ESPN’s top 100 professional athletes of the 21st century: Unveiling 1-25

The greatest athlete of the 21st century? That’s easy. It has to be Tom Brady, the quarterback of the greatest dynasty America’s favorite sport has ever seen, a seven-time Super Bowl champ and five-time Super Bowl MVP. Yep. Tom Brady.

Except. Except it has to be Lionel Messi, the best player in the world’s favorite sport, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner as the footballer of the year. Yep, definitely Messi.

Except … no … LeBron James, right? Four-time NBA champ, four-time Finals MVP, four-time regular-season MVP, 20-time All-NBA, most points scored in NBA history. No athlete has dominated the public conversation like LeBron has. He has to be No. 1.

Except, what about Serena Williams? Winner of 23 Grand Slam titles, the Serena Slam (holding all four major titles at the same time) and four Olympic gold medals. And she got her final Grand Slam event win while pregnant, putting her career on hold while she was at her most dominant.

Except, if you are going to pick a tennis player, what about Roger Federer? He transformed an entire sport with his artistry, his chess game on the court, his blazing forehand. He won 20 Grand Slam titles and became the most beloved tennis player of all time. Gotta be Fed.

Yeah, except Rafael Nadal won 22 Grand Slam titles and Novak Djokovic has won 24. You have to pick one of them over Federer.

Hmm. Maybe this isn’t so easy. We didn’t even mention the Olympians: Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky and Simone Biles. Or Kobe. Gotta throw Kobe Bryant into the discussion. Or Lewis Hamilton. Or Peyton Manning. Or Floyd Mayweather. Or Tiger. Geez, almost forgot about Tiger Woods.

Yes, ranking the top 100 most accomplished athletes since 2000 wasn’t quite so easy after all — but it sure was fun. Twenty-five years ago, the ESPN SportsCentury project ranked the top 100 North American athletes of the 20th century. Michael Jordan came in first, followed by Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown and Wayne Gretzky. (Ruth should have been No. 1, but hey, I’m a baseball writer.) We also ranked a horse: Secretariat came in at No. 35.

With so many transcendent athletes over the past 25 years, we thought it was time to do another ranking. I promise you there are no horses this time (sorry, American Pharoah). In considering the best athletes of the 21st century, however, we have expanded our choices beyond North America. ESPN editions from around the globe contributed to the nominations and voting process, as well as the individual sport list rankings that will follow.

Voters were instructed to consider only an athlete’s performance since 2000. So, for Barry Bonds: He won seven MVP awards, but only four of those came after 2000, as did 317 of his 762 home runs. Or Ken Griffey Jr.: He played until 2010, but all of his best seasons came in the 1990s. Tiger won 13 of his 15 majors from 2000 on, so he’s in good shape. Other athletes, such as Patrick Mahomes or Nikola Jokic or Shohei Ohtani, obviously have more greatness ahead of them, so we’ll see how high their accomplishments so far get them on the list.

In the end, we received more than 70,000 votes from ESPN contributors to create our top 100.

Let the arguments begin. — David Schoenfield, ESPN senior writer

1. Michael Phelps, swimming

Key accomplishments: Record 28-time Olympic medalist, 23-time Olympic gold medalist, most gold medals at a single Olympics when he won eight at Beijing in 2008

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Phelps earned a historic eight gold medals, more than any athlete in a single Olympics, while breaking world records in seven of his eight races. Throughout the Games, fans and members of the media tried to crack the code on what made Phelps — who eventually won 23 Olympic gold medals and became the most decorated Olympian of all time — so unbeatable. His mother, Debbie Phelps, was in Beijing, and often fielded their questions. Was it his size-14 feet? His extra-long arms? His breakfast regimen? “No,” Debbie answered repeatedly. “It’s his hard work.” — Alyssa Roenigk

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ESPN’s Top 100 Athletes: Michael Phelps

Check out the athletic feats of Michael Phelps, one of the greatest swimmers in history and No. 1 on ESPN’s list of the top 100 athletes of the past 25 years.

Key accomplishments: 23-time major champion (second most by any player all time), women’s record 365 major match wins, 73 career titles are fifth most by a woman in the Open era

There is little that Williams didn’t achieve during her record-setting career, including winning 23 major titles. But it might have been her last one that was the most improbable. She needed to win one more Grand Slam to break the tie with Steffi Graf for most in the Open era (which began in 1968) — a mark Williams said she had been “chasing for a really long time” — and remained in the 2017 Australian Open draw even after finding out she was pregnant shortly before competition began. She was in peak Serena form, never dropping a set en route to a final showdown with her sister Venus. She defeated Venus to take sole ownership of the record.

Williams played in four more major finals after her return from maternity leave and a complicated childbirth. She didn’t win another title. “The way I see it, I should have had 30-plus Grand Slams,” Williams wrote in Vogue in a 2022 essay announcing her impending retirement. “I didn’t get there … But I showed up 23 times, and that’s fine. Actually it’s extraordinary.” — D’Arcy Maine

Key accomplishments: 10-time LaLiga champion, seven-time Copa del Rey winner, four-time Champions League winner, six-time Champions League top scorer, 17-time FIFA FIFPRO World 11, World Cup winner, two-time Copa America winner, two-time FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner, eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, record goal scorer for Barcelona and Argentina

Messi winning the World Cup in Argentina in 2022 was perhaps the biggest Hollywood ending that soccer has ever seen. After losing the 2014 final, it looked like it would never happen for Messi, who had won everything else in the game for club and country, but the crowning moment of his career finally arrived at age 34. He scored twice in the final as Argentina beat France on penalties, sparking an outpouring of emotion and celebrations around the globe. “This guy transcends rivalries — even between Brazil and Argentina,” Brazil legend Ronaldo said. “I saw Brazilians and people all over the world rooting for Messi. It’s a fitting finale for a genius who has marked an era.” — Sam Marsden

Key accomplishments: NBA 75th Anniversary team, NBA’s all-time scoring leader, 20-time All-Star, 19-time All-NBA selection, six-time All-Defense, four-time MVP, four-time Finals MVP, four-time NBA champion, three-time All-Star Game MVP

The “48 special” game happened 17 years ago this spring. That’s when James scored 29 of the last 30 points for the Cleveland Cavaliers in a double-overtime upset Game 5 road win against the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals. The 48-point game was a mesmerizing performance that stands as one of the classic games of this century … and it probably doesn’t even rank in the top 10 of James’ playoff performances. It might not be one of his top three conference finals games. This is what James’ greatness rests on: No one has ever been this good for this long. That long-ago night in the Palace of Auburn Hills is merely one of 29 40-point games James has in the playoffs alone.

That win paved the way to his first Finals, starting a run of 10 appearances in 14 years. During that stretch he won four NBA titles, four MVPs and four Finals MVPs with three different teams, as well as two Olympic gold medals. He also won at least one road game in 29 consecutive playoff series. He has scored in double figures in 1,222 consecutive regular-season games — the last time he didn’t, his son Bronny, now his Laker teammate, was 2 years old. Volume isn’t a vogue way to measure achievement in the NBA anymore, and it lends credence to those who want to push James down all-time lists. It’s the only side of the argument to take against James, who has essentially renamed the NBA’s record book for himself. — Brian Windhorst

5. Tom Brady, football

Key accomplishments: Seven-time Super Bowl champion, five-time Super Bowl MVP, three-time NFL MVP, two-time AP Offensive POY, 15-time Pro Bowler, three-time first-team All-Pro, NFL record for career passing yards/TDs

When Brady was asked which of his seven Super Bowl rings was his favorite, he was fond of answering: “The next one.” That sums up the player whom Bill Belichick referred to as the “ultimate winner” who often played his best when the stakes were highest. Belichick noted how Brady entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick “with little to no fanfare” and left “as the most successful player in league history.” Said Belichick: “His relentless pursuit of excellence drove him on a daily basis. His work ethic and desire to win were both motivational and inspirational to teammates and coaches alike.” — Mike Reiss

Key accomplishments: 20-time major champion, 369 majors wins, eight Wimbledon titles (most by a man all time), 103 tour singles titles (second most by man in Open era)

It’s not unusual for a professional athlete to feel emotional during their final match or game before retiring. But what is unusual is when everyone else in the competition is equally emotional about it. Such was the case for Federer during the last match of his career at the Laver Cup — an event he co-founded — in 2022. Having previously announced a doubles match alongside Rafael Nadal would be his swan song, Nadal — his fiercest of rivals for nearly 20 years — cried right alongside him when it was over, as did Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, the rest of their European teammates and even Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe, their opponents from the World team. “I think we are all going to be forever grateful to be a part of the GOAT’s final match,” Sock said later. — D’Arcy Maine

7. Simone Biles, gymnastics

Key accomplishments: Seven-time Olympic medalist (tied for most by American gymnast), four Olympic gold medals (2016, tied for most by female gymnast at single Games)

Since winning her first national title in 2013, Biles has gone undefeated in all-around competition in every meet she has competed in, a staggering achievement in a sport that used to age-out athletes in their teens. Now 27, Biles punctuated her return to gymnastics after taking two years off following the Tokyo Games by winning U.S. trials by an astounding 5.5 points. In her third Olympics in Paris, Biles can become the first gymnast to win all-around gold in nonconsecutive Olympics. She also has five skills that bear her name — including a vault with the highest difficulty level in women’s gymnastics. — Alyssa Roenigk

Key accomplishments: 13 major wins (most of any player during span), 11 major wins as world No. 1 golfer (nine more than any other player all time)

Even after a record-breaking career in which Woods won 82 times on the PGA Tour, including 15 major championships, and was ranked the No. 1 golfer in the world for 281 consecutive weeks and 683 overall, golf fans are still left wondering what the Hall of Famer might have accomplished had injuries and self-inflicted problems off the course not hampered him over the past 15 years. That’s a testament to Woods’ greatness on the course, where he won 131 times around the world. He won his first major at age 21 and brought youth and energy to a sport that desperately needed it with his fist pumps and club twirls. — Mark Schlabach

9. Usain Bolt, track

Key accomplishments: Eight-time Olympic gold medalist, 100m world-record holder, only sprinter to win Olympic 100m and 200m titles at three consecutive Olympics

Their legs are a blur. What’s in focus is Bolt’s expressive mug as he surges ahead in the 100-meter semifinal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, his fourth and final Games. In the photo, the now 37-year-old Jamaican is looking back, smiling, almost taunting the three men giving chase. The race is not over — and yet it is. The image was a sensation at the time and has endured as one of the most indelible of Bolt’s career, which saw him set his first world record in the 100 at 21. His 2009 world record in the 100 (9.58 seconds) still stands today. — Alyssa Roenigk

10. Kobe Bryant, basketball

Key accomplishments: NBA 75th Anniversary team, Basketball Hall of Famer, five-time champion, two-time Finals MVP, 2007-08 MVP, 18-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA selection, 12-time All-Defense, four-time All-Star Game MVP

For all of the accomplishments Bryant amassed, the five championships chief among them, and all of the otherworldly scoring feats — nine straight 40-point games in 2003, four straight 50-point games in 2007, the 81-point night against Toronto, the 60-point send-off against Utah — his lasting achievement was inspiration. The Lakers legend’s self-described “Mamba mentality” has transcended basketball, and sports for that matter, a branded way of life that fans and admirers of Bryant aspire to reach. It promises that with enough drive, enough work, enough will and enough focus, you too can shape your existence the way Bryant did.

