To cap our Eras venture, we choose and have a good time the immense achievements of the 25 most important athletes of the final quarter century (2000-24). The checklist spans each main sport, together with these not lined in earlier editions, and is alphabetical by final title.
theScore’s Prime 25 sequence: MLB | NBA | NFL | NHL | Olympics | Soccer
Simone Biles
With 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals, Biles handily owns the title of best gymnast in historical past. She took residence 4 golds and one bronze in her Olympic debut on the Rio Video games. Her performances secured america’ dominance within the sport and formed the sphere: Biles has 5 components named after her. In Tokyo, Biles withdrew from a number of occasions however overcame the twisties and private loss to compete within the stability beam remaining, the place she received bronze along with incomes silver within the crew occasion. She staged a outstanding comeback this previous summer season in Paris and added three golds to her assortment. – Jolene Latimer
Usain Bolt
Bolt is nicknamed the Dash King for good purpose. The Jamaican has eight Olympic gold medals and holds the world and Olympic data within the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. He swept the 100m and 200m in Beijing, London, and Rio, making him the one sprinter to win three consecutive golds in each marquee occasions. Bolt solidified himself because the world’s quickest man with a wide ranging sprint on the 2009 World Championships. He averaged 37.6 kilometers per hour (23.4 mph) within the 100m remaining, hit a high pace of 44.7 kph (27.8 mph), and crossed the end line in 9.58 seconds. – Latimer
Tom Brady
The NFL’s final winner mastered quarterback play whereas powering the dynastic New England Patriots to 6 championships. Brady received a seventh ring in his mid-40s with out the assistance of coach Invoice Belichick. The five-time Tremendous Bowl MVP engineered the sport’s largest comeback, immortalizing the 28-3 deficit the Patriots erased, and doubled his closest rival in profession playoff wins (35). Brady was the primary QB to hurl 50 landing passes in a season. He set towering all-time data and consistently trounced divisional foes. The No. 199 general decide within the 2000 draft was clutch and cutthroat, in addition to worshipped, hated, and feared. – Nick Faris
Sidney Crosby
Crosby is a textbook instance of a generational expertise. After residing as much as “The Subsequent One” hype, the longtime Pittsburgh Penguins captain deserves a spot on hockey’s Mount Rushmore alongside Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, and Mario Lemieux. Arguably the perfect all-around participant in historical past, he is been the face of the game since breaking into the NHL following the 2005 lockout. Crosby checks all of the famous person containers (skating, passing, capturing, and so forth.) whereas approaching the sport with a grinder’s starvation and grit. The three-time Stanley Cup champion has captured 4 MVP trophies – two within the common season, two within the playoffs – and ranks tenth in profession factors. – John Matisz
Stephen Curry
Few athletes have essentially modified how their sport is performed like Curry did on the courtroom. His limitless vary, lightning-quick launch, and sheer audacity made him the best shooter of all time. His means to dominate a sport of giants at a slight 6-foot-2 made him extra relatable than different superstars and impressed a technology of youngsters to let it fly – regardless of their dimension, place, or distance from the rim. The NBA’s solely unanimous MVP, Curry’s selfless, tireless model of basketball powered the Golden State Warriors to 4 championships. For the defenses he warps, the one factor scarier than seeing the ball in his fingers is watching him fly round screens to go get it. – Casciaro
Novak Djokovic
With 24 Grand Slams, 40 Masters titles, seven year-end championships, and an 83.5% profitable share, Djokovic has no quantitative peer in males’s tennis historical past. His 428 complete weeks at No. 1 are 118 greater than anybody else. He is the perfect returner, the perfect defender, and probably the most versatile participant the game’s produced (figuratively and actually). He may adapt his sport to any opponent or state of affairs, and his thoughts was a weapon that pulled him throughout the end line of grueling matches. Djokovic was underappreciated relative to his Large Three rivals however had a profitable file in opposition to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, together with a 28-19 mixed mark in opposition to them in match finals. – Joe Wolfond
Tim Duncan
Duncan’s greatness was understated: Financial institution photographs from the elbow aren’t the stuff of playground desires. However the Large Basic’s mushy contact, self-discipline, footwork, and instincts helped him carve up opposing huge males with out breaking a sweat. Duncan – a five-time NBA champion and 15-time All-Defensive participant – outlined methodical, constant excellence. His worst San Antonio Spurs crew received 50 video games. The Spurs’ worst plus-minus ranking throughout his minutes (plus-5.2 factors per 100 possessions in 2008-09) would’ve ranked within the high 5 final season. Chalk that as much as organizational competence for those who please, however Duncan embodied the Spurs Means and, for near 20 years, was inevitable. – Casciaro
