There are a lot of different factors that go into an athlete being considered one of the best. This includes awards they have received, records they have broken, and the numbers they put up year after year in their sports. To be the best, they need to go above and beyond, and they often have an influence on their sport and other players. Take a look at the top 10 athletes of all time. 

  1. Michael Jordan

Most people would agree that Michael Jordan is the best athlete of all time. His name is synonymous with basketball, and he played in the NBA for 25 seasons. He was on six winning Chicago Bulls teams, and he made the NBA popular all over the world. 

  1. Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali is always on the list of the best athletes. He was a world champion when he won the World Heavyweight title three years in a row. On top of being an Olympic gold medalist, he was a champion for black rights. 

  1. Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona is considered the greatest athlete in soccer, and he has won many different awards. He helped Argentina make the World Cup in 1986, and he won the best player award. 

  1. Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson won five titles with the LA Lakers in the 80s, as well as three NBA MVP awards. He is considered the best point guard ever by most people. 

  1. Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt is a great sprinter, and he holds world records in different events. He is most famous for his record time in the double sprint in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He is the first person to hold these records since mandatory fully automatic time was implemented.

  1. Cristiano Ronaldo

One of the greatest football players ever, Cristiano Ronaldo is popular throughout the world, and he has set a number of records. He was the second man to score 100 international goals, and he was the first European. 

  1. Kapil Dev

In India, Kapil Dev is the greatest cricket player of all time. He was the captain and led India to win their first Cricket World Cup title. He was named by Wisden to be the Indian Cricketer of the Century. 

  1. Babe Ruth

Although he started out as a pitcher, Babe Ruth set records in home runs, slugging percentage, RBIs, and more. He was one of the best Yankees of all time, and he was home run champion 12 times and drew fans to the ballpark. 

  1. Ted Williams

Ted Williams is another great baseball player. He holds the record today for career on base percentage, and he was batting champion six times, MVP twice, and an all star 19 times. 

  1. Jim Brown

As a fullback for the Cleveland Browns, Jim Brown is one of the greatest players of all time in the NFL. In fact, in 2002, he was named the greatest professional football player by the Sporting News.