Of all the GOAT debates in sports, one of the easiest to call comes from football, because there isn’t a debate at all. Tom Brady made the conversation an open-and-shut affair. There are no competition concerns, numbers to scrutinize, or “yeah, but”s to explore. The only mystery isn’t who the GOAT is, but how it ended up being the 199th pick of an NFL draft. Let’s explore what makes a skinny 6th round quarterback in the world’s most brutal sport the unequivocal greatest of all time. 

The Leader in Everything

It’s easy to start with statistics, and there’s no reason to bury the lede, so let’s begin there. The most important position in all of sports is, arguably, quarterback. There have been dozens of phenomenal quarterbacks in NFL history. What makes Tom Brady so unique is that he has more passing yards, passing touchdowns, 4th quarter comebacks, game-winning drives, regular season wins, postseason wins, Super Bowl victories, and Super Bowl MVPs than all of them. His 12 combined Super Bowl rings and Super Bowl MVPs are five more than any other player in NFL history. His Approximate Value–a statistic created by Pro Football Reference to estimate career value–is 49 more than any other player, which is greater than the difference between 2nd place and 9th place. He not only has the greatest career in history, but his 2007 regular season is arguably the greatest season in history. 

Impact on Winning

Brady’s career statistics are enough to end the debate, but there are several other angles that bolster his legacy. For instance, Brady’s impact on winning is unrivaled in the sport. Bill Belichick is often included on the Mount Rushmore of NFL head coaches, and rightfully so. Belichick has a record six Super Bowl victories as a head coach, and appeared in a record nine Super Bowls. However, Belichick owes quite a bit to Brady for his success. Belichick’s career regular season record without Brady is 83-104 (.444). With Brady? Well things look a little sunnier at 219-64 (.774). Belichick’s career playoff record without Brady stands at just 1-2 (.333). Again, with Brady, that record balloons to 30-11 (.732). Certainly, there was some mutualism between Brady and Belichick in New England, but Belichick was unsuccessful in three NFL stints without Brady. Brady without Belichick? This is where Brady’s legacy reaches the land beyond the land of the absurd. Brady left New England to be the starting quarterback for Tampa Bay in 2020. Tampa had not made the playoffs in the previous 12 seasons, and carried a 7-9 record in 2019. In Brady’s first season without Belichick, he was the MVP of the Super Bowl! Brady would go on to lead the Bucs to the playoffs in all three of his seasons in Tampa, and did so in his mid-40s. Brady’s career regular season without Belichick is 32-18 (.640), and his playoff record is 5-2 (.714). It is rare in sports that we get to see such a definitive conclusion on the relative importance of a single player as we’ve been able to see with Brady. His massive success with and without Belichick, and with and without the Patriots and Bucs, combined with Belichick and Tampa’s poor records without Brady shows just how instrumental Brady was to his winning endeavors.

Sustained Excellence

Brady’s massive statistical ledger and his impact on winning are more than enough to close the book on this debate, but there’s more. Brady’s sustained excellence is only rivaled by LeBron James in the history of professional sports. Brady led the NFL in passing yards in his 20s, 30s, and 40s. He did the same with touchdowns. He won multiple Super Bowls in his 20s, 30s, and 40s. As a starting quarterback, Brady was 70-24 (.745) in his 20s, 113-28 (.801) in his 30s, and 68-30 (.694) in his 40s. There are only three quarterbacks in history besides Brady who won two Super Bowls with at least a .694 career winning %, and Brady accomplished that in his 20s, 30s, and 40s. 

Brady’s sustained excellence shows up even more if we move beyond the fact that he’s the all time leader in so many categories, and explore just how big his margin is over second place in those categories. His 10 Super Bowl appearances are four more than any other player. His 251 regular season wins are 65 more than any other player. The difference between Brady and 2nd place is the same as the difference between 2nd and 12th place. Brady’s regular season win total is twice as many as all but 8 quarterbacks in NFL history. Brady’s 35 playoff wins are more than double any other quarterback in history. He has twice as many passing yards as all but 18 quarterbacks, and twice as many passing touchdowns as all but 12.

The Sneaky O.G.

Perhaps most underexplored on Brady’s resume is how effective he was with his feet. Yes, the player in NFL history that you’d pick last in a 40-yard dash competition is arguably the greatest short yardage QB of all-time. Brady’s 124 conversions on third or fourth-and-1 are the most since 2000. His 90.5% conversion rate is the 2nd highest in that same timeframe. Brady’s 238 career rushing first downs are more than Peyton Manning and Drew Brees combined. He’s 18th on the postseason list for rushing touchdowns, including running backs! The most unstoppable weapon in the NFL today is the Brotherly Shove. It’s just under 90% success rate is so effective that owners considered banning the play following the 2024-25 regular season. Long before the Eagles perfected short yardage conversions, Tom Brady had the art of the quarterback sneak mastered at an even higher success rate. Brady’s 5.24 40-yard-dash didn’t win him many footraces, but nothing deflates a defense more than an “and short” conversion, and Brady did it better than anyone.  