After a horrific helicopter crash in 2020 killed Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others, Bryant’s impact continues to be felt posthumously. His name is as relevant as ever in the NBA, with countless players paying homage to the shooting guard by wearing Nos. 8 and 24 and the league renaming the All-Star MVP trophy in his honor. “He’s like our generation’s Jordan,” Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas told ESPN last season. “How the other guys liked Jordan, that’s how we are with Kobe.” — Dave McMenamin

11. Novak Djokovic, tennis

Key accomplishments: 24-time Grand Slam singles champion; record 422 weeks as No. 1; 375 Grand Slam match wins; third in men’s singles titles (98), wins (1,110) in Open era

Less than two months after being stunned in the Wimbledon final by Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic refused to postpone history again and earned his record-breaking 24th men’s major title at the 2023 US Open. After escaping a five-set challenge in the third round, Djokovic didn’t lose another set and defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 in the final. At 36, he became the oldest man to win the US Open, and tied Margaret Court’s record for the most major titles in history. To many, the feat secured his position as the sport’s greatest of all time, but, like a true competitor, he was far from satisfied. “I don’t put any number right now in my mind on how many Slams I want to win,” he said hours later. — D’Arcy Maine

12. Rafael Nadal, tennis

Key accomplishments: 22-time Grand Slam singles champion, ATP Tour title in 19 straight seasons, 209 weeks as world No. 1, fourth-most men’s singles wins in Open era

While Nadal has had success on all surfaces throughout his career, he was rightfully deemed the “King of Clay” because of his dominance on the dirt. From 2005 to 2007, he had an 81-match win streak on the surface — still the longest stretch on a single surface by any man in the Open era. No one in history has won more singles titles at an individual Slam than Nadal, the winner of 14 French Open titles, in Paris. He has an undefeated record in the final at the tournament, and his reign has been so legendary and unprecedented that a statue was erected in his honor in 2021 — while he was still playing at the event. Federer called Nadal’s supremacy at the French Open “one of the greatest achievements in sport.” — D’Arcy Maine

Key accomplishments: Five-time Ballon d’Or winner, five-time Champions League winner, three-time Premier League winner, two-time LaLiga winner, two-time Serie A winner, record for most international goals

Ronaldo’s story is one of a supremely talented athlete, but with a drive and will to win to match. His career is best summed up by one of his own quotes: “If you don’t believe you are the best, then you will never achieve all that you are capable of.” Ronaldo has shown that belief throughout more than two decades at the top of world soccer and often proved it to be true. “He is the best,” said his former Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho. “I saw Maradona a couple of times. I never saw Pele. But Cristiano is amazing. This man is the best. Cristiano is a goal machine. There will never be another Ronaldo.” — Rob Dawson

Key accomplishments: NBA 75th Anniversary team, four-time NBA champion, 2022 Finals MVP, 10-time All-Star, nine-time All-NBA, 2022 All-Star Game MVP, two-time scoring leader, career leader in 3-pointers made

Curry had been reluctant to call himself the greatest shooter of all time until he broke the career 3-point scoring record. Once he achieved that milestone in December 2021, he wasn’t so shy about it anymore. Curry has changed the way basketball is played — at every level of the sport. Nowadays you’ll find kids in high school gyms going through the same pregame shooting routine Curry does. And in the NBA, offenses are built around 3-point shooting like never before.

If the way he revolutionized the game isn’t enough to solidify his standing in the NBA — and among great athletes around the world — his résumé is. After winning his first Finals MVP in 2022, to go along with his four titles, 10 All-Star appearances, nine All-NBA teams and two MVPs, Curry asked: “What are they going to say now?” — Kendra Andrews

15. Katie Ledecky, swimming

Key accomplishments: 10-time Olympic medalist, seven-time Olympic gold medalist, record 21 world championship gold medals, world records in 800m free and 1,500m free

“I was expecting a lot faster.” That was Ledecky’s response to winning the 1,500-meter freestyle by 20 seconds at Olympic trials in June, in the fastest time clocked this year. For more than a decade, Ledecky has owned the race known as the “swimmer’s mile,” which was added to the Olympic lineup in 2020. The 27-year-old is expected to win gold again in Paris, where she is also the favorite in the 400 free, 800 free and 4×200-meter relay. Since first breaking the world record in the 1,500 free in 2013, she has shaved 16 seconds off her time while also winning more Olympic and world championship gold than any woman in history. — Alyssa Roenigk

Key accomplishments: NBA 75th Anniversary team, Basketball Hall of Famer, four-time NBA champion, 13-time All-NBA selection, 13-time All-Defense, 14-time All-Star, two-time MVP, two-time Finals MVP

The first 2½ seasons of Duncan’s stellar career came before the turn of the century, but that didn’t stop him from cementing his spot near the top of this list. Even without a Rookie of the Year and his first NBA title, Duncan’s run in the early 2000s banked him both of his MVP awards. He earned the first in 2001-02 with a career-best average of 25.5 points, along with 12.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.5 blocks per game. The Big Fundamental was also one of the best defenders the league has seen, earning his final All-Defensive team nod in 2015 at 38 years old. — Andrew Lopez

Key accomplishments: NBA 75th Anniversary team, Basketball Hall of Famer, four-time champion, three-time Finals MVP, 1999-2000 MVP, nine-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA, two-time All-Defense

When Phil Jackson took a then 27-year-old O’Neal out to dinner during training camp ahead of the 1999-2000 Lakers season, the Zen Master challenged the center with a lofty objective. “I told him that he should make it his goal to be the MVP,” Jackson wrote in 2016. “In fact, I suggested to him that, by the time he retired, they should rename the trophy the Shaq Award!”

O’Neal went on to win three MVPs during the ensuing campaign: He was named co-MVP of the All-Star Game along with Tim Duncan for posting 22 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks in a win for the West; he was regular-season MVP after averaging 29.7 points, 13.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.0 blocks; and he was NBA Finals MVP after averaging 38 points on 61.1% shooting, 16.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in a six-game series win over the Indiana Pacers to capture the first of his three titles with the Lakers and four overall. The league never named the trophy after O’Neal, but he did pick up the moniker “Most Dominant Ever,” which isn’t a bad consolation prize. — Dave McMenamin

Key accomplishments: Three-time Super Bowl champion, three-time Super Bowl MVP, two-time NFL MVP, two-time First Team All-Pro, six-time Pro Bowler

Mahomes not only had one of the NFL’s best passing seasons ever in 2018, but he did it in his first year as a starter. That season he became only the second quarterback to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns, joining the Broncos’ Peyton Manning, who did it in 2013. Mahomes put himself on a fairly easy pace in both statistical categories with a scorching start. He had 13 touchdown passes in the first three games and threw for more than 300 yards in eight of the first nine. He had two six-TD games that season and hasn’t had one since. — Adam Teicher

Key accomplishments: Seven-time Formula One champion (joint record with Michael Schumacher), 104 race victories (record), 104 pole positions (record), 199 podiums (record)

He is the most successful driver in Formula One history, but Hamilton’s story is about so much more than numbers. The first and only Black driver to race in F1, Hamilton has described his path to the top as a “lonely journey,” but continues to commit his energy, time and money to increasing diversity in his sport. “I’m winning all of these races, but it doesn’t actually mean anything unless you do something with the platform it provides you,” he said after securing his seventh title in 2020. The next chapter in his remarkable story starts in 2025 when he moves to F1’s most famous team, Ferrari. — Laurence Edmondson

Key accomplishments: 10-time Pro Bowler, eight-time first-team All-Pro, three-time Defensive POY (tied for most all time), HOF All-2010s Team, 2014 Defensive ROY

Donald went into his eighth NFL season with many significant achievements on the field for the Rams: Defensive Rookie of the Year, three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards and seven Pro Bowls to start his career. The one thing he was missing? A Super Bowl ring. He and the Rams won that during the 2021 season, beating the Cincinnati Bengals in a game that went down to the wire. On fourth down in a three-point game, Donald pressured Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and forced an incomplete pass to essentially end the game. Donald’s celebration will be remembered, too: He ran around with his arms outstretched and then pointed at his left ring finger, where his first Super Bowl ring would go. — Sarah Barshop

Key accomplishments: Three-time WNBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, five-time Olympic gold medalist, 2009 WNBA MVP, 10-time All-WNBA first team, 2004 Rookie of the Year, WNBA’s leading career scorer and 3-point shooter, three-time NCAA champion, two-time Final Four Most Outstanding Player, 2003 Wade Trophy winner

Taurasi was born in 1982, when the NCAA tournament began for women. Twenty years later, she won the first of three consecutive NCAA titles with UConn. Now, 22 years after that, she’s still going at 42 as the oldest active player in the WNBA. The only player in the league to hit 10,000 points, Taurasi has spent her entire career with the Phoenix Mercury and has led the WNBA in scoring five times. Playing in her sixth Olympics this summer, she is revered for her longtime leadership of Team USA as well as the Mercury, and for her unwavering swagger. — Michael Voepel

Key accomplishments: NHL 100 Greatest, two-time Richard Trophy, two-time Ross Trophy, two-time Hart Trophy, three-time Lindsay Award, three-time Stanley Cup champion (two-time Conn Smythe), 1,596 points (10th all time)

Crosby’s teammate Kris Letang recalled how, in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the San Jose Sharks, Crosby vowed that he and Letang would team up on the “biggest goal” of the night. They wound up connecting for a game winner that secured Pittsburgh’s fourth Cup in franchise history. Letang was understandably stunned by Crosby’s fortune-telling prowess on such a large stage. But Crosby impresses in the smaller moments, too. Former linemate Conor Sheary recalled Crosby assuring him when they were paired together that Sheary was “there for a reason and to play my game.” It was the sort of calming presence Sheary needed from Crosby and a gesture he has never forgotten. — Kristen Shilton

