GOAT (sports culture)

Abbreviation of "greatest of all time"

Not to be confused with GOAT Racing.

Due to the abbreviation for "Greatest of All Time" (GOAT), iconography of goats is sometimes used by sports media.

In sports culture, both spectators and participants have been documented to engage in discussions regarding a sport's greatest of all time, often referred to by the abbreviation "GOAT". The origins of the term as an acronym with positive connotations is often credited to the mid-20th century boxer Muhammad Ali. Its ubiquitous usage in sports conversations and debates was popularized in the 21st century.

The assessment of players as the greatest in a sport is often made by sportswriters and other media members based on wide-ranging criteria. Both objective measures, such as statistics and championships, as well as subjective commentary regarding an athlete's intangible traits are often considered. Sportswriters have noted issues with GOAT debates, including recency bias, as well as the improvement of nutrition and training over time, which some view as making it a challenge to compare players across eras. Many sports have no consensus for their single greatest all-time player. Cross-sport discussions have been held, also to no consensus. The assessment of a woman as a sport's greatest athlete or inclusion in cross-sports commentary as an all-time singular greatest athlete has been discussed.

Players themselves have also commented on GOAT conversations, with a mixed sentiment amongst them. Some refuse to include themselves in conversations, often highlighting other players' accomplishments, though some have proclaimed themselves as the greatest in their sport. Meanwhile, some find the topic misguided or foolish. Players have also been associated by themselves or others with imagery of the animal.

## History and terminology

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### Etymology

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The term GOAT (or G.O.A.T.) is derived as an abbreviation of "greatest of all time".[1] The term being written as an all caps or punctuated acronym is important, as the all lowercase term goat has been historically used in sports contexts to refer to "an athlete who failed, garishly, hilariously, and at the worst possible time".[2] New York Daily News cartoonist Bill Gallo drew portraits of "goats" from each World Series game, depicting players with horns for ears.[3] American sportswriter Frank Deford speculated that "the designation of the goat as the figure of ridicule derives from the medieval sign of the horn[s] for a cuckolded husband".[3]

Boxer Muhammad Ali is credited with the term's origin

As a positive connotation, the term traces its origins in boxer Muhammad Ali proclaiming himself "the greatest" multiple times during his career.[4][5] Later, in 1992, Ali's wife Lonnie incorporated "Greatest of All Time, Inc." (or G.O.A.T. Inc.), a company intended to manage the then retired boxer's intellectual property for commercial purposes.[3][6] While Ali has since been widely credited with popularizing the acronym,[7] Kurt Streeter of The New York Times wrote "Some say GOAT's origins actually spring from a flamboyant, blond-tressed wrestler, George Wagner, who was known as Gorgeous George and who in the 1940s and '50s earned lavish paydays by turning trash talk into fine art".[5] Streeter noted Ali drew inspiration from Wagner in his braggadocio.[5] American rapper LL Cool J released the album G.O.A.T. in 2000, another early usage of the term as an acronym.[6] The rapper has cited Ali as an inspiration, telling Rolling Stone in a 2016 interview that without Ali, "there would be no 'Mama Said Knock You Out', and the term G.O.A.T. would have never been coined".[6]

Sportswriters' rankings and assessments of athletes as the greatest predate the 21st-century popularization of the term. For example, ESPN's SportsCentury panel in 1999 named Michael Jordan as the greatest athlete in North American sports of the 20th century.[8] Sports Illustrated also named golfer Jack Nicklaus and multi-sport athlete Babe Didrikson Zaharias as the century's best individual male and female athletes, respectively.[9] However, it was not until the early 21st century that the term GOAT gained traction in the general sports lexicon.[6][10] Media coverage and fandom around professional sports leagues in the United States further popularized the term.[11] In 2018, the term's pervasive usage in sports commentary prompted the Merriam-Webster Dictionary to recognize the term as an acronym and noun.[5]

### Related imagery and terms

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The goat emoji as it appears on Twitter. On social media, athletes who are considered GOATs are often associated with the animal.

