Ultimate Athlete

[stryker]

When I think of incredible athletes, I think of marathon cyclists like Armstrong, Triathletes like Craig Alexander or Mark Allen…many footballers spring to mind...GI being one of them, tennis - the current champions are more athletic than previous decades. Swimmers like Michael Phelps

p.s. dont feel bad Watto...I had to google lebron james (he plays bucketball).

 

[Blake93]

You guys must be living under rocks. Does it matter that we're Australians? I said best athlete you've seen. Lebron James has been the best basketballer in the world for the past 5 or so years. Watch a few of his games and find me a more complete athlete and I'll concede. Keep in mind he is 6 foot 8 and still has all that ability, naturally gifted freak
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[Marshall_magic]

Lebron would have to be up there. The guy seems to be one of those guys who no matter what sport he plays he will dominate. I could imagine him dominating half a dozen sports the way he does basketball. Michael Phelps also stands out but I would have to go with Usain Bolt. The guy has just taken sprinting to a whole new level.

 

[Tiger_Watto]

I even watched a team called Chicago Bulls during a play-off for the championship just to watch Michael Jordan and he was apparently better than everyone. While I wasn't impressed (American sports never interested me), Jordan is a household name the world over, so why haven't we heard of this Lebron James?

Surely a basketball player doesn't go through the rigorous workload of some of the other Athletes mentioned… Guys like Lance Armstrong and Miguel Indurain ride push bikes up mountains gradients of 12%, back up the next day and ride a few more mountains, then test their skills against a clock and after 3 weeks, the winner is the guy who got to Paris quicker... Please don't tell me you think a bloke who plays basketball, sits out 3 weeks because they twisted an ankle is a far better athlete than the guys who fall off their bikes, jump back on and ride to Paris?

 

[Goose]

Ive had the debate with my mates too.

We came to the conclusion that tennis had a great combination of all athletic skills.

Obviously speed, agility, endurance, hand eye co-ordination, reflexes are prime in tennis. It requires an excellent combination of fast stitch and slow stitch muscle fibres. The only thing it misses is the strength component.

I guess if you are going tennis then Roger Federer is the man.

 

[Goose]

I even watched a team called Chicago Bulls during a play-off for the championship just to watch Michael Jordan and he was apparently better than everyone. While I wasn't impressed (American sports never interested me), Jordan is a household name the world over, so why haven't we heard of this Lebron James?

Surely a basketball player doesn't go through the rigorous workload of some of the other Athletes mentioned… Guys like Lance Armstrong and Miguel Indurain ride push bikes up mountains gradients of 12%, back up the next day and ride a few more mountains, then test their skills against a clock and after 3 weeks, the winner is the guy who got to Paris quicker... Please don't tell me you think a bloke who plays basketball, sits out 3 weeks because they twisted an ankle is a far better athlete than the guys who fall off their bikes, jump back on and ride to Paris?

How have you not heard of Le Bron James, are you taking the piss! Im not into Basketball at all, but he is absolutely a house hold name, and the debate rages whether he is better than Jordan. Whether he is not I have no clue, im not a basketball fan.

 

[Tiger_Watto]

I even watched a team called Chicago Bulls during a play-off for the championship just to watch Michael Jordan and he was apparently better than everyone. While I wasn't impressed (American sports never interested me), Jordan is a household name the world over, so why haven't we heard of this Lebron James?

Surely a basketball player doesn't go through the rigorous workload of some of the other Athletes mentioned… Guys like Lance Armstrong and Miguel Indurain ride push bikes up mountains gradients of 12%, back up the next day and ride a few more mountains, then test their skills against a clock and after 3 weeks, the winner is the guy who got to Paris quicker... Please don't tell me you think a bloke who plays basketball, sits out 3 weeks because they twisted an ankle is a far better athlete than the guys who fall off their bikes, jump back on and ride to Paris?

How have you not heard of Le Bron James, are you taking the piss! Im not into Basketball at all, but he is absolutely a house hold name, and the debate rages whether he is better than Jordan. Whether he is not I have no clue, im not a basketball fan.

No… Ive heard of a Kobe Bryant, he wears a yellow jumper, but never that dud. I asked 3 staff this morning and they hadn't heard of him either...

Eitherway, I cant see a basketball player being better than an elite Cyclist.
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[ellery_schofield]

from a football perspective brad thorn's record of success and longevity will not be easily beaten, he won NRL GFs in 2 separate stints with the broncos, Super Rugby titles in separate stints with the crusaders, played in two Rugby World Cups for the All Blacks (winning one aged 36) and played 14 games for Queensland Origin + 8 tests for Australia in league.

still playing top flight rugby at leinster this year.

as for lebron, he doesn't compare with Jordan.

 

[ellery_schofield]

Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders were great-allrounders, playing both Major league baseball and NFL and being named an All-Star in both sports.

Bo Jackson (who won the 85 Heisman trophy as the best college footballer in the US) was coincidentally the original "Bo Knows…" in a Nike ad campaign (i.e. Bo knows baseball, Bo knows football, basketball etc).

his college tracks times could have seen him make the Olympics (he unofficially recorded a 4.12sec 40 yard sprint), so he was a genuine superstar until a knee injury cruelled his career.

 

[Blake93]

I even watched a team called Chicago Bulls during a play-off for the championship just to watch Michael Jordan and he was apparently better than everyone. While I wasn't impressed (American sports never interested me), Jordan is a household name the world over, so why haven't we heard of this Lebron James?