Key accomplishments: NBA 75th Anniversary team, Basketball Hall of Famer, 2008 NBA champion, 2003-04 MVP, 2007-08 Defensive Player of the Year, 13-time All-Star, 12-time All-Defense team, eight-time All-NBA selection, 2003 All-Star Game MVP

Garnett was famously loyal to Minnesota, leading the Timberwolves to their first playoff series victories when he piloted them to the 2004 Western Conference finals. But despite winning his lone MVP award that season, it was in Boston where he would cement himself in history. He and Ray Allen teamed up with Paul Pierce to usher in a new big three era in the NBA and lead the Celtics to the 2008 title, plus another NBA Finals appearance two seasons later. Garnett bellowing “Anything is possible!” in the aftermath of the Celtics’ Game 6 victory over their archrivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, has become an indelible championship moment. — Tim Bontemps

Key accomplishments: Three-time MVP, 2001 Rookie of the Year, 11-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner, six-time Silver Slugger, two-time World Series champion, 703 HR (fourth)

They called him The Machine. Pujols’ swing was direct and to the point: power emanating from his lower half, firing through hands he used with the precision of a surgeon, his bat a weapon that placed him among the game’s greatest right-handed hitters ever. Rogers Hornsby, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Joe DiMaggio, Albert Pujols. He belongs. A 13th-round draft pick who will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2028, Pujols’ lone ding is an end-of-career fade with the Angels. In 12 seasons with the Cardinals, he was undeniable. — Jeff Passan

25. Floyd Mayweather, boxing

Key accomplishments: 50-0 record (27 KOs) from 1996 to 2017, five-division world champion, longtime pound-for-pound No. 1

Mayweather won world titles in five weight classes and dominated the pound-for-pound rankings from 2005 to 2015. His immaculate defense, with a trademark shoulder roll technique to block punches, along with sublime footwork, blurring hand speed and pinpoint accuracy helped him beat the best of his era — Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya, Canelo Alvarez, Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton and Juan Manuel Marquez, among others.

His decision win over Pacquiao generated more than $600 million in 2015 and remains the biggest fight in decades. Mayweather’s bout against former MMA champion Conor McGregor in 2017 also generated more than $600 million, second most all time. Mayweather’s wealth of boxing talent made him the world’s highest-paid athlete in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2018 (according to Forbes). — Nick Parkinson

26. Peyton Manning, football

Key accomplishments: Hall of Famer (2021), two-time Super Bowl champion, five-time NFL MVP (most all time), 14-time Pro Bowler, seven-time First Team All-Pro.

Manning already had a Hall of Fame career when he arrived in Denver in 2012 — 11 Pro Bowl selections, five first-team All-Pro selections, nine 4,000-yard passing seasons and a Super Bowl win in his 14 years with the Colts. He signed with the Broncos after a missed season in 2011, his fourth neck surgery and a bit of uncertainty about whether physically he could play at the level he wished. His four years in Denver answered those questions with four AFC West titles, two Super Bowl trips and a Super Bowl win.

His masterpiece might have been the 2013 season, when the Broncos broke the league’s scoring record with 606 points and Manning set records with 5,477 passing yards and 55 touchdowns, including seven in the season opener. The Broncos topped 40 points six times and 50 points three times. Current Dolphins associate head coach and former Broncos assistant Eric Studesville said: “I’ve never seen anything like Peyton and those guys that year. I don’t think anybody has. That was just an all-time great with the ball in his hands doing all-time great things at a level nobody else has been to.” — Jeff Legwold

Key accomplishments: Hall of Famer (2018), six-time Pro Bowler, four-time First Team All-Pro, 156 career TD receptions (second all time).

At 6-foot-4 and with a 47-inch vertical jump, Moss could reach or jump over the tallest defensive backs who tried to cover him — hence the phrase “You got Mossed.” But with speed that was measured below 4.3 seconds in the 40 during a private workout before the 1998 draft, Moss also could run away from the fastest defenders, be it on deep routes or even on what would now be called “bubble screens.” Other factors contributed to his success as well, but the league had never before seen a player like Moss. — Kevin Seifert

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ESPN’s Top 100 Athletes: Randy Moss

Check out the athletic feats of Randy Moss, one of the greatest NFL players in history and No. 27 on ESPN’s list of the top 100 athletes of the past 25 years.

Key accomplishments: 2023 NBA champion, 2023 Finals MVP, three-time MVP, six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection, 2023 Western Conference finals MVP.

Before the Clippers would blow a 3-1 lead in the second round against Denver inside the bubble in 2020, Doc Rivers was asked who Jokic reminded him most of. Rivers couldn’t pick just one legendary big man. “He has all the footwork and the moves of an [Hakeem] Olajuwon,” Rivers said. “The lanky and goofy intelligence of Kevin McHale. … He’s the best passing big that I’ve seen, I think, ever. [And] I know [Bill] Walton was one of [the best ever].” Rivers might have actually undersold Jokic. This was before the Nuggets superstar won three MVP awards, a championship and a Finals MVP. At 29, Jokic continues to annually put up numbers the league hasn’t seen from a big man since Wilt Chamberlain, and he’s far from done. — Ohm Youngmisuk

29. Michael Schumacher, auto racing

Key accomplishments: Seven-time Formula One champion (joint record with Hamilton), 91 race victories, 68 pole positions, 155 podiums (all second all time).

“The toughest rival I ever had,” Fernando Alonso said of Schumacher, voicing a feeling shared by most who raced against him. At the start of the new millennium Schumacher had no equal. Ruthless and unforgiving on track, his passion and drive off it helped turn Ferrari into the most dominant team F1 had ever seen. The combination of his generational racing talent and his blinding desire to win at all costs made him enthralling and controversial in equal measure and helped him end a 21-year wait for a championship at Ferrari, winning five straight to kick off the 2000s. — Nate Saunders

Key accomplishments: Three-time MVP (tied for second most all time), 11-time All-Star, nine-time Silver Slugger, 2012 AL Rookie of The Year, active career leader in WAR (86.1 per Baseball-Reference).

Only three hitters have piled up more WAR since the century began than Trout, and all of them had more than a decade head start on him when he launched, fully formed, into the majors at age 19, two years after going 25th in the 2009 draft. That’s how quickly Trout leaped into the conversation about the game’s historical elite. As perhaps the first star whose greatness was sharpened by contemporary analytics, Trout’s all-around dominance was on display from the start.

At 32, Trout has won three MVP awards and finished in the top five of balloting seven other times. Injuries have slowed his momentum, but if Trout can string together a few more healthy campaigns, the kid from Millville, New Jersey, could yet transcend his status as the best of his generation and challenge for the crown of best ever, period. — Bradford Doolittle

Key accomplishments: Three-time Cy Young winner, 2014 MVP, 10-time All-Star, five ERA titles, Triple Crown winner, Gold Glove winner, 2020 World Series champion, no-hitter in 2014.

Early in the 2016 season, then-San Francisco Giants ace Madison Bumgarner said of his great West Coast rival: “Are we watching the best ever at his best?” Maybe so. During his peak from 2011 to 2017, Kershaw went 118-41 with a 2.10 ERA. Even as he has battled injuries, he has remained effective: His career 2.48 ERA is the lowest for a starting pitcher since 1920 and his winning percentage is the highest since 1900 for a pitcher with 2,000 innings. The Los Angeles Dodgers lefty has never been the hardest thrower, but he is a perfectionist who once went nearly four seasons without allowing a home run on his curveball. — David Schoenfield

32. Marta, soccer

Key accomplishments: Six-time FIFA World Player of the Year, Brazil’s top goal scorer all time, record World Cup goal scorer, Golden Ball winner at 2007 Women’s World Cup, Golden Boot winner at 2007 Women’s World Cup.

There might be a temptation for Marta to stay on for one last crack at the World Cup on home ground in 2027, but as it stands the Paris Olympics will be her last try at a world title with the Brazilian national team. Not having such an honor does not put the slightest dent in her legacy. Marta is quite simply the most important player in the history of women’s soccer. There will never be another Marta. Gliding past opponents, beating keepers with a wand of a left foot, Marta came from nowhere — a poor family in a remote part of Brazil — to legitimize the sport in places where it struggled to be taken seriously. The inspirer of millions of dreams, the one who showed that the women’s game can be an art form. — Tim Vickery

Key accomplishments: Two-time MVP (2012-13, last player to win consecutive MVPs), Triple Crown winner in 2012, 12-time All-Star, seven-time Silver Slugger, four batting titles, 2003 World Series champion.

Cabrera arrived in the major leagues at 20, found himself batting cleanup in the World Series, whacked an opposite-field home run off Roger Clemens and charted a course that would end two decades later with 3,174 hits. Cabrera’s spray chart was a thing of beauty, with dots denoting his hits in all corners of the stadium — and 511 over the fence. He managed to hit for power without sacrificing his innate bat-to-ball skill, and he peaked in 2012, when he became the first hitter in 45 years to win batting, home run and RBI titles in the same season. — Jeff Passan

Key accomplishments: 2012 WNBA champion and Finals MVP, four-time Olympic gold medalist, 2011 WNBA MVP, five-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, 10-time WNBA All-Defensive first team, seven-time All-WNBA First Team, WNBA career steals leader, 2002 WNBA Rookie of the Year, Basketball Hall of Famer.

Skilled as Catchings was, she is likely remembered for her motor more than any other great women’s basketball player. That’s evident in her constant presence on WNBA All-Defensive teams. Catchings was the No. 3 draft pick in 2001 because she was coming off a knee injury that cut short her senior season at Tennessee. She sat out that WNBA season but rewarded the Indiana Fever for their patience by becoming the face of the franchise. Nothing shows Catchings’ impact more than this: The Fever missed the playoffs just twice in her 15-season career but haven’t been back to the postseason since she retired in 2016. — Michael Voepel

35. Dwyane Wade, basketball

Key accomplishments: NBA 75th Anniversary team, Basketball Hall of Famer, three-time NBA champion, 2006 Finals MVP, 13-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA selection, three-time All-Defense, 2010 All-Star Game MVP.

Who could forget that four-game Finals run Wade had? He averaged 30 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists on 60% shooting … in the 2011 NBA Finals the Miami Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks. The brilliance of Wade’s career was perhaps dimmed a tad because he teamed up with LeBron James and Chris Bosh at the peak of his powers. And the 2011 Finals will always be remembered for James’ stumbles and not Wade’s singular brilliance that was essentially wasted. But his career was spectacular and his 2006 Finals four-game run — 39.3 points and 8.3 rebounds on 50% shooting (and 73 free throws) — to lead the Heat to the first of three titles is legendary.

