A historic mid-range fadeaway against the Thunder on Wednesday cast LeBron James in stone as the NBA’s leading points scorer of all time, taking over from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s former record of 38,387.
Legacy-defining moments such as these often prompt fans to debate one of the most divisive questions in sport, and this week’s feat is no exception.
Michael Jordan has long been considered basketball’s greatest of all time thanks to his supreme dominance in the NBA during the 1980s and 1990s, but is his throne now under threat following King James’ 20-year career at the league’s summit.Â
Some crown their GOAT anecdotally – focusing on the highlights and memories the athlete forged during their rise to the top – while others prefer to hang their hat on the stats, concentrating on the numerical legacy they’ve left behind.Â
With the GOAT debate back in full flow, Sportsmail have selected their greatest of all time in every sport.
Sportsmail decides who the GOAT is in each sport after LeBron James became the NBA’s leading scorer
Basketball – Michael Jordan
Scoring the most points in NBA history didn’t make Abdul-Jabbar the greatest ever player. LeBron’s feat, whilst undeniably impressive, does not automatically usurp Jordan at the top of the tree in much the same way. It simply illustrates the longevity of his career.Â
Boasting two championship rings, two Finals MVPs, one regular season MVP, nine scoring titles and a Defensive Player of the Year more than LeBron, Jordan left behind a truly sensational legacy, achieving everything the game had to offer.
Having dominated on both ends of the court, the Chicago Bulls icon still holds the record for the most scoring titles in NBA history (10) and was on the NBA’s All-Defensive team nine times during his career.
LeBron’s feat, whilst impressive, does not usurp Jordan – who holds the record for the most scoring titles in NBA history (10)
Football – Lionel Messi
Pele, Cristiano Ronaldo and Diego Maradona should be rightly recognised as genuine challengers, but in truth there really is only one true GOAT: Messi.
If there was ever any debate before the World Cup last year, the Argentine has well and truly closed the case, marshalling his country to glory by winning Player of the Tournament and scoring in every knockout round between the last 16 and the final.
Strip back all the stats and accolades from his awe-inspiring journey with Barcelona and fruitful stint in Paris, and you’re simply left with the most gifted footballer the sport has ever seen. If we’re going to call it the ‘beautiful game’, we ought to crown the player with the most glamorous and bewitching skillset as king.
After finally sealing World Cup glory in Qatar, few can look past Lionel Messi as football’s GOAT
Golf – Tiger Woods
Jack Nicklaus may boast the record for most golf Major titles (18), but few fans would argue with Woods in terms of what he brought to the sport.
Having a stacked portfolio of his own with 15 Majors, Woods was a breath of fresh air as soon as he entered the sport in 1997. His dominance attracted new fans to golf like never before, thanks to his flair, talent and dynamic style.
You need only look at the joyous and emotional reception he received at St Andrews upon his return last year. The 47-year-old will forever be cherished as a pioneer and powerhouse in the sport – and right now he still holds the right to golf’s throne.
Tiger Woods was a breath of fresh air for golf as he won 15 majors while his dominance attracted new fans to golf
Tennis – Roger Federer
Right, time to ruffle some feathers. You can almost hear Novak Djokovic fans and Rafael Nadal supporters sharpening their pitch forks.Â
Sure, the aforementioned pair have yet to retire and boast an extra Grand Slam title over the Swiss icon, but Federer is the GOAT of tennis as far as Sportsmail are concerned.
Much like Messi with football, Federer played the most attractive brand of tennis ever seen on the court on his way to claiming 20 Grand Slams, and he did so with unparalleled grace and decorum, setting an exceptional example to fans and young players. An ultimate professional who was loved by almost everyone.
Federer played the most attractive brand of tennis ever seen on the court on his way to claiming 20 Grand Slams
Rugby – Dan Carter
Widely considered the greatest fly-half to ever play the game, Dan Carter epitomised the dominance of New Zealand during his illustrious career, standing alone as rugby’s highest international scorer with 1598 points.
His effortless kicking ability, intelligence as an offensive initiator and leadership in New Zealand’s back line cut him adrift from other international No 10s of his day, and few players come close to rivalling him for the GOAT title.
Carter also had a knack of turning up when everything was on the line. Coming in clutch during the 2015 World Cup final, he crucially kicked four penalties, two conversions and a drop goal to win the tournament and claim player of the match.
Dan Carter’s effortless kicking ability, intelligence as an offensive initiator and leadership in New Zealand’s back line cut him adrift from other international No 10s of his day
Cricket – Shane Warne
At its core, whether through bewitching talent, record-breaking achievements or deviant escapades, sport is all about entertaining people. Fortunately for cricket fans, Warne had all three.Â
There was never a dull moment when the Aussie spinner stepped up to bowl, and his unpredictable genius led to an astonishing total of 708 Test wickets from 145 Tests during his exceptional career.