Since the popularization of term GOAT, athletes have begun to be associated with the animal. During training camp in 2017, Tom Brady's teammates on the New England Patriots celebrated his 40th birthday by bringing five live goats to the team's facility, representing each of his then five Super Bowl championships.[12] The goat emoji is used in social media posts, often by general users but also by athletes themselves.[13][14] The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reviewed data covering a two-year period from 2017 to 2019, finding that "on any given day, there are roughly 40,000 tweets with the goat emoji".[13][15] The WSJ also found that a significant sports moment was related to each of the top 20 single-day usages of the emoji, with Brady's win in Super Bowl LI leading to the highest single-day of over 330,000 tweets using the emoji, representing a 750% uptick.[15] Twitter has implemented special goat-themed emojis to render for specific hashtags during sporting events.[16] For the Summer Olympics in 2021, the Twitter hashtag for gymnast Simone Biles ("#SimoneBiles") was accompanied by an emoji of a goat in a sparkling red leotard.[17] Biles herself has worn leotards emblazoned in rhinestones in the shape of a goat.[18] After Ichiro Suzuki was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025, the team he was most associated with during his playing career–the Seattle Mariners–released a "digital short" in which he is featured ushering a goat through the team's clubhouse.[19] American basketball player Stephen Curry, often included by those in sports media as in the conversation for the GOAT at his position (point guard),[20] is serving as a producer for Goat, an animated film scheduled for release in 2026.[21]

The phrase has also lent itself to the adjective goated, a slang description of someone or something considered to be the greatest of all time.[22] Both GOAT and goated have since become used in non-sports contexts as well.[a] Jordan would become the namesake of "the Michael Jordan of", a similar turn of phrase to describe the greatest in a field.[25][26] When awarding Jordan with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, U.S. President Barack Obama stated, "There is a reason you call someone 'the Michael Jordan of' [...] They know what you're talking about because Michael Jordan is the Michael Jordan of greatness".[27] Writing for Bleacher Report, former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Steve Nash described the Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo as "the Michael Jordan of soccer".[28] Sportswriters and veteran athletes have also used the variant phrase Young GOAT to refer to a young player they view as having great potential.[29] Another term adjacent to GOAT conversations in sports is Mount Rushmore, referencing the United States landmark that came to symbolize American presidential greatness, and used by commentators to have expanded or broader conversations on all-time greats in sports, rather than comment on a singular greatest.[30][31][32]

## GOAT assessments and discussions

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Sportswriters and media members assess players based on various and wide-ranging criteria; this often includes objective measures, such as an athlete's individual statistical performance, championship victories, and career accolades relating to athletic merit and prowess. However, discussions on the greatest athletes of all time have also included subjective assessments of intangible traits, such as an athlete's "killer mentality", clutch, or competitive spirit.[b] Players' peaks or "prime" years, as well as their overall longevity are also common considerations.[37] Adam Wells, for Bleacher Report, credited Czech–American tennis player Martina Navratilova for possessing both noteworthy "longevity and peak dominance".[37] Voting for Reggie White over Lawrence Taylor as the greatest edge rusher in National Football League (NFL) history, reporter Tim McManus conceded that Taylor "flashed the brightest", but mentioned the former as "a relentless, unstoppable force for the better part of two decades" when explaining his choice.[38] Commentary on a sport's GOAT has been made by sportswriters and athletes alike on both retired and active players, with the latter group often being discussed in speculative terms regarding their potential to eclipse a previous player's status as the GOAT, and analyzing whether the active player has achieved enough for genuine consideration.[39][40] Speaking to the Times of India in 2018, former cricketer Kumar Sangakkara spoke on Virat Kohli, saying he had the potential to "become the greatest ever Indian batsman".[41]