In the two seasons before James arrived in Miami, Wade won the scoring title and twice finished in the top five of the MVP voting. He willingly took a step back for James, an act that undoubtedly helped the Heat jell and win back-to-back titles even if it meant the end of his time at the top of those lists. It was a team-first act he paired with a willingness to come off the bench in the 2008 Olympics for the Redeem Team. He still stands as one of the greatest shooting guards of all time, the best shot-blocking guard in NBA history and a flag-carrying member of the iconic 2003 draft class. — Brian Windhorst

36. Maya Moore, basketball

Key accomplishments: Four-time WNBA champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist, 2014 WNBA MVP, 2013 Finals MVP, five-time All-WNBA First Team, 2011 WNBA Rookie of the Year, two-time NCAA champion, 2010 Final Four Most Outstanding Player, three-time Wade Trophy winner.

Moore was part of a 90-game winning streak and two perfect seasons at UConn. Then as the WNBA’s No. 1 pick in 2011, she helped the Minnesota Lynx become a dynasty. Moore was known for her smooth shot, her clutch play and the fact that winning followed wherever she went. In six of her eight WNBA seasons, the Lynx reached the Finals. But Moore’s career ended before expected as she stopped playing at age 29 following the 2018 season to focus on social justice issues. She worked tirelessly to help free her future husband, Jonathan Irons, whose prison conviction was reversed in 2020. Moore officially retired in January 2023. — Michael Voepel

37. Ichiro Suzuki, baseball

Key accomplishments: 2001 AL Rookie of the Year and AL MVP, 10-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove Award winner, AL batting titles in 2001 and 2004.

His most famous play is his “Star Wars” throw from his rookie season. His most famous record is the 262 hits he registered in 2004. He was 27 when he came to Seattle and he still finished with more than 3,000 hits — indeed, more career hits, if you include his Japanese totals, than Pete Rose. The iconic Ichiro hit starts with the pull of the sleeve in the batter’s box, the bat held high in front of him, then comes outracing the ball to first base. “No single number could ever explain a human as thrilling, as unusual, and as wonderful as Ichiro,” wrote sports columnist Joe Posnanski. — David Schoenfield

38. Barry Bonds, baseball

Key accomplishments: Since Jan. 1, 2000: 317 home runs (MLB-record 73 in 2001), 1,128 walks, four consecutive MVPs (2001-04), six-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger, two batting titles.

Bonds is the best living baseball player, and never was he better than the eight seasons he played this century. In that time, he smashed the single-season home run record, got on base at a 51.7% clip — a figure last reached in an individual year by Ted Williams in 1957 — and came as close as anyone to mastering the art of hitting. Bonds’ steroid use has kept him out of the Hall of Fame, but those who witnessed him play know: 21st-century Bonds was the closest we’ve seen to Babe Ruth. — Jeff Passan

Key accomplishments: NBA 75th Anniversary team, two-time champion, two-time Finals MVP, 14-time All-Star, two-time All-Star Game MVP, 2013-14 MVP, 10-time All-NBA, four-time scoring leader, 2007-08 Rookie of the Year.

“I’m Kevin Durant. You know who I am. Y’all know who I am.” That was Durant’s conclusion to a lengthy answer about pesky Patrick Beverley‘s defense against him (with a whole lot of help, as Durant noted) early in a 2019 playoff series. Durant’s point: He had proved himself as one of the best scorers to ever play the game, a four-time scoring champion who had won the previous two NBA Finals MVPs, a blend of size and skill that had never been seen before. Then he averaged 41.5 points the rest of that series as the Warriors finished off the Clippers. As he has bounced from team to team, there has been one constant about KD’s identity: When he’s healthy, he has always been impossible to guard. — Tim MacMahon

Key accomplishments: 2011 AL MVP, three-time Cy Young winner, nine-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion, 2006 AL Rookie of the Year, top 15 in career strikeouts, three no-hitters.

Will Verlander be baseball’s last 300-game winner? He’ll have to coax 40 more wins out of his Hall of Fame-bound arm, but if it’s ever going to happen again, it’ll be Verlander who does it. A true throwback to the days when ace pitchers held sway in the big leagues, Verlander has combined dominance and durability in a way that harkens back to the days of Tom Seaver, Bob Gibson and Nolan Ryan. With 260 wins and 3,300-plus strikeouts under his belt and more on the way, this is what Verlander always wanted to be. “I love being a pitcher,” Verlander said in 2018. “When I first started playing baseball, I always envisioned myself as a pitcher. I idolized Nolan Ryan, that old-school grit.” — Bradford Doolittle

41. Dirk Nowitzki, basketball

Key accomplishments: NBA 75th anniversary team, Basketball Hall of Famer, 2011 NBA champion, 2011 Finals MVP, 2006-07 MVP, 14-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection.

Nowitzki revolutionized the way the NBA game is played, a pioneer as a sweet-shooting 7-footer who thrived as a perimeter threat. But the big German is best remembered for an iconic post move he developed midway through his career. It was his most lethal weapon when Nowitzki shattered “soft Euro” stereotypes by leading the Dallas Mavericks to their lone title. His one-legged fadeaway is captured on the statue that stands outside the American Airlines Center and has the inscription “Loyalty never fades away” — a nod to Nowitzki’s record-setting 21-year run with one franchise. “The Dirk fade,” as it’s commonly called, is recreated by stars throughout the league on a regular basis. — Tim MacMahon

Key accomplishments: NBA 75th anniversary team, 2021 NBA champion, 2021 Finals MVP, two-time MVP, 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year, eight-time All-Star, 2021 All-Star Game MVP, seven-time All-NBA selection, five-time All-Defense, 2016-17 Most Improved Player.

When the Milwaukee Bucks selected a skinny kid from Greece who had been playing basketball for only two years with the 15th pick in the 2013 draft, it was impossible to predict how his arrival would alter the franchise’s trajectory for the next decade. Antetokounmpo transformed himself from an unknown but promising prospect into one of the most dominant power forwards in history at both ends of the floor — culminating in a 50-point game in the 2021 NBA Finals to clinch the franchise’s first championship in 50 years. The fact that he ordered 50 chicken nuggets the next day to celebrate only endeared him to Milwaukee fans even more. — Jamal Collier

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ESPN’s Top 100 Athletes: Giannis Antetokounmpo’s highlight reel

Check out some of the best plays from NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo as he lands at No. 42 in ESPN’s Top 100 athletes of the 21st century.

43. Alex Rodriguez, baseball

Key accomplishments: Since Jan. 1, 2000: Three-time AL MVP (2003, 2005, 2007), 11-time All-Star, seven-time Silver Slugger, 2009 World Series champion, 548 HR (second most since 2000).

A-Rod helped usher in the golden era of the jumbo-sized shortstop, a position long reserved for skilled fielders who couldn’t hit. A gifted batsman, Rodriguez mashed for power and average to all fields. His abundance of talent was unassailable. He also drew the longest steroid suspension in baseball history, coloring his achievements and cooking his reputation. History will see Rodriguez as one of the most talented players ever, but as is the case with all performance-enhancing drug users, the distinction comes with an invisible asterisk. — Jeff Passan

44. Mikaela Shiffrin, skiing

Key accomplishments: Three-time Olympic medalist, two-time Olympic gold medalist, record 96 World Cup wins, 59 World Cup slalom victories (most in a single discipline).

On March 11, 2023, Shiffrin chased down a record that, for 34 years, consumed the minds and careers of countless ski racers and became the winningest alpine skier in history. She won her 87th World Cup race that day, eclipsing the longstanding record held by Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark, which many considered to be unbreakable. She did it, of course, quickly, reaching 87 wins nearly three years quicker than Stenmark and by winning at least one race in all six World Cup disciplines — the only woman or man ever to do so.

But what’s most remarkable about Shiffrin’s feat is that she won 24 races and two of her five World Cup overall titles after skiing the most disappointing races of her career at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and having people question whether her best years were behind her. — Alyssa Roenigk

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ESPN’s Top 100 Athletes: Mikaela Shiffrin

Check out the athletic feats of Mikaela Shiffrin, one of greatest alpine skiers in history and No. 44 on ESPN’s list of the top 100 athletes of the past 25 years.

45. David Ortiz, baseball

Key accomplishments: Since Jan. 1, 2000: Hall of Famer, three-time World Series champion, 2013 World Series MVP, 10-time All-Star, seven-time Silver Slugger, 531 HR (third most since 2000).

Above everything, Big Papi will be remembered for feasting in the biggest of moments. As the game’s greatest designated hitter, Ortiz had Cooperstown numbers — 541 career homers and a .931 OPS — but that’s only the tip of Papi’s boisterous iceberg. He had 17 career playoff homers as part of three championship Boston Red Sox clubs and hit .455 over 14 World Series games. That includes 2013, when, at age 37, he went 11-for-16 with two homers and eight walks in the Fall Classic against a St. Louis Cardinals team that could not get him out.

After Ortiz was elected to the Hall of Fame, longtime teammate Dustin Pedroia said of him, “From day one, in a big moment, everything was in slow motion. He found a way to come through in moments where you dream of as a kid. He did it every single time.” — Bradford Doolittle

Key accomplishments: Three-time Cy Young winner, two-time World Series champion, eight-time All-Star, top 10 all time in strikeouts, threw two no-hitters in 2015.

Scherzer pitched the most dominant back-to-back games in MLB history. On June 14, 2015, he pitched a 16-strikeout one-hitter, allowing only a bloop single. In his next start, he lost a perfect game when he hit the 27th batter. He has had a record-tying 20-strikeout game, postseason heroics and one of the greatest months ever in June 2019 (6-0, 1.00 ERA, 68 strikeouts) — which he accomplished with a broken nose. He threw 98 mph while mixing in four other pitches. Most of all, though, the lasting image will be his intensity, notably his stomping around on the mound after recording another strikeout. — David Schoenfield

Key accomplishments: Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (tied for most all time with Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty), only driver to win five straight titles (2006-10).

The challenge when it comes to covering Johnson’s career is having to continuously find new ways to express, “Hey y’all, this guy, he’s really great at racing stock cars, isn’t he?!” And that’s only the second-best compliment I can give to the man who won seven NASCAR Cup Series titles, equaling Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, including five in a row, a mark of which The King and The Intimidator never came close.

