Feb 6, 2017
Who's the best team sport athlete of all-time?
Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. These three athletes are widely considered as the best of their respected sport. But the question is, who's the best team sport athlete of all-time?
TSN.ca Staff
If he wasn't already there, many now consider Tom Brady as the greatest quarterback of all-time after leading the New England Patriots to a record breaking comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
With five championships under his belt, Brady surpassed Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw for the quarterback with the most Super Bowl rings in history.
Playing arguably the most important position in sports in addition to a mountain of success, Brady has to be considered one of the best team-sport athletes of all-time. But is he the best?
Let's take a look at how Brady's numbers compare with the likes of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and basketball stud Michael Jordan.
Who's your pick for the greatest of all-time?
Tom Brady
Brady's Stats
| Seasons | Games | Completion PCT | Yards | Touchdowns | Interceptions | QB Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 237 | 63.8 | 61,582 | 456 | 152 | 97.2 |
Super Bowls: Five (5-2 Super Bowl record)
Super Bowl MVPs: Four
Pro Bowls: 12
Regular Season MVPs: Two
All-Time Passing Yards: Fouth
All-Time Touchdown Passes: Fourth
Love him or hate him, Brady is a once in a lifetime talent.
After spending a quiet college career with Michigan, the Pats selected Brady in the sixth round of the 2000 Draft. A year later he was a starter and a Super Bowl champion.
It just kept on getting better from there.
Over his 17-year career in New England, Brady has made a name for himself as one of the most clutch athletes of all-time.
Brady broke seven records on Sunday alone including becoming the first pivot with three Super Bowl fourth-quarter comebacks and the most postseason game-winning drives in history with 10. He also broke Super Bowl records for most pass attempts (62), most completions (43), most passing yards (466) and the most Super Bowl MVPs (four).
Sunday's win was the definition of Brady's career. Meaning if No. 12 is on the field, you have a good chance to win, no matter who you put out there to play with him. Over the years, Brady, alongside head coach Bill Belichick, has turned a slew of castoffs and relatively unknowns into productive, championship-caliber players.
At 39, Brady still has years left in the tank with the real possibility he could add another ring or two to his trophy case by the end of his career.
Wayne Gretzky
Gretzky's Stats
| Seasons | Games | Goals | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 1487 | 894 | 1,963 | 2,857 |
Stanley Cups: Four
Conn Smythe Trophies: Two
Hart Memorial Trophies: Nine
Art Ross Trophies: 10
Most Goals All-Time: First (894)
Most Assists All-Time: First (1963)
*Hall of Famer
The Great One's numbers speak for themselves.
Aside from leading the all-time goal and assist lists, Gretzky holds the record for most assists in a season (163), most goals in a season (90), most points in a season (215), fewest games needed to reach 50 goals (39) and most 100-or-more point seasons (15) along with a number of other impressive feats.
Gretzky won all of his Stanley Cups with Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s and made the Stanley Cup final in 1993 as a member of the Los Angeles Kings.
Gretzky's incredible point production easily puts him on the short list for the greatest NHLer of all-time and right in the mix for greatest athlete of all-time in a team sport.
Michael Jordan
Jordan's Stats
| Seasons | Games | PPG | APG | RPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 1072 | 30.1 | 5.3 | 6.2 |
NBA Championships: Six
Finals MVPs: Six
Regular Season MVPs: Five
Scoring Championships: 10
All-Stars: 11
Consecutive NBA Scoring Titles: Seven (most of all-time)
Regular Season Career Scoring Average: 30.1 (most of all-time)
*Hall of Famer
There's a great debate amongst basketball circles whether LeBron James will one day pass Michael Jordan as the greatest basketball player of all-time.
As it sits now, most believe Jordan is the greatest, thanks in large part to his incredible six championships and six NBA Finals MVPs.
Jordan had so many memorable moments that added to his legacy during his career. There was the "Flu Game" during 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz and "The Shot" in the 1989 playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers just to name a few.
Who knows what more he could have accomplished if he didn't leave the game for a season and a half during the prime of his career to pursue baseball.
Let The Debate Begin
Who's the greatest team-sport athlete of all-time?