoney
“LeBron’s longevity just trumps imo. Dude is putting up 30, 9 and 9 a game in like his 20th season. Thats like if Messi were to be the leader in points per game when hes 40, its just crazy.” – xTi7
Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer
“Novak is probably the goat but Roger is my Goat. He was so dominant and the most Elegant player I ever seen.” – salla diallo
“Federer has done more for the sport than Novak ever will, but as an athlete, Novak has accomplished so much more on court. Both GOATS of the sport, but Novak has to win for his achievements” – FutureF123
***
Kobe Bryant vs. Muhammad Ali
“My pick is Ali but Kobe was a beast in his own right, RIP to both legends” – thejadurant
“I love and respect them both, but Muhammad Ali is arguably the greatest athlete of all time.” – Mansasargeantandthat 99
***
Michael Jordan vs. Bo Jackson
“I picked Mike but don't get it twisted Bo was a beast. I remember Bo, Jordan and Wayne Gretzky had a cartoon together!” – Darnell Barnes
“I think if someone like Bo was around today, he’d be widely seen as probably the best athlete ever” – Charles Krone
***
Michael Phelps vs. Tom Brady
“The number of gold medals and world records show how dominant Micheal Phelps was compared to the entire world.” – Benny C
“Brady is an absolute legend but I don't think people understand just how great Phelps is. Like alone 23 gold medals is insane considering the Olympics only happens every 4 years” – Kyan Mori
***
Rafael Nadal vs. Lionel Messi
“I love Nadal but being the best in a team sport makes you a different kind of animal.” – Ydra
“This should be much closer. The mentality tennis requires is so unbelievably demanding on each player because they're on their own, while in team sports an individual's influence is much lesser: if you have a great team, it's much easier to win. 60-40 at most.” – Hugo
***
Mike Tyson vs. Cristiano Ronaldo
“I say Mike, though I respect CR7. Mike has been retired for decades and still everyone regardless of age or even fans of his sport know who he is. In terms of cultural icon he's superior to most.” – Zweli Hajie
“I’m saying Ronaldo just for the simple fact that he has more raw athleticism, yes Mike Tyson was a very good athlete but Ronaldo is better in my eyes. Great debate though, it was a tough one!!!” – Jack_Gordon
Round Three
Usain Bolt vs. LeBron James
Roger Federer vs. Muhammad Ali
Michael Jordan vs. Michael Phelps
Lionel Messi vs. Mike Tyson
***
Happy voting!
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