In the 2000s and 2010s, the term indeed became pervasive in sports culture.[5] This coincided with the early 21st-century increase in debates and discussions by sportswriters and media regarding the greatest athletes of all time.[42] In particular, GOAT conversations in NBA circles have been notably polarizing and have influenced the increase of similar conversations in other sports.[1][43] Oftentimes, there is not widespread consensus on a sport's singular greatest of all-time player, prompting sportswriters and media members to have broad "GOAT conversations", in which multiple potential candidates are given consideration and have their "cases" argued for.[44][45] In 2012, ESPN's David Schoenfield, for example, listed eleven pitchers with "varying claims" to be greatest pitcher in the history of baseball.[46] For these sports with less clear-cut scenarios, some writers altogether object to there being any singular definitive "GOAT".[44]

### Recency bias, positional considerations, and cross-sport discussions

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Additionally, the discussion is dynamic, with consensus about a sport's "GOAT" having changed over time in some sports.[47] Sportswriters, participants, and spectators alike have noted that a particular sport's evolution, as well as improvements in sports overall relating to nutrition, equipment, and training, renders it difficult to compare players from different eras to each other.[4][5][48][49] Yahoo! Sports columnist Dan Wetzel noted that recency bias favors more contemporary athletes.[50] When selecting Roger Clemens over Walter Johnson as baseball's greatest pitcher of all time, Schoenfield wrote that "If I had to rank ... well, I give the edge to the guy from the more modern times".[46] Writing about the greatest race horses of all-time, NBC Bay Area's Scott Ross also noted this phenomenon, writing "It's likely that horse racing fans, like most people, favor those whom they saw with their own eyes when discussing the greatest of all time".[51] Wetzel additionally examined how this recency bias affects the assessment of individual sports compared to team sports, writing that "Generally when it comes to sports, the newest phenom wins. Some of this is because of individual sports, where times are timeless [...] [Jesse] Owens fans can argue that if their guy enjoyed modern training and technology he would have been fastest, but that's hypothetical. Team sports are different. Subjectivity is everything. To hold on for long is nearly impossible".[50] Although recency bias is a consideration, some sports have players from previous eras still widely considered the greatest; Zach Kram of The Ringer noted that in baseball, Babe Ruth "is now a mythical figure whose legend has never died, who remains discussed as the best in his sport's history despite playing before living memory".[52]

Due to team sports having players take on specialized roles or positions, some sportswriters categorize the greatest players in these sports by position or skill.[c] In team sports which require players to participate on both offense and defense, a two-way player refers to those who excel at both. However, for sports where this is not a requirement, being a two-way player can be rare, which has led to high-level multi-faceted players receiving high praise from some sportswriters. The aforementioned Ruth is often discussed as the greatest player in baseball for being able to dominate when both pitching and batting.[57][58] Shohei Ohtani rose to prominence in the sport a century later for his two-way play and has since earned similar praise.[52] Some individual sports also get discussed in specialized contexts, such as boxing, which has prompted writers to distinguish the sport's different weight divisions when assessing its greatest fighters.[59] Even in sports with these considerations, some writers still aim to determine a sport's singular greatest athlete; in boxing and other combat sports, this can be seen in "pound for pound" rankings.[60]

The issue of athletes competing in team sports versus those competing in individual sports has also been considered by those assessing the greatest athlete of all time, cross-sport.[61] Cross-sport discussions have no clear consensus on a singular greatest athlete. Regarding this, while discussing the increasing prevalence of the topic and also citing the "craziness", "foolishness", and "fun" of GOAT conversations, Streeter issued four personal candidates for the GOAT in sports: baseball player Willie Mays, American football player Joe Montana, and tennis players Roger Federer and Serena Williams.[5] There has also been commentary on female athletes' consideration for being a sport's singular greatest player, regardless of gender,[5][62] or in the conversation for greatest athlete in cross-sport discussions.[61]

### Response from players

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Athletes themselves have commented on GOAT debates, with varying opinions. Tennis player Roger Federer (left), often included in tennis GOAT debates, has called the topic "silly". Meanwhile, basketball player LeBron James (right) has proclaimed himself as his sport's GOAT.