But Johnson’s most mind-bending accomplishment is that he won those Cups even as the system that awarded them was seemingly and repeatedly rigged against him. The paddock called it “Jimmie Proofing” as his septet of titles were earned via three different points systems and four postseason format variations, all while steering three wildly different generations of race cars. Meanwhile, he somehow has remained true to his SoCal desert town, trailer park roots — as kind and humble as he was fast and unbeatable. — Ryan McGee

48. Thierry Henry, soccer

Key accomplishments: 2000 Euros winner, two-time Premier League winner, LaLiga winner, two-time FA Cup winner, Champions League winner, Copa del Rey winner, Club World Cup winner.

Henry revolutionized the role of the No. 9 in soccer. Tall, quick, physical, intelligent, determined, arrogant and charismatic, he represented a new kind among strikers. One of the greatest sportsmen of his generation, he won pretty much everything possible and scored unforgettable goals during his career. But his most amazing feat is undoubtedly going the whole Premier League season unbeaten with Arsenal in 2004. He was outstanding in that campaign, leading his team to an achievement never repeated since in modern English football.

“I believe Thierry was on the same level as Pele and Maradona, definitely. He was an exceptional football player, but as well a combination of a modern player, huge physical talent, technical talent, but as well special intelligence. He was one of the greatest players I’ve ever seen,” his former coach Arsène Wenger said. — Julien Laurens

Key accomplishments: Five-time Liga F champion, six-time Copa de la Reina winner, six-time Champions League winner, two-time Champions League final MVP, World Cup winner, World Cup final MVP, World Cup Golden Ball, Ballon d’Or winner, the Best FIFA Women’s Player winner.

Bonmatí’s 2022-23 campaign is unrivaled in women’s soccer. She won the top prizes in club and international football — the Champions League with Barcelona and the World Cup with Spain — and was named the MVP in both finals. She’s a midfielder who can do everything: dictate games, beat players, create chances and score. That success with Barça and Spain saw her crowned the best player in the world as she was awarded both the Ballon d’Or trophy and named the Best FIFA Women’s Player for the first time in her career. — Sam Marsden

50. Zinedine Zidane, soccer

Key accomplishments: European Championship winner, Champions League winner, LaLiga winner, Intercontinental Cup winner.

Zidane transformed soccer into a form of art. His elegance with the ball, his incredible technical ability and his skills made him a magician. He will also be remembered forever for netting two goals in the 1998 World Cup final, of course, but probably even more for scoring the most beautiful goal in a Champions League final ever. His volley with Real Madrid against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 was the purest you will ever see, and with his weak foot as well.

“Playing alongside him was just incredible. There were games where opponents could not get close to him, could not get the ball off him. The ball used to be glued to feet. Even at training, he would be unplayable at times!” his former teammate Robert Pires said. — Julien Laurens

51. Steve Nash, basketball

Key accomplishments: NBA 75th Anniversary team, Basketball Hall of Famer, two-time MVP, eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, five-time assists leader.

Before words like “efficiency” and “pace” became as common part of the NBA parlance as “slam dunk” and “pick-and-roll,” there was a diminutive guard from Canada who, as a contemporary of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in the late 1990s through early 2000s, ended up with as many regular-season MVPs as the two of them combined. Under the revolutionary tutelage of coach Mike D’Antoni with the Phoenix Suns, Nash won the award in 2005 and 2006 as the point guard on the heralded “7 Seconds or Less” teams that made it to three Western Conference finals in six years. While Nash never won a ring, he maximized his talents as a 6-foot-3 point guard, shooting 50% overall, 40% from 3 and 90% from the free throw line in four seasons and leading the league in assists five times. — Dave McMenamin

52. Adrian Beltré, baseball

Key accomplishments: Since Jan. 1, 2000: five-time Gold Glove winner, two-time Platinum Glove winner, four-time All-Star, 455 HRs in career (fifth most since 2000); Hall of Famer.

The lore of Beltre has grown since his retirement following the 2018 season and placed him alongside Mike Schmidt and Brooks Robinson among the game’s best third basemen. No one at third played more games than Beltre, a testament to his willingness to grit through pain. He manned the position with grace and consistency, two tenets that apply to the rest of his game. Beltre’s counting stats never screamed superstar, he never won an MVP and his allergy to walks limited his ceiling. But that’s all ancillary to the truth of who Adrian Beltre was: the ultimate ballplayer’s ballplayer. — Jeff Passan

53. Derek Jeter, baseball

Key accomplishments: Since Jan. 1, 2000: two-time World Series champ, 2000 World Series MVP, Hall of Famer, 2,658 hits (fifth-most since 2000), 141 postseason hits (most since 2000), 12-time All-Star.

Few players have had as many iconic moments: The Jeffrey Maier home run last century, the flip, the dive, Mr. November, the home run for hit No. 3,000, the walk-off single in his final game. He did it all in the pressure cooker of New York, playing for the sport’s most fabled franchise. Jeter’s legend cannot be separated from the pinstripes he wore: Before he joined the Yankees, they hadn’t won a World Series in 18 years; with him, they won five. He has been retired 10 years now and we still hear Yankee Stadium PA announcer Bob Sheppard: “Now batting for the Yankees … No. 2 … Derek … Jeter.” — David Schoenfield

Key accomplishments: NHL 100 Greatest, Stanley Cup champion (Conn Smythe), second all time with 853 goals, NHL-record 312 power-play goals, nine-time Richard Trophy, three-time Hart Trophy and Lindsay Award, 2006 Calder Trophy, 2008 Art Ross Trophy.

There isn’t a player in the NHL who has commanded a slap shot like Ovechkin in his career. Even if Father Time has begun catching up in some areas, the pure power behind his signature shot remains. Ovechkin’s success scoring 853 goals (to date) has come in large part because of how he uses a big frame (6-foot-2) to add velocity and power behind a shot that can exceed 100 mph. When Ovechkin puts his weight behind a puck — particularly from his favorite right-circle spot — it’s a howitzer for any goalie to stop. No wonder so many have failed to keep Ovi from lighting the lamp. — Kristen Shilton

Key accomplishments: Ballon d’Or winner, six-time Champions League winner, four-time LaLiga winner, World Cup finalist, Croatia’s most-capped player, joint-most trophies won with Real Madrid.

“I’d like to ask you to never retire.” As news conference questions go, it was unconventional, but the Italian journalist’s plea — after Modrić’s Croatia was eliminated from Euro 2024 — was met with applause, echoing the sentiment. Everybody loves Modrić. “As well as being a top player, one of the best in the world, he’s even more spectacular as a person,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. More than any other player, Modrić was fundamental in creating Madrid’s relentless winning culture over the past decade. There’s no one standout moment — bar, perhaps, leading underdogs Croatia to a World Cup final in 2018 — but rather year after year of consistent excellence. — Alex Kirkland

Key accomplishments: Eight-time Liga F champion, eight-time Copa de la Reina winner, three-time Champions League winner, Champions League Player of the Season winner, World Cup winner, two-time Ballon d’Or winner, two-time The Best FIFA Women’s Player winner.

Putellas’ career has been a battle on and off the pitch. On the pitch, she has transformed Spanish soccer, playing a part in Barça winning three Champions Leagues in four years and Spain becoming world champions. Off the pitch, she led the fight against the Spanish Football Federation for improved working conditions. She has become an icon in Barcelona, where her image has filled huge advertising boards in the city centre, and she is known as La Reina. “She is the captain and the queen of Barcelona for a reason,” teammate Lucy Bronze said after Putellas’ goal in the 2024 Champions League final. “She showed today why she is a back-to-back Ballon d’Or winner.” — Sam Marsden

57. Calvin Johnson, football

Key accomplishments: Hall of Famer, six-time Pro Bowler, three-time first-team All-Pro, HOF All-2010s Team, single-season receiving yards record.

Known as Megatron, Johnson was at the peak of his powers in 2012. That’s when he set an NFL single-season record with 1,964 receiving yards, breaking Jerry Rice‘s record of 1,848 that had stood since 1985. “It was an unbelievable thing to play with a guy like that. I think from day one, I knew that I was throwing to a Hall of Famer as long as he stayed healthy,” Matthew Stafford, Johnson’s quarterback during the receiver’s last seven seasons with the Detroit Lions, told ESPN in 2021. “He was a special player and a great person, a great teammate.” At 6-foot-5 and 237 pounds, Johnson possessed a 42½-inch vertical leap that allowed him to outjump defenders in video game fashion. — Eric Woodyard

58. J.J. Watt, football

Key accomplishments: Five-time Pro Bowler, five-time first-team All-Pro, three-time Defensive POY (tied for most all-time), HOF All-2010s Team, only player with 20-plus sacks in multiple seasons.

Watt won three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards in his career, but his most dominant season came in 2014. He had 20.5 sacks, the second time he’d done that in his career, as well as 59 solo tackles, 29 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown. Watt had another defensive touchdown that season, and he had three offensive touchdowns. He won his second NFL Defensive Player of the Year award that season and finished second to quarterback Aaron Rodgers in MVP voting. Watt received 13 of 50 MVP votes that season, the most by a defender since Lawrence Taylor won the award in 1986. — Sarah Barshop

59. Mariano Rivera, baseball

Key accomplishments: Since Jan. 1, 2000: Hall of Famer, two-time World Series winner, 11-time All-Star, 523 saves and 29 postseason saves (both most since 2000).

Rivera was inevitability personified. Thriving in baseball’s most mercurial of roles — the ninth-inning reliever — he emerged from the bullpen to the pounding tones of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” night after night, year after year. Every time he did so, dread-filled Yankees opponents knew the bell was tolling — for them. Armed with one pitch — a cutter that righty hitters waved at and lefty hitters could not barrel up — Rivera became New York’s closer in 1997 and never put up anything but stellar seasons on his way to a 2.21 lifetime ERA and record 652 saves. For all of that, he was better than anyone in the postseason, posting a 0.70 ERA and 42 saves over 96 playoff games. — Bradford Doolittle

60. Candace Parker, basketball

Key accomplishments: Three-time WNBA champion, 2016 Finals MVP, two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time WNBA MVP, seven-time All-WNBA First Team, 2008 WNBA Rookie of the Year, 2020 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, two-time NCAA champion, two-time Final Four Most Outstanding Player, 2007 Wade Trophy winner.

Parker was known for being able to play any position, but at 6-foot-4 she was lethal as a post player with a diverse skill set. In college, Parker led Tennessee to coach Pat Summitt’s last two NCAA titles, in 2007 and 2008. The No. 1 WNBA draft pick by the Sparks in 2008, Parker had an epic first pro season: She was MVP and Rookie of the Year (no other player has done that) and won Olympic gold. She spent 13 of her 16 WNBA seasons with the Sparks, but won WNBA titles with Los Angeles, Chicago and Las Vegas. — Michael Voepel

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ESPN’s Top 100 Athletes: Candace Parker’s highlight reel

Check out some of the best plays from WNBA superstar Candace Parker as she lands at No. 60 in ESPN’s Top 100 athletes of the 21st century.