That’s a wrap. 

If we had the ability to create an NFL player with 99s in every category, that player would be hard-pressed to duplicate Tom Brady’s career accomplishments. He isn’t just first in everything, he’s first in everything by a lot. He didn’t just win more than anyone, he left no doubt as to who was most responsible for it. He didn’t just play longer than anyone, he sustained excellence at a level that is unheard of in professional sports. Brady didn’t just kill Super Bowl dreams, he killed the GOAT debate. Thanks, Tom!

Every ranking update ever (Last basketball update: 8/17/25 Next scheduled basketball update: July ’26)

The making of the list.

The Rules

If you disagree with the placement of an athlete whose prime occurred before 1975, please read The ChatGPT Cautionary Tale before commenting.

Historically undervalued: 🔵

Rank	Player			Position	Years
1	LeBron James		Why?	Pick one	2003-active
2	Michael Jordan			SG	1984-2003
3	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar			C	1969-1989
4	Shaquille O’Neal	🔵	Why?	C	1992-2011
5	Tim Duncan			PF	1997-2016
6	Steph Curry			PG	2009-active
7	Magic Johnson			PG	1979-1996
8	Kobe Bryant		Why?	SG	1996-2016
9	Kevin Durant			SF	2007-active
10	Nikola Jokic			C	2015-active
11	Larry Bird			SF	1979-1992
12	Karl Malone			PF	1985-2004
13	Giannis Antetokounmpo			PF	2013-active
14	Hakeem Olajuwon			C	1984-2002
15	David Robinson	🔵	Why?	C	1989-2003
16	Wilt Chamberlain		Why?	C	1959-1973
17	James Harden	🔵	Why?	SG	2009-active
18	Kevin Garnett			PF	1995-2016
19	Dirk Nowitzki			PF	1998-2019
20	Moses Malone			C	1974-1995
21	Kawhi Leonard			SF	2011-active
22	Bill Russell		Why?	C	1956-1969
23	Charles Barkley			PF	1984-2000
24	Jerry West			SG	1960-1974
25	Julius Erving			SF	1971-1987
26	Dwyane Wade			SG	2003-2019
27	Chris Paul			PG	2005-active
28	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander			PG	2018-active
29	Oscar Robertson			PG	1960-1974
30	Rick Barry			SF	1965-1980
31	John Stockton			PG	1984-2003
32	Anthony Davis			PF	2012-active
33	Russell Westbrook			PG	2008-active
34	Steve Nash			PG	1996-2014
35	George Gervin			SG	1972-1986
36	Joel Embiid			C	2016-active
37	Dwight Howard			C	2004-2022
38	Patrick Ewing			C	1985-2002
39	Gary Payton			PG	1990-2007
40	Scottie Pippen			SF	1987-2004
41	Luka Doncic			PG	2018-active
42	Adrian Dantley	🔵	Why?	SF	1976-1991
43	Jimmy Butler			SF	2011-active
44	Tony Parker	🔵	Why?	PG	2001-2019
45	Jason Kidd			PG	1994-2013
46	Pau Gasol	🔵	Why?	C	2001-2019
47	Damian Lillard			PG	2012-active
48	Clyde Drexler			SG	1983-1998
49	Walt Frazier			PG	1967-1980
50	John Havlicek			SF	1962-1978
51	Reggie Miller			SG	1987-2005
52	Paul Pierce			SF	1998-2017
53	Ray Allen			SG	1996-2014
54	Allen Iverson			SG	1996-2010
55	Isiah Thomas			PG	1981-1994
56	Tracy McGrady			SG	1997-2012
57	Jayson Tatum			SF	2017-active
58	Kyrie Irving			PG	2011-active
59	Dominique Wilkins			SF	1982-1999
60	Manu Ginobili	🔵		SG	2002-2018
61	Bob McAdoo			C	1972-1986
62	Willis Reed			C	1964-1974
63	Dave Cowens			C	1970-1983
64	Chauncey Billups			PG	1997-2014
65	Chris Webber			PF	1993-2008
66	Rudy Gobert			C	2013-active
67	Dikembe Mutombo			C	1991-2009
68	Alonzo Mourning			C	1992-2008
69	Kevin McHale			PF	1980-1993
70	James Worthy			SF	1982-1994
71	Alex English			SF	1976-1991
72	Bernard King			SF	1977-1993
73	Carmelo Anthony			SF	2003-2022
74	Devin Booker			SG	2015-active
75	Paul George			SF	2010-active
76	Donovan Mitchell			SG	2017-active
77	Karl-Anthony Towns			C	2015-active
78	Domantas Sabonis			C	2016-active
79	Jaylen Brown			SG	2016-active
80	Larry Nance	🔵	Why?	PF	1981-1994
81	Dennis Rodman			PF	1986-2000
82	Elgin Baylor			SF	1958-1972
83	Ben Wallace			C	1996-2012
84	Elvin Hayes			PF	1968-1984
85	George Mikan		Why?	C	1948-1956
86	Bob Pettit			PF	1954-1965
87	Joe Dumars			SG	1985-1999
88	Wes Unseld			PF	1968-1981
89	Artis Gilmore			C	1971-1988
90	Anthony Edwards			SG	2020-active
91	LaMarcus Aldridge			PF	2006-2021
92	Amar’e Stoudemire			PF	2002-2016
93	Chris Bosh			C	2003-2016
94	Bob Cousy			PG	1950-1963
95	Vince Carter			SG	1998-2020
96	Chris Mullin			SF	1985-2001
97	Dennis Johnson			PG	1976-1990
98	Bradley Beal			SG	2012-active
99	Mitch Richmond			SG	1988-2002
100	Tim Hardaway			PG	1989-2003