Players themselves, both active and retired, have also weighed in GOAT debates.[d] Some have called themselves the GOAT or worthy of being in the conversation.[64][67] On winning the 2016 NBA Finals, LeBron James declared "that one right there made me the greatest player of all time".[68] Pointing to his statistical output, Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo called himself the "most complete player to have existed", as well as the "best goal scorer in history", though stated he had respect for those who "like Messi, Pelé, Maradona," calling the discussion a matter of taste.[69]

Meanwhile, others have declined to include themselves in the relevant discussions or refused to entertain reporter questions on the subject, instead opting to highlight others' candidacies.[70][71] Finding it uncouth to include himself the conversation, Jordan pointed to great players from previous eras to his.[65] In 2018, Formula One (F1) driver Lewis Hamilton similarly gave credit to earlier drivers Michael Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio, calling them the "GOAT" and "Godfather" of the sport, respectively.[71]

Further still, some players find the topic absurd or misguided in the discussion of their sport.[66][72] In an article for Newsweek, retired NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar opined that the topic "runs through the media like a nasty STD", added that "it's like asking, how big is the horn on a unicorn?", and bemoaned James' self-proclamation as basketball's GOAT.[66] Federer said the topic lends itself to "good conversation" and "fun debate", but called it "silly", stating "I think it's a phenomenon of (social) media. Everybody calling each other 'GOAT.' 'GOAT.' 'GOAT.' 'GOAT.' 'GOAT.' 'GOAT.' I'm like, Come on, OK? There cannot be possibly that many 'GOATs'".[72]

## List of sports players considered the greatest

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Main article: List of sports figures considered the greatest

### General

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Simone Biles List of athletes considered the greatest  Sport  | Player  | Sources

|
|

All sports  | Simone Biles | [note 1]
All team sports  | Wayne Gretzky | [note 2]
20th century, female athlete  | Babe Didrikson Zaharias | [note 3]
20th century, individual male athlete  | Jack Nicklaus | [note 4]
20th century, North America  | Michael Jordan | [note 5]
21st century  | Michael Phelps | [note 6]
Olympic Games | Michael Phelps | [note 7]
Valentina Vezzali | [note 8]
Paralympic Games | Sarah Storey | [note 9]
Trischa Zorn | [note 10]

## See also

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* Sports portal

* 100 Greatest of All Time
* 100 Greatest NHL Players
* Australian rugby league's 100 greatest players
* Big Three (tennis)
* Comparison of top chess players throughout history
* FIFA 100
* Messi–Ronaldo rivalry
* Mythical national championship
* NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers
* The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players
* TSN Top 50 CFL Players

## Notes

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1. ^ Examples of non-sports-related usage of GOAT and goated include: [23][24]
2. ^ Examples of these objective and subjective measures being assessed or discussed as criteria for inclusion in "GOAT" conversations can be seen in the following sources: [33][34][35][36]
3. ^ Examples of sportswriters considering a player's role, position, or specialization when assessing them in "GOAT" conversations can be seen in the following sources: [53][54][55][56]
4. ^ Examples of this include:[63][64][65][66]

1. ^ Sources or lists that share such an opinion include:
* USA Today (2024)[73]
2. ^ Sources or lists that share such an opinion include:
* ESPN (2021)[74]
3. ^ Sources or lists that share such an opinion include:
* Sports Illustrated (1999)[9]
4. ^ Sources or lists that share such an opinion include:
* Sports Illustrated (1999)[9]
5. ^ Sources or lists that share such an opinion include:
* ESPN's SportsCentury panel (1999)[8]
6. ^ Sources or lists that share such an opinion include:
* ESPN's "Top 100 professional athletes since 2000" list (2024)[75]
7. ^ Sources or lists that share such an opinion include:
* Fox Sports (2016)[48]
8. ^ Sources or lists that share such an opinion include:
* SBNation (2012)[76]
9. ^ Sources or lists that share such an opinion include:
* Diario AS (2021)[77]
10. ^ Sources or lists that share such an opinion include:
* International Olympic Committee (2021)[78]