61. Ray Lewis, football

Key accomplishments: Hall of Famer (2018), 12-time Pro Bowler, eight-time first-team All-Pro, only player with 40 sacks and 30 interceptions since sacks became official in 1982.

Lewis redefined the middle linebacker position as a three-down defender who made plays from sideline to sideline. His ability to make teammates around him better established a storied tradition of defense in Baltimore. From 2000 to ’12, the Ravens’ defense ranked among the top three in the NFL in seven of the 10 seasons in which Lewis played at least six games. “Before we get to his play, Ray is the greatest leader in team sports history,” said Shannon Sharpe, a Hall of Fame tight end who won a Super Bowl with Lewis in 2000. “No one is even close.” — Jamison Hensley

Key accomplishments: Two-time MVP, 2018 Rookie of the Year, three-time All-Star, two 40-HR seasons, 38-19 record as pitcher (3.01 career ERA), top-five Cy Young finish.

When ESPN runs the sequel to this exercise in 2050, Ohtani is the likeliest candidate from baseball to rate worthy of the top 10. His first seven years in MLB have been transcendent. What before him was taken as fact — that nobody can hit and pitch at a high enough level to warrant doing both — is now null. Ohtani arrived from Japan with a freighter of hype and only exceeded it, stretching the definition of what a baseball player can be. “Shohei,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said, “is arguably the most talented player who’s ever played this game.” — Jeff Passan

63. Allyson Felix, track

Key accomplishments: 11-time Olympic medalist, seven-time Olympic gold medalist, record 18-time world championship medalist.

Five Olympics. Eleven medals. Greatest U.S. runner in Olympic history. But a closer look at Felix’s seven Olympic gold medals reveals another side to her success. In a sport defined by individual success, she might also be the greatest teammate in history. Felix won six of her seven Olympic gold medals as part of relays: two in the 4×100 meters and four in the 4×400. Her only individual gold came at the 2012 London Games in the 200 meters after taking silver in the previous two Olympics. That Felix experienced so much of her success while supporting her teammates comes as no surprise.

In the years since she retired from the sport, she has been an outspoken advocate for Black women’s maternal health care and pay equity and protections for women athletes after childbirth. — Alyssa Roenigk

64. Mia Hamm, soccer

Key accomplishments: Two-time World Cup winner, two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time NCAA Division I champion, three-time ESPYS winner, U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer.

Hamm is perhaps the first global superstar to emerge out of women’s soccer, and she was a reluctant one at that. But on the field, in contrast, she played with the confidence and killer instinct you’d expect from one of the world’s greatest goal scorers. She had a knack for exceptional ball control and precision in her shots. That’s why she still is the No. 2 goals leader for the USWNT, with 158 international goals. — Caitlin Murray

Key accomplishments: World Cup winner, seven-time Ligue 1 winner, four-time French Cup winner.

Currently the best soccer player in the world, Mbappé has followed the path of an absolute prodigy of the game. He made his professional debut at 16, scored his first goal at 17, played for France at 18 and won the World Cup at 19! His move from PSG to Real Madrid this summer will take him to new heights and will strengthen even more his status as the heir of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

In 2018, he took the world by storm and became the second teenager in history alongside Pelé to score in a World Cup final. In 2022, he made more World Cup history with his hat trick in the World Cup final loss against Argentina. “He is just a phenomenon. He is such a generational talent. You just don’t see many players like him. He is only 25, but his career is already amazing,” Thierry Henry said about his compatriot. — Julien Laurens

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ESPN’s Top 100 Athletes: Kylian Mbappé

Check out the athletic feats of Kylian Mbappé, one of the bright young stars in soccer and No. 65 on ESPN’s list of the top 100 athletes of the past 25 years.

Key accomplishments: UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion, youngest fighter to win a UFC championship, most wins in UFC light heavyweight history (20), most wins in UFC title fights (15), tied for most successful title defenses in UFC history (11), longest unbeaten streak in UFC history (19), UFC Hall of Famer.

There’s a reason UFC president Dana White calls Jones the greatest mixed martial artist to ever live. In a sport where the margin between victory and defeat is razor thin, Jones has managed to go 16 years without being defeated by an opponent (his only “loss” came via controversial DQ to Matt Hamill in 2009).

After becoming the youngest fighter to win a UFC championship in 2011, Jones went dominant on a litany of Hall of Fame caliber fighters for the next four years, with impressive wins over the likes of Daniel Cormier, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Vitor Belfort and Rashad Evans. Not only did he beat them, but he did so by playing to his opponent’s strengths and then running roughshod over them. The résumé is undeniable, and the accolades are still piling up. — Andreas Hale

Key accomplishments: NBA 75th Anniversary team, 2017-18 MVP, 10-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, three-time scoring leader, two-time assists leader, 2011-12 Sixth Man of the Year.

Harden will go down as one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, but The Beard and his step-back were nearly unstoppable from 2017 to 2020. He started his scoring spree with an MVP season in 2017-18, averaging 30.4 points, 8.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds. And he was even better the following season, averaging 36.1 points in 2018-19 — the eighth-highest average in NBA history. Only Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and Michael Jordan have averaged more points in a single season. He then averaged 34.3 points in 2019-20 to win his third consecutive scoring title. His scoring overshadows his other elite skill as a passer. Harden is the only player in NBA history to win three scoring titles and two assist titles. — Ohm Youngmisuk

Key accomplishments: Six major victories, became oldest major champion all-time at 2021 PGA Championship (first to win major after turning 50).

While history continues to define Mickelson’s legacy after he recruited golfers to the Saudi Arabian-funded LIV Golf League, there’s no denying he was once among the most popular players in the world. The golfer known as Lefty broke an 0-for-46 drought in majors when he captured the 2004 Masters. He mesmerized fans with his incredible short game and won them over with a shy grin and thumbs-up gestures. He became the sport’s oldest major champion at age 50 when he won the 2021 PGA Championship — and was a pariah in his sport less than a year later. — Mark Schlabach

69. Jason Kidd, basketball

Key accomplishments: NBA 75th Anniversary Team, Basketball Hall of Famer, 2011 NBA champion, eight-time All-Star, eight-time All-Defense, five-time All-NBA selection, four-time assists leader.

If not for Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan and the Lakers and Spurs dynasties of the early 2000s, Kidd might’ve had another championship and an MVP on his illustrious résumé. During his first two seasons in New Jersey, Kidd was at the peak of a career that saw him finish as one of the game’s most elite passers and versatile triple-double threats. Kidd made teammates better everywhere he went, which was never more evident than during his first season in New Jersey in 2001-02, when he turned the Nets around from 26 wins the season before to 52 wins, leading to the franchise’s first Finals appearance.

Kidd, though, finished second in MVP voting to Duncan before being swept in the Finals by O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. The following season, Kidd got the Nets back to the Finals only to lose in six games to Duncan and the Spurs. He would finally get a championship ring playing alongside Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas in 2011. — Ohm Youngmisuk

70. Andrés Iniesta, soccer

Key accomplishments: World Cup winner, two-time European Championship winner, four-time Champions League winner, nine-time LaLiga winner, Ballon d’Or runner-up.

On July 11, 2010, Iniesta changed Spanish football forever. In the 116th minute of the World Cup final in Johannesburg, South Africa — the game, tied at 0-0, had gone to extra time — Iniesta collected a pass from Cesc Fabregas inside the penalty box, and coolly fired the bouncing ball low past Netherlands goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg. Cue euphoria. Spain won the game 1-0, lifted the World Cup for the first time, and Iniesta instantly became the most popular man in the country. An elegant, skillful playmaker, he was also a key member of one of the best club sides of the modern era, Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona. — Alex Kirkland

71. Manny Pacquiao, boxing

Key accomplishments: Since Jan. 1, 2000: 35-6-2 pro record, multidivision world champion, held world titles in 2000s, 2010s and 2020s.

Pacquiao was unknown when he first fought in the U.S in 2001, but he became a record eight-division world champion. His all-attack, buzz saw style, with punches thrown from all angles, overwhelmed ring greats such as Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto.

His fight against Floyd Mayweather took five years to finally happen, and while it didn’t deliver the entertainment boxing fans were expecting, it generated more than $600 million in total revenue. Pacquiao also had a memorable feud with Juan Manuel Marquez, winning the first three fights and losing the fourth by KO. Pacquiao recovered from that defeat in 2012 to win six more welterweight title fights by 2019. — Nick Parkinson

72. Shaun White, snowboarding

Key accomplishments: Three-time Olympic gold medalist in halfpipe (2006, 2010, 2018), 15-time X Games medalist.

White stood at the top of the halfpipe at the 2018 Olympics and prepared to take his third and final run. He was in second place behind two-time silver medalist Ayumu Hirano, who had just landed back-to-back 1440s. White knew he needed to land the combo to best Hirano, but four months earlier, he’d crashed attempting to learn a cab double cork 1440 and suffered horrific injuries that required 62 stitches in his face and landed him in intensive care.

White hadn’t attempted the trick since, and he’d never landed back-to-back 14s. But in a move that embodied White’s competitive nature and the spirit of action sports, he went for the combo, rode away clean and won his third Olympic gold in the event. “Before my last run, I was like, ‘OK, I can live with second,'” White said that night. “But I realized at that moment, I didn’t have to.” — Alyssa Roenigk

Key accomplishments: 2018 MVP, two-time World Series winner (2018 with the Boston Red Sox, 2020 with the Los Angeles Dodgers), seven-time All-Star, six-time Gold Glove, six-time Silver Slugger, won batting title in 2018.

It was a hot, sweltering day early in spring training. The Red Sox were coming off a 2018 World Series title and the training staff had players running a cone drill. Most took it slow and leisurely. One did not. Maybe that helps explain why Betts is perhaps the perfect ballplayer — a remarkable hitter for average and power, a right fielder who can execute the impossible throw (ask Tony Kemp), an athlete who can move to shortstop mid-career. A Harvard analysis from 2021 named Betts the best all-around player in MLB history: Yes, Betts is good at everything. — David Schoenfield

74. Lisa Leslie, basketball

Key accomplishments: Two-time WNBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, three-time Olympic gold medalist, three-time WNBA MVP, two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, seven-time All-WNBA First Team, Basketball Hall of Famer.