Surely a basketball player doesn't go through the rigorous workload of some of the other Athletes mentioned… Guys like Lance Armstrong and Miguel Indurain ride push bikes up mountains gradients of 12%, back up the next day and ride a few more mountains, then test their skills against a clock and after 3 weeks, the winner is the guy who got to Paris quicker... Please don't tell me you think a bloke who plays basketball, sits out 3 weeks because they twisted an ankle is a far better athlete than the guys who fall off their bikes, jump back on and ride to Paris?

How have you not heard of Le Bron James, are you taking the piss! Im not into Basketball at all, but he is absolutely a house hold name, and the debate rages whether he is better than Jordan. Whether he is not I have no clue, im not a basketball fan.

No… Ive heard of a Kobe Bryant, he wears a yellow jumper, but never that dud. I asked 3 staff this morning and they hadn't heard of him either...

Eitherway, I cant see a basketball player being better than an elite Cyclist.
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cyclist are much fitter than basketball players but that's not what I asked. Cyclists are good at 1 skill and would probably be good runners and swimmers as well as they're aerobic threshold is higher than most people. However basketballers and nfl players are much better all-round athletes. They require the competitors to be dominant in every aspect of overall fitness rather than just leg strength and fitness
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[stryker]

I wouldn't call NFL players athletes Blackee….they have a break every 5 seconds and are very specialised - some are strength orientated, some are skill orientated while others have speed and agility. None need to have all.
Baskteballers have to be more so but are still way behind a true footballer (League, Union and to a lesser extent ping pong and sokkah)

I will go with tennis as well on reflection...they have to be fast, agile, skillful, mentally strong and have a huge motor as they play tournaments requiring them to play 5 or 6 games to clinch a title in a couple of weeks. They also play all year around and mostly have only themselves to rely upon. I dont think anyone in a team sport can be classed the best athlete as not all of their successes can be attributed to them solely.

 

[Muffstar]

A lot of good names mentioned already. For me another would be Manny Pacquiao, 8 World Titles in 8 weight divisions, something that has never happened before and I dare say will take a long time for it to happen again. He is a machine.

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

Lance Armstrong, especially with what he had to overcome.

If I was on drugs then I'd be the ultimate athlete as well.
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[tigerdre]

Being the ultimate athlete & the greatest sports star are totally different things

Any iron man or MMA fighter athletically are far superior than anyone has mentioned.
Roger Federer,Armstrong,Jordan etc etc wouldnt come close athletically to the little unknown ironman or up & coming UFC fighter

So the winner goes to Anderson Silva & John Jones you can throw in Kye Hurst hes the only ironman i can remember
all other sports are bludgers in comparison to athleticism

 

[cktiger]

Being the ultimate athlete & the greatest sports star are totally different things

Any iron man or MMA fighter athletically are far superior than anyone has mentioned.
Roger Federer,Armstrong,Jordan etc etc wouldnt come close athletically to the little unknown ironman or up & coming UFC fighter

So the winner goes to Anderson Silva & John Jones you can throw in Kye Hurst hes the only ironman i can remember
all other sports are bludgers in comparison to athleticism

Anderson Silva is a just fighter - going on your ideas of people who can handle different events maybe you should include decathletes -run the 100m , 400m , 1500m , 110m hurdles , long jump , high jump , pole vault , shot put , discus and javelin.
Now that's not an easy programme at the Olympics.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

I reckon old Tommy Raudonikis or Cliffy Lyons would be in the mix… Performed week in week out in the toughest game in the world on a steady diet of amber, durries and meat pies.

 

[tigerdre]

Being the ultimate athlete & the greatest sports star are totally different things

Any iron man or MMA fighter athletically are far superior than anyone has mentioned.
Roger Federer,Armstrong,Jordan etc etc wouldnt come close athletically to the little unknown ironman or up & coming UFC fighter

So the winner goes to Anderson Silva & John Jones you can throw in Kye Hurst hes the only ironman i can remember
all other sports are bludgers in comparison to athleticism

**Anderson Silva is a just fighter** - going on your ideas of people who can handle different events maybe you should include decathletes -run the 100m , 400m , 1500m , 110m hurdles , long jump , high jump , pole vault , shot put , discus and javelin.
Now that's not an easy programme at the Olympics.

Anderson Silva a just fighter? 😱pen_mouth: You obviously dont know anything about MMA but this is the wrong thread to debate that

 

[cktiger]

Being the ultimate athlete & the greatest sports star are totally different things

Any iron man or MMA fighter athletically are far superior than anyone has mentioned.
Roger Federer,Armstrong,Jordan etc etc wouldnt come close athletically to the little unknown ironman or up & coming UFC fighter

So the winner goes to Anderson Silva & John Jones you can throw in Kye Hurst hes the only ironman i can remember
all other sports are bludgers in comparison to athleticism

**Anderson Silva is a just fighter** - going on your ideas of people who can handle different events maybe you should include decathletes -run the 100m , 400m , 1500m , 110m hurdles , long jump , high jump , pole vault , shot put , discus and javelin.
Now that's not an easy programme at the Olympics.

Anderson Silva a just fighter? 😱pen_mouth: You obviously dont know anything about MMA but this is the wrong thread to debate that

Mate , if you think he's tough you obviously didn't grow up in the western suburbs in the 60's and 70's. :laughing:

 

[Sabre]

Eric the eel
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[westTAHger]

Eric the eel
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now, he is a classic example of sheer determination.
he got in and had a go.

don't forget eddie the eagle from winter olympics. :smiley:

there are many wonderful atheletes male and female, who compete in any type of sport.
so there will be many varying opinions.
you can Amo Zadapek, olympic distance runner from 50's 60's, Rob De Castella,
then Pele from soccer, Don Bradman from cricket, Dawn Fraser, to Edmund Hillary climbing mount everest, just to name a few.