## References

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1. ^ a b Young, Ryan (February 15, 2019). "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: LeBron James is bigger than the 'GOAT'". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
2. ^ Pierce, Charles P. (July 23, 2018). "Goat vs. G.O.A.T.: The History Behind Sports's Antithetical Animal Analogy". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
3. ^ a b c Deford, Frank (June 22, 2011). "Who Wants To Be The GOAT?". Morning Edition. NPR. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
4. ^ a b Clarey, Christopher (August 29, 2022). "Is Serena Williams the GOAT? Yes. No. Probably. Maybe. Without a Doubt". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 29, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Streeter, Kurt (July 3, 2023). "GOATs Are Everywhere in Sports. So What Really Defines Greatness?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 3, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
6. ^ a b c d Curtis, Charles (August 4, 2017). "Just when did we all start using GOAT anyway?". USA Today. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
7. ^ "Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Everything you need to know about the NBA GOAT debate". ESPN. October 15, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
8. ^ a b Kiger, Fred (1999). "Air supreme". SportsCentury. ESPN. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
9. ^ a b c "The 20th Century Awards". Sports Illustrated. December 2, 1999. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved March 23, 2025 - via CNN.
10. ^ Hill, E. Garry (February 27, 2019). "From The Editor — So Who Is The G.O.A.T. Of Men's Track & Field?". Track & Field News. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
11. ^ "From hat-trick to GOAT: quirky football terminology explained". FIFA.com. November 12, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
12. ^ Brinson, Will (August 3, 2017). "LOOK: Patriots celebrate Tom Brady's 40th birthday with a five-goat petting zoo". CBS Sports. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
13. ^ a b Beaton, Andrew; Cohen, Ben (January 29, 2019). "If Goat Emojis Are Flooding Your Twitter Feed, Blame Tom Brady". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
14. ^ Rapp, Timothy (February 4, 2019). "LeBron James Uses Goat Emoji to Describe Tom Brady After Super Bowl LIII Win". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
15. ^ a b "LeBron James Uses Goat Emoji to Describe Tom Brady After Super Bowl LIII Win". Sports Illustrated. January 29, 2019. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
16. ^ Cohen, David (February 5, 2021). "Twitter Sports Tries to Get Football Fans' GOAT". Adweek. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
17. ^ Hernandez, Emely (July 23, 2021). "For Simone Biles, a Twitter GOAT emoji to match her gymnastics greatness". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
18. ^ Kirkpatrick, Emily (June 7, 2021). "Simone Biles Knows She's the G.O.A.T., and Says It With Rhinestones". Vanity Fair. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
19. ^ Kramer, Daniel (March 19, 2025). "GOAT talk? Ichiro joins that discussion, with real live goats". MLB.com. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
20. ^ "Former NBA Players Weigh In: Is Stephen Curry really the greatest point guard of all time?". Marca. March 4, 2025. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
21. ^ Henderson, Cydney (February 15, 2025). "Warriors' superstar Stephen Curry weighs in on GOAT debate with new animated film". USA Today. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
22. ^ "GOATED". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
23. ^ Sadler, Armon (January 14, 2025). "Kanye West Declares Himself The "GOAT Of All GOATs Of Any GOAT Ever GOATed" Due To Yeezy Success". Vibe. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
24. ^ Ortiz, Gerald (November 21, 2024). "The Best Cashmere Sweaters for Men Are Literally Goated". GQ. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
25. ^ Cohen, Ben; McGinty, Tom (February 13, 2015). "Meet the Michael Jordans of Everything". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
26. ^ Freking, Kevin (November 22, 2016). "Obama awards Presidential Medal of Freedom to Michael Jordan, Ellen DeGeneres, others". PBS NewsHour. PBS. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