Leslie was a high school phenom in Inglewood, California, who played collegiately at USC and professionally for the Los Angeles Sparks. But she made a global impact on the game, winning four Olympic gold medals (three since 2000) and was the national team’s mainstay in the post her entire USA Basketball career. Leslie led the Sparks to the 2001 and 2002 WNBA titles and the 2003 Finals. Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes and Lauren Jackson are the WNBA’s only three-time MVPs. She is the modern model for her position; fittingly, the Hall of Fame/WBCA honor for women’s college centers was named the Lisa Leslie Award in 2018. — Michael Voepel

75. Xavi Hernandez, soccer

Key accomplishments: World Cup winner, two-time European Championship winner, two-time Champions League winner, eight-time LaLiga winner.

Xavi had so many career highs that it’s impossible to pick just one. You might choose Barcelona’s famous 6-2 win at rivals Real Madrid, Xavi playing a part in four of the goals. Or his performance in the 2009 Champions League final, supplying the pass for Lionel Messi’s headed opening goal. You could pick Barcelona’s dominant 3-1 win over Manchester United in 2011. For a game that summed up an era, you’d highlight Spain’s 4-0 demolition of Italy at Euro 2012, the apotheosis of their tiki-taka short-passing style, which Xavi personified. But let’s choose an entire season: Xavi’s imperial 2008-09, when the midfielder — arguably the game’s best-ever passer — registered a staggering 20 assists in 35 LaLiga matches. — Alex Kirkland

76. Georges St-Pierre, MMA

Key accomplishments: UFC Hall of Famer, UFC welterweight and middleweight champion, nine UFC welterweight title defenses.

Arguably no fighter in UFC history bridged the gap better from the sport’s “older days” to its modern form. Particularly from 2006 to 2013, St-Pierre represented everything mixed martial arts was looking for. He was essentially perfect in those years, winning 14 of 15 bouts, including 12 title fights. At one point, he won 33 consecutive rounds. He was solely responsible for an explosion of fan interest in Canada and was one of the promotion’s biggest stars globally. His style was ahead of its time, known for blending a variety of skills seamlessly together. He is also remembered as one of the most outspoken critics of performance-enhancing drugs during his era. — Brett Okamoto

77. Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, track

Key accomplishments: Eight-time Olympic medalist, three-time Olympic gold medalist, record five 100-meter world titles, oldest sprinter (35 in 2022) to win world title.

One day after Usain Bolt’s win in the 100 meters at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Fraser-Pryce became the first woman from the Caribbean to win Olympic gold in the event. Four years later, she defended her title in the 100 (as did Bolt), further cementing Jamaica’s reputation as a sprinting powerhouse. Only 5 feet tall and typically sporting rainbow locks, the “Pocket Rocket” has medaled in track and field’s fastest race in the past four Games. In Paris, her fifth and final Olympics, Fraser-Pryce will line up once more with the goal of reclaiming her title as the fastest woman alive. — Alyssa Roenigk

78. Bernard Hopkins, boxing

Key accomplishments: 55-8-2 record (32 KOs) from 1988 to 2016, oldest ever boxing world champion at age 49, 20 middleweight title defenses, two-division world champion

Hopkins’ otherworldly longevity saw him fittingly call himself “The Alien” late in a 28-year professional career. He made a record 20 world middleweight title defenses (1996-2005) and stopped Oscar De La Hoya with a body shot to become undisputed champion in 2004. The Philadelphia native’s ring IQ and exceptional conditioning allowed him to win world titles well into his 40s. In 2011, Hopkins outpointed Jean Pascal for the light heavyweight title to become the oldest boxing world champion at 46 years old. Two years later, Hopkins won back a light heavyweight title, and in 2014, at age 49, he defeated light heavyweight champion Beibut Shumenov. — Nick Parkinson

Key accomplishments: Two-time MVP (2015 and 2021), 2012 NL Rookie of the Year, seven-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger, 2022 NLCS MVP, 2018 HR Derby champion at Nationals Park

He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated at 16 with the headline “Baseball’s Chosen One” and has somehow managed to live up to the hype, including some of the best postseason numbers of all time. He even helped make baseball fun again — from his all-out style of play to his green Phillie Phanatic cleats. Rarely has there been a more perfect match between ballplayer and city than Harper and Philadelphia. “He brings you into his game with his talent and grit. That resonates with the fan base,” said former Phillies great Chase Utley. — David Schoenfield

80. Andy Murray, tennis

Key accomplishments: Three-time Grand Slam singles champion, finished in top 10 for nine consecutive years (2008-16), two-time Olympic gold medalist in singles.

Once a part of the sport’s Big Four, Murray was essentially removed from the conversation as Federer, Nadal and Djokovic emerged in a league of their own. But even while his tally of three major championships pales in comparison to those of his top peers, there was perhaps no victory more memorable than Murray’s first title at Wimbledon in 2013. A year after coming devastatingly close to winning his home Slam, a determined Murray held off Djokovic in three convincing sets to win his maiden major title. Never one to be able to hide his emotions, Murray openly sobbed on the court after the victory, proving just how much it meant to him. The BBC called the achievement “the Holy Grail” for British sport. — D’Arcy Maine

81. Sheryl Swoopes, basketball

Key accomplishments: Four-time WNBA champion, three-time Olympic gold medalist, three-time WNBA MVP, three-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, five-time All-WNBA First Team, Basketball Hall of Famer.

Swoopes, a key part of the Houston Comets’ dynasty, won the last of her four WNBA titles in 2000 and was the league’s MVP in 2000, 2002 and 2005. Known for three-level scoring, she was also one of the best disrupters of passing lanes in women’s hoops history, which helped lead to her being honored as the WNBA’s best defensive player in 2000, 2002 and 2003. Two of her three Olympic golds came in 2000 and 2004, and she played in the WNBA until age 40. — Michael Voepel

82. Kohei Uchimura, gymnastics

Key accomplishments: Seven-time Olympic medalist, three-time Olympic gold medalist, six-time individual all-around world champion.

Over an eight-year period from 2009 to 2016, Uchimura dominated men’s gymnastics, going undefeated in all-around competition, winning back-to-back Olympic titles and leading the Japanese team to gold at the Rio Games. He retired from the sport in 2022 with a reputation for pairing extreme difficulty with unmatched consistency and flawless execution and is widely considered to be the GOAT of men’s gymnastics.

In one of his most memorable all-around performances, Uchimura averaged higher than a 9.0 execution score on every apparatus to take the all-around title at the 2011 world championships in Tokyo, which were held seven months after an earthquake and tsunami devastated northeast Japan. — Alyssa Roenigk

Key accomplishments: NBA 75th Anniversary team, 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, nine-time All-Defense, 2013 All-Star Game MVP, 2005-06 Rookie of the Year, six-time steals leader, five-time assists leader.

Paul has run thousands of pick-and-rolls to perfection and dished the ball out for nearly 12,000 assists, but his greatest accomplishment might have been transforming the LA Clippers from annual punching bags to perennial playoff contenders while orchestrating the unforgettable Lob City teams. Before Paul’s arrival in Los Angeles, the franchise had made the postseason just seven times in its history.

Paul’s Clippers made the playoffs six consecutive times as he delivered some of the most scintillating alley-oops in NBA history to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Clippers fans won’t forget Paul’s Game 7-winning running bank shot that capped off a 27-point performance against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round in 2015. — Ohm Youngmisuk

84. Lauren Jackson, basketball

Key accomplishments: Two-time WNBA champion, 2010 Finals MVP, three-time Olympic silver and one-time bronze medalist, three-time WNBA MVP, 2007 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, seven-time All-WNBA first team, two-time WNBA All-Defensive first team, Basketball Hall of Famer.

Jackson is the best women’s basketball player from Australia, and one of the best from anywhere. Drafted No. 1 by the Seattle Storm at age 19 in 2001, she is one of three players to be a three-time WNBA MVP. She led the Storm to the 2004 and 2010 league titles, and her 2007 and 2006 seasons are the top two in player efficiency rating in WNBA history. Jackson was known for her powerful inside presence offensively and defensively. Her WNBA career ended after the 2012 season because of injury issues, but she later resumed her career in Australia and has made her fifth Olympic team this year at age 43. — Michael Voepel

Key accomplishments: Two-time Finals MVP, two-time NBA champion, six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection, two-time Defensive Player of the Year.

Not even an LA Clippers tenure marred by injuries can diminish a legacy that only a handful of players in history can match or top. Leonard is one of 12 players to ever win two NBA Finals MVP trophies. None of them, however, led a Canadian team to the country’s first NBA championship. In leading Toronto to the title in 2019, Leonard cemented himself as one of the game’s most clutch players when healthy in the playoffs. He delivered one of the most legendary buzzer-beaters in playoff history when his twisting corner jumper softly bounced on the rim four times and in to eliminate Philadelphia in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals that season.

Even during his five-year Clippers tenure, Leonard has shown signs of dominance when healthy. He just has to finish a postseason healthy again, something he hasn’t done since the 2020 bubble. — Ohm Youngmisuk

Key accomplishments: Seven-time major singles champ, five-time Wimbledon champ, 270 major match wins (fifth most by a woman in the Open era), a record 89 career major appearances in singles.

The elder Williams sister burst onto the tennis scene as an enthusiastic and joyful teenager, and likely would have won many more titles if not for the arrival of Serena. While Williams’ results have been remarkable, and she has the most major titles among active women on tour, she has been equally influential off the court as a champion for gender equality in tennis and beyond.

While advocating for equal pay at Wimbledon, Williams asked tournament officials at a meeting a simple question: “Would you want your daughter or your sister or your mother or your wife or a loved one to be a woman paid less?'” Wimbledon started offering equal prize money for men and women in 2007. Williams called the achievement “the best moment of my career” in 2023. — D’Arcy Maine

87. Ronaldo Nazário, soccer

Key accomplishments: Two-time FIFA World Cup winner, two-time Ballon d’Or winner, two-time Copa América winner, three-time FIFA World Player of the Year, Golden Ball winner 1998 men’s World Cup, Golden Boot winner 2002 men’s World Cup.

The original Ronaldo was probably the fastest, most powerful striker running with the ball in the history of the game, capable of variations at pace and able to slow down, keep his head still and shoot at goal with cool precision. All of these virtues were best seen in the 20th century — but the 21st came up with the best storyline. Twice his knee collapsed beneath him and he was left howling in gruesome pain. Many thought the second time was the end of his career.

In the buildup to the 2002 World Cup, Inter Milan, his Italian club, could not get him fit. Brazil took charge, and he took the tournament by storm, carrying a side that nearly failed to qualify all the way to a memorable triumph. It is one of the great comeback stories in the history of sport. — Tim Vickery

88. Roy Halladay, baseball

Key accomplishments: Since Jan. 1, 2000: Hall of Famer, two-time Cy Young winner (one of seven players to win Cy Young in both American and National leagues), eight-time All-Star, two no-hitters.

