How you determine who the best athlete in the world is obviously a subjective discussion where this is no correct answer. It’s an opinion and the best thing you can do is break it down like a mathematical proof to justify how you got to your conclusion.
Is it a basketball player? Could it be a football player? Why not a track and field, decathlon athlete?
Let’s break it down. Who is the best athlete in the world?
There was a time where it was virtually indisputable in the early 1990’s that without question, Bo Jackson was the greatest athlete in the world. He wasn’t just a dual sport athlete with football and baseball, but what he did in those respective sports was nothing short of eye-popping.
Nowadays, that title is a bit more ambiguous.
First Take is one of the most obnoxious liberal-infested shows on all of ESPN but they did have an interesting debate about who is the most “gifted athlete,” which was inspired by New York Giants quarterback claiming that Odell Beckham Jr. is the most gifted athlete he has ever played with.
That’s when Max Kellerman agreed, “Odell is the best athlete on planet Earth.”
Co-host Stephen A. Smith wasn’t having it though, “He’s not a better football player than Aaron Rodgers. Athletically he’s not better than LeBron James.. by the way, I’ll throw Russell Westbrook into that mix as well. He ain’t a better athlete than Russell Westbrook.”
The entire argument was framed in a hypothetical thought process where what if aliens came down to Earth and said we have a giant death gun pointed at Earth; who are we nominating to them as the best athlete.
Here’s the logical fallacy with the argument which makes highly debatable is that there is a huge difference between athlete and athleticism.
Transversely, Russell Westbrook is the exact same height and practically jumps out of the gym with his explosiveness. That’s sheer athleticism.
So that brings up another point that Kellerman makes which is the interpretation of being the most “gifted” athlete in the world. He says, “Would you say that being the greatest athlete means one person that has a specific skill that they do better than anybody else or the one who has the broadest array of skills pitched at a high level?”
That’s why this question is subjective. But like with anything that First Take does, they completely missed the mark and left out the greatest athlete in the world today and that is none other than Usain Bolt.
Yet they make no mention that the fastest man alive also plays soccer professionally.
No question that Bolt is getting up there in age and has officially retired from the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics after winning the gold in the 100 & 200-meter races in three consecutive Olympics – 8 years apart.
Bolt hasn’t lost a step.
In fact, Bolt recently went to the NFL combine a little over a month ago and tied the all-time high 40-yard-dash score by John Ross at 4.22-second time. Here’s the thing though, he did it with baggy clothes – others wear spandex – and he did it in a leisurely fashion.
If aliens threaten to destroy Earth and want our greatest athlete then the case should be made for Usain Bolt.