27. ^ Kozlowski, Joe (February 19, 2024). "Michael Jordan Has Trash-Talk History With Obama and Clinton". Newsweek. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
28. ^ Nash, Steve (2018). "Why Cristiano Ronaldo Is the Michael Jordan of World Football". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
29. ^ Schad, Tom (August 6, 2024) [August 4, 2024]. "How Amit Elor, Olympic gold medalist, became wrestling's 'young GOAT'". USA Today. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
30. ^ "Mt. Rushmore of Sports". ESPN. February 2, 2009. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
31. ^ "Woods, Ali, Brady, Jordan make up Bayless' Mount Rushmore of sports". Fox Sports. April 8, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
32. ^ Hammond, Rich (June 19, 2019). "Who would belong on the Mount Rushmore of Los Angeles sports?". The Athletic. Retrieved March 22, 2025 - via The New York Times.
33. ^ Taylor, Grant (June 7, 2018). "The Ultimate NBA G.O.A.T. Debate". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
34. ^ Marks, Bobby; MacMullan, Jackie; Spears, Marc; Arnovitz, Kevin; Pelton, Kevin (April 14, 2020). "NBA GOAT debate: Big questions on Michael Jordan and the greatest players ever". ESPN. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
35. ^ Edmondson, Laurence (November 16, 2020). "The F1 GOAT debate: How do Hamilton and Schumacher compare?". ESPN. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
36. ^ Riddell, Don (January 30, 2022). "Australian Open: Rafael Nadal ahead of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in GOAT race". BBC Sport. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
37. ^ a b Wells, Adam (June 5, 2018). "Roger Federer and the Most Durable Athletes in Tennis History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
38. ^ "NFL's best players ever at every defensive position: Is Lawrence Taylor the GOAT edge rusher? Ronnie Lott or Ed Reed at safety?". ESPN. August 3, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
39. ^ Albert, Renin Wilben (October 21, 2023). "Virat Kohli: The greatest to play ODI cricket?". Crictoday. Retrieved March 23, 2025. "But has he done enough to be termed the greatest to play ODI cricket?"
40. ^ Can Patrick Mahomes still catch Tom Brady in the GOAT-bate?. First Things First. Fox Sports. February 13, 2025. Retrieved March 23, 2025 - via YouTube.
41. ^ Datta, Dwaipayan (August 4, 2018). "Virat Kohli can be India's greatest of all time: Kumar Sangakkara". Times of India. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
42. ^ Joseph, Sam (February 12, 2024). "After winning his third Super Bowl at only 28 years old, is it time to call Patrick Mahomes the greatest QB ever?". CNN. Retrieved March 22, 2025. "The term 'greatest of all time' is bandied about a lot in sport these days. The phrase is used extensively online and in everyday life now to refer to an individual who has achieved a level of greatness in their field that comes around once in a generation."
43. ^ Lupica, Mike (June 18, 2024). "Mays' pure joy for baseball made him the GOAT". MLB.com. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
44. ^ a b Snyder, Matt (May 18, 2024). "Willie Mays' case as baseball's GOAT: 24-time MLB All-Star was the perfect five-tool superstar". CBS Sports. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
45. ^ Posnanski, Joe (May 29, 2018). "The Greatest Ever: Who should be in the discussion for MLB's GOAT?". The Athletic. Archived from the original on March 20, 2025. Retrieved March 20, 2025 - via The New York Times.
46. ^ a b Schoenfield, David (December 13, 2012). "Hall of 100: Best pitcher of all time". ESPN. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
47. ^ Versalles, Laz (December 19, 2022). "Who are the GOATs of golf and soccer?". Golf Digest. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
48. ^ a b Chase, Chris (November 15, 2016). "Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt: Who's the Olympic G.O.A.T.?". Fox Sports. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
49. ^ Woods, David (July 16, 2014). "Who is the greatest women's basketball player ever?". USA Today. Retrieved March 20, 2025. "'It's just like the NBA or the NFL. You can't say there's one player because that's how good the game is, and that's how much it's evolved over the years,' said Kelly Krauskopf, president and general manager of the Indiana Fever."
