HOLY CRAP THANK YOU.
I must have spent four hours arguing with my friends (career swimmers) that Michael Phelps, contrary to what every idiot commentator was saying, is not the world’s greatest athlete.
Pride for one’s own sport is important, but decathlon… come on… it’s fricking decathlon.
Well, Bra… its all hypothetical 'cause it will never happen, but. yeah, I would stand by that. LBJ could not just win but dominate at the decathalon with 6 weeks. The competitive spirit combined with the raw athletic ability… no chance. The current top ten in the Decathalon are a D sport when compared to not just Basketball but say… tennis, short course T and F (100 and 200), golf, hockey, soccer, football…
Just drunk in Texas and mouthing off, but still… prove me wrong.
Bob.
You didn’t honesltly just say that a champion decathlete is less of an athlete than a golfer, did you?
I would pay big money to see Phil Mickelson attempt a decathlon.
Aren’t you forgetting about a certain Lance Armstrong?
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Kind of a shame that the “best athlete on the planet” and the rest of his non-basketball playin’ team got their asses handed to them by little 'ole Orlando last night, huh?!
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Note, I don’t expect my banana will be dancing for long, so cut me some slack! 
No. That would be Bryan Clay current decathlon world champ and Olympic gold medalist.
DOH! I should learn to read the whole thread before posting
LBJ could not just win but dominate at the decathalon with 6 weeks
Just drunk in Texas and mouthing off,
LOL, no kidding…
I’ve never understood this fascination with basketball players. For some reason much of the American population considers basketball (and football, for that matter) athletes to be the most athletic guys out there.
News flash: just because they get paid millions to play a game doesn’t mean they are the best.
No doubt they are good athletes, but the best? Not even close. Off the top of my head, better athletes than Lebron would be: Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong, Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Bryan Clay, Chrissie Wellington, Muhammad Ali, etc.
Now if you want to talk best basketball players, then yeah, Lebron is right up there. Best overall athlete… uh yeah…no
If you want to take players who are among the best in their sport and call them the greatest athlete in the world then I will take Crosby, Malkin or Ovechkin. Get back to me when other sports decide to start playing on a slippery surface, wearing millimeter thin blades and having to master a difficult skill just to even try the game skills of the sport.
If Lebron brings the NBA Championship to Cleveland then yes you can call him the best athlete on the planet.
Not even…but if he played qb for the Browns this year and they won the super bowl, then yes, he would be the most incredible athlete on the planet.
Tiger Woods? Maybe…I dunno. I think I have more respect for basketball players as athletes than golfers. My rule has always been…if you can smoke while you’re doing it, it’s probably a game and not much of a sport…not that you can’t be a very athletic golfer, I guess. But someone like John Daly…?
I say, Lebron spends 6 weeks, and he could dominate decathlon.
I nominate this for dumbest post of the year.
You won’t hear any disagreement from me there. I hardly consider golf a sport, really. The majority of golfers I would not give much credit as “pro athletes”.
But you have to admit, Tiger has taken the game to a whole different level. If anybody could make golf seem athletic, he’s the guy.
When I was 15 I ran a 4:12 1500, I was nationally ranked in Canada. If LBJ were beside me at the start line, I would have been F…d.
Not sure what your time in the 1,500 when you were in high school has to do with LBJ in the decathlon but my bet is you are nowhere near his size. A guy has big as James does not run 4:12 for the 1500.
If you think he would dominate because of his size/strength, remember that most of the top decathletes are pretty big and strong themselves and have been training for years. There is no way he could dominate in 6 weeks or 6 months.
My rule has always been…if you can smoke while you’re doing it, it’s probably a game and not much of a sport.
Hockey must be a game then as Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur smoked. Also, for some strange reason a lot of the world class high jumpers smoke but I think they have their own sub culture thing going.
Did he smoke WHILE playing hockey, though? That’s what I meant…and would have been funny to see!
Interesting thread.
Obviously there is no way to accurately measure “athletic ability” when comparing people of varying size, skill at their own sport, etc.
However … just for the sake of argument I propose a rating based on the following criteria, not in any pareticular order of importance.
The argument that the current decathlon champion is “the best athlete in the world” is not entirely valid. Put him on skis, in a boxing ring, on skates or on a basketball court …
So having listed my criteria … my vote is for Georges St. Pierre.
Some will argue that his mental strength and dominance have yet to be fully vetted, but my choice stands.
You won’t hear any disagreement from me there. I hardly consider golf a sport, really. The majority of golfers I would not give much credit as “pro athletes”.
But you have to admit, Tiger has taken the game to a whole different level. If anybody could make golf seem athletic, he’s the guy.
Let’s see. Golf, played with any degree of competitive competence requires strength, flexibility, total-body coordination, mental acuity, and both physical and mental endurance.
…but not a sport. Got it.
I say, Lebron spends 6 weeks, and he could dominate decathlon.
I nominate this for dumbest post of the year.
I don’t know, the post comparing Cervello to the automakers and being too big to fail still befuddles me. But this one is right up there.
If you want to take players who are among the best in their sport and call them the greatest athlete in the world then I will take Crosby, Malkin or Ovechkin. Get back to me when other sports decide to start playing on a slippery surface, wearing millimeter thin blades and having to master a difficult skill just to even try the game skills of the sport.
I am still in awe of the third goal he scored last night. Taking the face off, getting the puck, going behind the net then a backhand with a guy draped on him and his back to the net up and over Cam Ward…WOW!
If you want to take players who are among the best in their sport and call them the greatest athlete in the world then I will take Crosby, Malkin or Ovechkin. Get back to me when other sports decide to start playing on a slippery surface, wearing millimeter thin blades and having to master a difficult skill just to even try the game skills of the sport.
I am still in awe of the third goal he scored last night. Taking the face off, getting the puck, going behind the net then a backhand with a guy draped on him and his back to the net up and over Cam Ward…WOW!
Yep, it was so sick!