Halladay was the product of a bygone era in which a pitcher endeavored to finish what he started. Never gifted with overwhelming velocity, Halladay killed with paper cuts. He walked hitters at an almost identical rate to Greg Maddux and logged 220-plus-inning seasons like they were nothing. His right arm got the glory, but it was Halladay’s brain — his innate sense of how to pitch to every hitter — that won him 203 games. When he died in a plane crash in 2017, a profound sadness spread through the sport. The great pitching artisan was gone, never to be replicated. — Jeff Passan

89. Annika Sorenstam, golf

Key accomplishments: Since Jan. 1, 2000: Eight major wins (most during span); earned 54 of her 72 career LPGA Tour victories, competed in PGA Tour event in 2003.

It’s not only that the Swedish-born golfer won 97 times around the world, captured 10 major championships and is the only woman to card a 59 in a professional tournament. Or that Sorenstam won 11 times in 2002 — the most on the LPGA Tour in nearly 40 years — and became the first woman to play in a PGA event in more than a half-century when she competed in the Bank of America Colonial Tournament in 2003. It’s that when Sorenstam retired from full-time competitive play at age 38 in 2008, she still had some of her best golf in front of her. During her Hall of Fame career, Sorenstam set scoring records for 72- and 54-hole tournaments. — Mark Schlabach

Key accomplishments: Two-time WNBA champion, 2023 Finals MVP, 2020 Olympic gold medalist, two-time WNBA MVP, two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, 2018 WNBA Rookie of the Year, three-time All-WNBA first team, two-time WNBA All-Defensive first team, 2017 NCAA champion and Final Four Most Outstanding Player, 2018 Wade Trophy winner.

Wilson helped lead her hometown South Carolina Gamecocks to their first Final Four in 2015 and first NCAA title in 2017. The No. 1 pick in 2018, she was drafted by the newly relocated Las Vegas Aces and has been a perfect fit there. She recently became the franchise’s leading career scorer and will participate in her second Olympics. She is favored to win a third WNBA MVP award and is on track to have the best player efficiency rating in league history. She turns 28 in August but already has a statue outside her college arena. — Michael Voepel

Key accomplishments: Four-time NFL MVP, 10-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro, HOF All-2010s team, Super Bowl XLV MVP, 475 pass TDs (Packers’ career leader).

Of all the superlatives and milestones that can be used to explain Rodgers’ greatness, here’s one that often gets overlooked. He’s the NFL’s career leader in touchdown-to-interception ratio (475 TDs, 105 INTS). In that way, he was the anti-Brett Favre, yet he carried on Favre’s remarkable run of success in Green Bay before getting traded to the Jets. Packers coach Matt LaFleur perhaps described Rodgers’ impact best when he said near the end of Rodgers’ run with the Packers: “A lot of people have been rewarded, quite frankly, because of his ability to go out there and play.” — Rob Demovsky

Key accomplishments: Since Jan. 1, 2000: Hall of Famer, 2000 Cy Young Winner, four-time All-Star, three-time ERA title, 2004 World Series winner, 2000 and 2002 strikeout leader.

Before Martinez and his 2004 Boston teammates ended the franchise’s epic World Series title drought, every Red Sox star had to field endless questions about the “Curse of the Bambino.” One of Martinez’s answers summed up how a short, skinny righty could become one of the most dominant hurlers ever: “I don’t believe in damn curses. Wake up the damn Bambino and have me face him. Maybe I’ll drill him in the a–.” From 1997 to 2003, the height of one of baseball’s most explosive offensive eras, Martinez was as good as any pitcher has ever been, going 118-36 with a 2.20 ERA, 213 ERA+ and over 250 strikeouts per season and winning three Cy Young Awards. — Bradford Doolittle

Key accomplishments: 122 weeks spent as world No. 1 golfer, 26 PGA Tour victories (including four major wins), a Masters victory shy of completing career Grand Slam.

After McIlroy won his first two major championships, the 2011 U.S. Open and 2012 PGA Championship, by eight strokes and then added two more majors in a three-week span in 2014, The Guardian of London declared that it was “the dawning of a new era.” There’s no question McIlroy has been one of the most consistent and popular golfers of his generation. He has won 40 times, including 26 times on the PGA Tour. He is a three-time PGA Tour Player of the Year and a five-time winner of the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai. However, McIlroy’s nearly 10-year drought in the four majors since capturing the 2014 PGA Championship leaves him a step below legends such as Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and others. Unless, of course, McIlroy still has a few more victories coming. — Mark Schlabach

94. Ronaldinho, soccer

Key accomplishments: FIFA World Cup winner, Ballon d’Or winner, Copa América winner, two-time FIFA World Player of the Year, two-time LaLiga winner.

If longevity were not a factor in defining the greatest of all time, then Ronaldinho would certainly be a candidate for his feats in his first three years with Barcelona. Between 2003 and 2006, there was no better show in soccer. There have been few, if any, more talented players in the history of the global game, and all too briefly Ronaldinho captivated with his childlike glee at his own achievements, reminding so many of why they fell in love with the sport in the first place. A disappointing 2006 World Cup was a turning point, and he appeared to grow weary of the sacrifices needed to stay at the top level. But those three years were unforgettable. — Tim Vickery

95. Zlatan Ibrahimović, soccer

Key accomplishments: 511 career goals, scored at least one Champions League goal with six teams, 12 league titles with five European clubs, named to UEFA’s team of the year four times, Sweden’s leading career scorer, represented Sweden at six major tournaments.

“I can’t help but laugh at how perfect I am.” There has never existed an athlete who was as good as Zlatan Ibrahimović said he was, but the 6-foot-5 striker did as well as anyone could — and for as long as anyone could — at approaching that level. He was the purest scorer this side of Cristiano Ronaldo; he put the ball in the net at least once in four different decades, and he kept improving into his 30s. He scored at least 30 goals in all competitions six times between 2011 and 2019, peaking with an incredible 50-goal campaign with PSG in 2015-16. He was the personification of artistry and brute force at the same time. — Bill Connelly

96. Darrelle Revis, football

Key accomplishments: Hall of Famer (2023), seven-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro, HOF All-2010s team.

Revis took man-to-man coverage to a new level in 2009 when the Jets’ coaching staff made the unconventional decision to put him on the opponents’ top receiver with no safety help. He was on his own island, so to speak, spawning the “Revis Island” moniker. The result was one of the best cornerback seasons in history. Revis held Andre Johnson, Randy Moss (twice) and Terrell Owens (twice) — all Hall of Famers — under 35 receiving yards. He did the same to Torry Holt, Steve Smith Sr., Reggie Wayne and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. He finished with six interceptions and a staggering 31 passes defended, earning the first of four first-team All-Pro selections. — Rich Cimini

97. Virat Kohli, cricket

Key accomplishments: ODI World Cup champion, T20 World Cup champion, two-time T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament, 2023 ODI World Cup Player of the Tournament, two-time ICC Cricketer of the Year, most centuries in ODI history (50), second-highest scorer in T20Is, third-highest scorer in ODIs, India’s most successful Test captain.

Kohli won the World Cup early in his career, but he was at risk of fading away into mediocrity in the early 2010s. A fierce fitness-driven approach — the kind that was uncommon in cricket then — coupled with unrelenting drive catapulted him from “talent” to titan. The fire within translates onto the field. The Indian batter is the ultimate competitor and has won games on willpower alone. The intensity of his passion sparks fear in the opposition and bedlam in the stands. Kohli wasn’t born to be the best; he just willed himself to be. — Shubi Arun

Key accomplishments: Five-time Art Ross Trophy winner, three-time Hart Trophy winner, seven 100-point seasons in first nine NHL seasons, 2024 Conn Smythe winner.

It could be daunting to be touted as The Next One behind Edmonton Oilers legend Wayne Gretzky. McDavid isn’t like the rest, though. Edmonton’s captain has embraced that spotlight as Gretzky’s heir apparent. It was fitting when McDavid broke a record Gretzky set in 1987-88 with his 32nd assist of the 2024 postseason during Edmonton’s run to a Stanley Cup Final. McDavid had long been an exceptional playmaker in his own right, but the way he carried the Oilers back from a 3-0 series deficit in the Final to force a decisive Game 7 was spectacular. And it rightly earned McDavid a Conn Smythe Trophy in the losing effort. — Kristen Shilton

99. Ed Reed, football

Key accomplishments: Hall of Famer (2019), nine-time Pro Bowler, five-time first-team All-Pro, HOF All-2000s team, 2004 Defensive Player of the Year.

Reed was the ultimate defensive game changer of his generation. In 2004, he set an NFL record by returning an interception 106 yards for a touchdown against the Browns. Four years later, he broke his own record with a 107-yarder against the Eagles. Reed is the only player in NFL history to score touchdowns off a punt return, blocked punt, interception and fumble recovery.

“You see the safety’s out in the middle of the field and have a wide-open throw on the right. The next thing you know he’s intercepting it,” former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “Where did he come from? It’s impossible. That’s what made it such a challenge. He made the impossible possible.” — Jamison Hensley

100. Charles Woodson, football

Key accomplishments: Hall of Famer (2021), nine-time Pro Bowler, three-time first-team All-Pro, HOF All-2000s team, 2009 Defensive Player of the Year.

Woodson’s career was a three-act play. In Oakland, as a Heisman Trophy-winning No. 4 pick, he was a hard-partying, hard-playing Hall of Fame talent. In Green Bay, he became a Hall of Famer. And with his return to the Raiders, he became a legend, making the switch from wild youngster at cornerback to sage vet at free safety. And if he lost a step, it was one precious few others ever had. “It was a beautiful transition,” Woodson said, “if you will.” And his first NFL coach, Jon Gruden, most certainly would. The slower-paced lifestyle of Green Bay helped Woodson, well, slow down and center himself. “And he met and married the right woman and had kids,” Gruden said. — Paul Gutierrez

Methodology

Experts in individual sports were asked to vote to rank the top athletes in their sport since Jan. 1, 2000 (no accomplishments before this date were to be considered). Those votes pared down pools in each sport to lists of 10 to 25 athletes each, which constituted the overall candidate pool for the top athletes of the 21st century so far. Each voter was presented two randomly selected names and asked to pick which one has had the better career in the 21st century. Across repeated, randomized head-to-head matchups, more than 70,000 votes were cast at this stage, and using an Elo rating system, the list was pared down from 262 to 100. That list was then evaluated by a panel of experts for any inconsistencies or oversights, resulting in the top 100 ranking seen here.