Fans Debate About The Athlete Of The Century: LeBron James Is The Only NBA Player On The List

LeBron James was put in the middle of a Twitter debate discussing who the best athlete of the 2000s is.

Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James is arguably the most recognizable active basketball player in the world, with an incredible body of work that spans over 20 years, including his unmatched high school career. James has been entertaining fans for over a generation, with adults having been born after he started his career.

With us being 22 years into the 2000s, a Twitter account asked users who the greatest athlete of the century is. The options were LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tom Brady, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Tiger Woods, and Michael Phelps. People had a lot to say about this group and which one deserves the crown.

Discussions like this are usually hypothetical, and this group might not actually be representative of the actual contenders. 

Many fans argued that Lionel Messi deserves a mention over Ronaldo for his exemplary play on-court and behavior off-court. James, on the other hand, should quite indisputably be the representative from the NBA here.

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Should LeBron James Be Considered The Athlete Of The Century?

That is a tough group to be a part of. Most people may lean towards Tom Brady or Tiger Woods due to them completely dominating their sport, as compared to LeBron winning just 4 titles despite making 10 Finals appearances.

Michael Phelps had a very short prime as a swimmer but was arguably the greatest ever during his reign over the sport. All these players have achieved a lot to get this mention, but only one can be the greatest. James might be that one, but he's still chasing the ghost of Michael Jordan to solidify himself as the greatest to ever play basketball. 

James is a model citizen off the court and the living standard of greatness on the court. It's hard to find an athlete like LeBron, who has promoted the empowerment of athletes along with rewriting how players can maximize their wealth. If LeBron is the pick for you, you can't be considered wrong for that.