The rest of the best basketball players of all time.

Wayne Gretzky is not only the greatest hockey player of all-time, but also the greatest athlete that the four major North American sports have ever produced. The gap between “The Great One” and everyone else in hockey history is as deep as, well, the ‘87 Oilers. That second spot, though, is up for grabs. There are compelling arguments to be made for Mario Lemieux, Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Patrick Roy, and even Sidney Crosby. The most compelling argument, however, goes to a player who is often dismissed from the conversation altogether, and that’s Alexander Ovechkin. There are flaws on Ovechkin’s resume. In fact, every player listed above has a major flaw on their resume. Lemieux was hardly a defensive stalwart, and he had just six seasons in which he played more than 67 games. Howe played in a league with six teams, which made his path to awards and championships the easiest of anyone in the conversation. Crosby was robbed of parts of several prime seasons due to concussion symptoms, and he has the fewest Hart/Vezina trophies of the group. Orr was essentially done by age 27, and played in the expansion era, which was the weakest in the history of the NHL. Roy won only half as many Vezinas as a rival goaltender (Dominik Hasek). They all have flaws. Aside from the very real North American bias that exists in these conversations, any “hate” (or let’s call it “lack of love”) for Ovechkin at the second spot exists under the mistaken assumption that a flawless candidate exists.  

Goals are the goal

Before we move to Ovechkin’s resume, let’s tackle the biggest criticism that gets levied against him: “he’s just a goal scorer.” First, that’s not close to being true–and we’ll get to that shortly–but even if it were, there comes a point when an athlete is so superior at the most important skill in a sport, that none of the other stuff matters. Michael Jordan is the greatest scorer in the history of the NBA. He has the highest scoring average of all-time and led the NBA in scoring a record 10 times. Nobody in the modern era has ever come close to matching Jordan’s scoring. Nobody is out there dissing Jordan’s scoring because he never finished in the top 5 in assists. Alexander Ovechkin has led the NHL in scoring a record nine times. Nobody in the modern era of hockey has ever come close to that. We’re not talking about a good goal scorer, we’re talking about, by far, the greatest goal scorer of all-time, and that distinction has little to do with his status as the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, and everything to do with how much more he dominated his era than any player in history. The obvious counter is to point out that Jordan won six championships to Ovechkin’s one. However, Ovechkin’s competition hardly has Jordan-esque championship totals themselves. Lemieux and Orr seem to be the most popular choices at the second spot, and they each won two championships. They also had the luxury of playing with Jaromir Jagr and Phil Esposito–two of the top 20 greatest players of all-time–among others. Ovechkin has had no such luxury with Washington.   

Points are flawed

Now, about that “just a goal scorer” criticism, which is just code for “doesn’t have huge point totals.” Hockey fans–me included–have a bad habit of obsessing over “points.” I was admittedly ecstatic when Connor McDavid became the first player since 1996 to reach the 150-point mark in game 80 of the 2022-23 season, and then again when he landed right on 100 points in the last game of the season in 2024-25 to extend his 100-point streak to five seasons. Points are fun. However, the fact that a goal, a primary assist, and a secondary assist are viewed equally is an absurdity. The second assist (which accounts for roughly half of all assists) often has little to do with the outcome of a play, and probably shouldn’t even exist (I mean, why not add a 3rd assist?). Even many primary assists are harmless passes that have little to do with the puck going in the net. If assists were fairly valued in the point tally, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation; Ovechkin would be the near unanimous choice. Let’s imagine that world–a world where the creator of the “points” statistic took an extra second to think about whether it made sense. Let’s imagine that a primary assist is worth ½ of a point, and a secondary assist is worth ¼ of a point (rough estimates of what fair values could be). Assuming there are as many primary assists as secondary assists, the average assist would equate to .375 points. This is what that world would look like:

With assists being fairly rated in the points statistic, nearly all of the concerns about Ovechkin’s point totals would be erased. He’d carry a clear points per game advantage over Howe, and his massive longevity advantage over Lemieux would be represented by a 300+ margin in career points. He would have a points lead over Crosby, who some view as the superior player simply due to his point totals. In that world, Ovechkin isn’t even overwhelmed by Gretzky’s production. The numbers in the table above represent a world where points are adjusted for league scoring pace and assists are valued fairly. This is much closer to reality than simply heading over to the points leaderboard and regurgitating a flawed statistic to devalue the greatest goal scorer in NHL history. The point of the game is goals after all, and Ovechkin is the greatest there ever was:

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Ovechkin’s Goal Dominance

1). Led the NHL in goals 9 times which is the most in NHL history. No player to debut since 1979 has done it more than 3 (!!!) times.

2). No player has even finished in the top-5 in goals more than 6 times since 1979.

Editor’s Note: This is my favorite Ovechkin statistic. 

3). Finished top-5 in goals 15 times, which is the most in NHL history. No player since the Original Six has done it more than eight times. 

4). Most adjusted goals in NHL history (999), 74 ahead of 2nd place (Gordie Howe), 158 ahead of 3rd place (Jaromir Jagr), and 241 ahead of 4th place (Wayne Gretzky).

5). Most seasons with 50+ adjusted goals (11). Nobody else has more than seven (Rocket Richard), and nobody since the Original Six has more than five. 

6). Most seasons with 40+ adjusted goals (16). Nobody else has more than 10 (Gordie Howe and Brett Hull). Gretzky and Lemieux have 15 combined (!!!)

Editor’s Note: This is my second favorite Ovechkin statistic.

7). Highest adjusted goals per game in NHL history (.67, tied with Mario Lemieux) despite playing in 575 more games than Lemieux (since 1935).  For perspective, Bobby Orr’s entire career lasted 657 games. 

8). Only player in the history of the NHL to be voted an NHL First Team All-Star at left and right wing.

9). Most NHL First Team All-Star selections (8) by a forward since the Original Six (tied with Gretzky).

10). Led the NHL in Power Play goals a record six times. No player since the Original Six has done it more than three times. 

11). Only player in NHL history to lead the NHL in Power Play goals and Even Strength Goals five times each. 

12). One of only four players in NHL history to win three Hart Trophies and a Conn Smythe Trophy.

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Complete Player

Critics like to skewer Ovechkin for not having an “all-around game” in favor of Gretzky, Lemieux, and Crosby. Ostensibly, this means “doesn’t have a ton of assists,” but it really just ends up being a catch-all attempt at hand-wavery and selective reasoning meant to discredit Ovechkin. There are, of course, one-dimensional players, but Ovechkin isn’t one of them, and to compare his responsibilities to that of centers is the surest sign that an argument is not being made in good faith. Ovechkin plays a different position! He is every bit the all-around player as a winger that the aforementioned players were as centers. There has never been a modern elite offensive player who has come close to matching Ovechkin’s physicality. He is the all-time leader in hits among forwards in league history. He has more than three times as many career hits as Crosby, and, remarkably, he managed to do so while accruing fewer career penalty minutes than both Crosby and Lemieux despite playing ~140 and ~600 more games, respectively. Ovechkin is also an uncommonly strong defensive player among elite goal scorers. He has more defensive point shares than the top 10 goals scorers in NHL history with the exception of Jaromir Jagr. Ovechkin’s durability and availability is also unparalleled among elite offensive players. He played at least 79% of Washington’s games in every season of his career. Lemieux had 10 seasons in which he did not reach that mark, and Crosby had 5. When talk turns to Ovechkin lacking an all-around game, these aspects of his repertoire are conveniently left out. Ovechkin’s combination of elite goal scoring, physicality, defensive presence, and durability has never been seen before in NHL history.

Conclusion

While Ovechkin has the second most impressive resume in history, it’s not by a significant margin. The difference between Gretzky and Ovechkin is larger than the difference between Ovechkin and anyone in the top 15. It’s more likely than not that Lemieux would’ve had a superior resume had he been afforded the luxury of Ovechkin’s health, and that could be true for Crosby as well. That makes Connor McDavid a very interesting player to follow over the next 10 years. He has an opportunity to fully realize his career potential the way Lemieux and Crosby could not. If that happens, and he’s able to win a Stanley Cup or two, then Ovechkin’s hold on the second spot starts to become perilous. Until then, Ovechkin has the best case of a group of flawed resumes (relatively speaking, of course).