Making terms such as ‘flipper’ and ‘googly’ fashionable, Warne rescued the dying art of leg spin, entertained fans with his sledging and became one of cricket’s biggest ever global icons. Â
Shane Warne’s unpredictable genius led to 708 Test wickets from 145 Tests in his career
Formula One – Lewis Hamilton
Again, perhaps another contentious one. But don’t let last season’s hiccup at Mercedes spoil the Brit’s astonishing legacy.Â
To start, in terms of career wins and total career points, Hamilton indisputably stands alone at the summit. He also won his first F1 title at a younger age than Michael Schumacher and his most recent championship at an older age than the German, demonstrating the impressive longevity of his career.
And yes, whilst he shares the world championships record alongside Schumacher with seven, Hamilton frankly should have claimed his eighth in 2021 instead of Max Verstappen, denied only by an extremely controversial decision at the death.
Lewis Hamilton ranks as one of F1’s greatest drivers after equalling Michael Schumacher’s seven world championships
American Football – Tom Brady
Sportsmail’s all-time NFL great finally called time on his glittering career last month, having achieved more in his 22 years in the league than some franchises have managed in their entire respective histories.Â
A seven-time Super Bowl champion, five-time Super Bowl MVP and three-time NFL MVP, Brady’s portfolio speaks for itself, but the fact he was able to keep up his incredible high standards consistently throughout his 20s, 30s and 40s is perhaps what’s most impressive about him.
Simply put, the 45-year-old is a cut above in terms of records, accolades and longevity. Therefore, surely few can argue against handing Brady the GOAT crown.
A seven-time Super Bowl champion, five-time Super Bowl MVP and three-time NFL MVP, Tom Brady’s portfolio speaks for itself
Boxing – Muhammad Ali
They called him The Greatest for a reason. It wasn’t just his incredible skill, movement and talent inside the ring – it was his showmanship and knack for a one-liner outside of it too. ‘Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’.
In his heyday, Ali beat every man he ever fought as he avenged losses to Joe Frazier, Ken Norton and Leon Spinks – before rounding off his career with defeats to Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick.Â
However, no one will doubt he was the GOAT of boxing after becoming a three-time heavyweight world champion with a record of 56 wins – 37 of which came by knockout.Â
Muhammad Ali was a three-time heavyweight champion who oozed class in and out of the ring
Baseball – Babe Ruth
Ruth’s era was a long time ago – he retired in 1935 – yet many of his incredible records in MLB are still unmatched to this day.Â
The former Red Sox pitcher racked up a total of 714 home runs – which was the most in MLB history when he retired and is now the third highest. He won the World Series seven times and set the record for most home runs in a season with 29 – then broke it three more times with 54, 59 and 60.Â
‘The Bambino’ continued to push the boundaries in the sport and was a player who could seemingly do it all – he was a great pitcher with pure power, but was also a brilliant hitter – with a batting average of .342. Many see him as one of the men who single-handedly changed baseball with his all-action approach to the game.Â
Legendary Red Sox icon Babe Ruth racked up a total of 714 home runs and won the World Series seven times
UFC – Georges St-Pierre
Many considered Anderson Silva to be the UFC’s GOAT for some time, but St-Pierre is now leading that argument after an incredible career that saw him lose just twice against the legendary Matt Hughes and Matt Sera – and he managed to avenge both of those defeats.Â
He dominated the welterweight division for years before stepping up to middleweight and becoming a two-weight champion by dismantling Michael Bisping and riding out into the sunset.Â
Out of the Octagon, his respect and humility won him plenty of fans too. While the likes of Conor McGregor have attractive negative attention for trash-talk and unsportsmanlike behaviour, GSP was all about being a gentleman and showing discipline – but in the cage he was lethal and had an exciting style. St-Pierre was the perfect UFC fighter in the eyes of many. Â
Georges St-Pierre was disciplined and humble out of the cage and lethal inside it as he dominated the welterweight division and lost just twice before becoming a two-weight champ
Ice Hockey – Wayne Gretzky
Who else? After blitzing his way to scoring the most goals (894), assists (1963) and points (2857) in NHL history and holding 61 league records – most of which still stand today – it is hard to look past Canadian legend Gretzky.Â
Gretzky made things look easy by racking up his staggering numbers and easily ranks alongside greats of sport. For a long time, he was the face of ice hockey and became a visionary. He scored nine 50-goal seasons and enjoyed 14 successive seasons scoring more than 100 points – averaging 159.29 per season in that spell.
His heroics saw him pick up eight consecutive Hart Trophy awards, winning nine overall, and his records speak for themselves. Known for his iconic spell at the Edmonton Oilers between 1978 and 1988 before moving to the Los Angeles Kings, his anticipation, bravery and total domination of his competitors are what makes him a cut above the rest. Â
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Few have dominated a sport like Wayne Gretzky did in the NHL – he scored the most goals (894), assists (1963) and points (2857) in NHL history