50. ^ a b Wetzel, Dan (February 4, 2021). "Patrick Mahomes' path to catching Tom Brady in the GOAT debate is more challenging than people think". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
51. ^ Ross, Scott (April 18, 2013) [April 8, 2013]. "Horse of the Century: Man o' War vs. Secretariat". NBC Bay Area. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
52. ^ a b Kram, Zach (March 27, 2018). "Lessons From a Legend, 100 Years Later". The Ringer. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
53. ^ "NFL's best at every offensive position: Jim Brown the GOAT at RB". ESPN. May 19, 2023 [August 2, 2022]. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
54. ^ Langell, Amanda (February 7, 2025) [November 18, 2024]. "Best Soccer Goalkeepers of All Time". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
55. ^ Pinto, Greg (June 1, 2018). "The Best Player in MLB History, Position by Position". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
56. ^ Smith, Steven (December 20, 2024). "Rugby's GOAT XV: The Greatest Union Team of All Time Has Been Revealed". Ruck. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
57. ^ Augustyn, Adam (July 2016). "10 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
58. ^ "Top 100 MLB players of all time: Nos. 25-1". ESPN. February 1, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
59. ^ Kellerman, Max. "Ali to Sweet Pea: Best ever fighters". ESPN. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
60. ^ Kellerman, Max; Atlas, Teddy (September 6, 1999). "Sugar Ray Robinson wins split decision from Ali". ESPN. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
61. ^ a b Lamar, Marcus (September 8, 2016). "Is Serena Williams the G.O.A.T.? Is that Even the Right Question?". Ebony. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
62. ^ Reid, Cayle (September 14, 2023). "Did Serena Williams just re-enter the GOAT conversation?". Esquire. Retrieved March 20, 2025. "At the height of the big three's rivalry, Williams' name was often thrown into consideration for the title of overall greatest tennis player, as she had more grand slam titles than Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer at the time."
63. ^ Quinn, Sam (January 21, 2024). "Kevin Durant believes he should be in NBA GOAT conversation: 'Why shouldn't I be in that?'". CBS Sports. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
64. ^ a b Martinez, Jose (August 21, 2023). "Steph Curry Believes He's the GOAT Point Guard: 'It's Me and Magic, That's the Conversation'". Complex. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
65. ^ a b Carroll, Charlotte (January 2, 2019). "In 2009, Michael Jordan Said 'I Would Never Say That I am the Greatest Player'". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
66. ^ a b c Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem (February 22, 2019). "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: LeBron James Is Bigger Than the 'GOAT' Debate, He's a Hero for Our Time". Newsweek. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
67. ^ Chiari, Mike (February 4, 2025). "Cristiano Ronaldo Claims GOAT Status: 'I'm the Most Complete Player to Have Existed'". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
68. ^ "LeBron James: Cavs' title 'made me the greatest player of all time'". ESPN. December 30, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
69. ^ Kirkland, Alex; Faez, Rodrigo (February 4, 2025). "Cristiano Ronaldo: Lionel Messi is great, but I'm most complete". ESPN. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
70. ^ Simmons, Myles (February 5, 2025). "Patrick Mahomes: I'm not even close to halfway to seven rings, so I haven't thought much about it". ProFootballTalk. NBC Sports. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
71. ^ a b Edmondson, Laurence (October 29, 2018). "The F1 GOAT debate: How do Hamilton and Schumacher compare?". ESPN. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
72. ^ a b Fendrich, Howard (September 21, 2022). "Federer on GOAT debate in AP Interview: How can you compare?". Associated Press. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
73. ^ Armour, Nancy (August 3, 2024) [August 1, 2024]. "Simone Biles has now surpassed all other GOATs — and it's not close". USA Today. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
74. ^ Wyshynski, Greg (February 12, 2021). "Clash of the GOATs: Why Wayne Gretzky is the greatest team sports player ever -- not Tom Brady". ESPN. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
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