Roger Federer
Although he received “solely” 20 Grand Slams and was surpassed by contemporaries within the file books, Federer stays the sentimental GOAT for tennis aesthetes who have been lucky to see his peak. The feathery footwork, the pillowy contact, the geometric creativity, the superhuman means to time the ball on the rise, the precision and number of his serve, the liquid snap of his forehand, the sleek arc of his one-handed backhand … nobody has ever made tennis look extra like artwork. As for the outcomes, his run from 2004-07 is the game’s most dominant multi-year stretch. He received 11 of 12 Slams that weren’t performed on clay, went 99-5 at majors and 315-24 general, and ranked No. 1 on the earth for a file streak of 237 weeks. – Wolfond
LeBron James
He was the most-hyped prospect in sports activities historical past and one way or the other shattered expectations. No participant was as full or dominant for so long as LeBron at his best possible. The four-time NBA champion is the one participant to win Finals MVP for 3 franchises. He averaged greater than 20 factors for 22 years, set his profession excessive in rebounds at age 33, led the league in assists at 35, and conquered Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s untouchable scoring file at 38. Constructed like a linebacker, James runs like a sprinter, possesses an elite level guard’s deal with and imaginative and prescient, and bullies opponents just like the smashmouth forwards of the ’90s. At his peak, he was additionally a 40% 3-point shooter and Defensive Participant of the 12 months candidate. – Casciaro
Katie Ledecky
Ledecky is the queen of freestyle swimming. She has 9 Olympic gold medals within the self-discipline to associate with 21 from the World Championships. She first received Olympic gold at London within the 800m as a 15-year-old and adopted that up in Rio with file swims within the 400m and 800m. Ledecky’s tally of 4 gold medals and one silver in 2016 made her probably the most adorned feminine athlete at these Video games. Because of sturdy showings in Tokyo and Paris, she owns probably the most profession Olympic medals (14) amongst feminine swimmers and American girls. – Latimer
Patrick Mahomes
An distinctive achiever, Mahomes authored the most popular begin to an NFL quarterbacking profession. The three-time champion and Tremendous Bowl MVP has by no means failed to achieve the convention title sport on the helm of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. No different passer compiled a number of 5,000-yard seasons or earned 15 playoff wins in his 20s. Mahomes’ mix of arm energy, precision, and improvisational talent ruptures defenses and creates superior sights – just like the 13-second drive that dazed the Buffalo Payments. His inevitability rivals Brady’s: Mahomes has stopped a number of incredible rivals, from Josh Allen to Joe Burrow to Lamar Jackson, from stealing any of his glory. – Faris
Peyton Manning
Manning was a transformative subject common who known as his personal performs and patented the pre-snap audible over 17 stellar seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos. He received his fifth NFL MVP award and set enduring passing marks (5,477 yards, 55 touchdowns) for the 2013 Broncos juggernaut that scored a file 606 factors. He reached the Tremendous Bowl with 4 head coaches and beat Brady head-to-head en route to 2 titles – one with every franchise – proving he may rise to the event when it mattered most. Manning’s intelligence saved defenses guessing and stressing. He was constant and resilient, refusing to let severe neck surgical procedures pressure him to retire prematurely. – Faris
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Mayweather, the retired pound-for-pound king, was the marquee boxer of the quarter century. His greatness spanned weight lessons – he was the world champion of 5 divisions – and generated infinite hype. His bouts with Manny Pacquiao in 2015 and Conor McGregor in 2017 have been pay-per-view bonanzas. His unblemished professional file swelled to 50-0 (28 wins this century) when he knocked out McGregor on the Las Vegas Strip. Mayweather additionally defeated Canelo Alvarez, Miguel Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya, Arturo Gatti, and Juan Manuel Marquez. He was a nimble defensive tactician and pinpoint counterpuncher who exacted considerably extra injury than he took. – Faris
Rafael Nadal
One of many best rivals we’ll see, Nadal’s tennis had a uniquely visceral high quality: You did not watch him play a lot as you felt him play. He floor opponents into mud along with his relentless physicality, stamina, and blinding pace, plus the punishing weight of his trademark topspin-laden forehands. He was an astute game-planner and problem-solver, turning protection to offense quick sufficient to erase the excellence. En path to 22 Grand Slams and 36 Masters titles, Nadal outmoded his early label as a one-surface specialist, however he’ll be remembered as a clay-court hegemon: His 14 French Open crowns, 112-4 file at Roland Garros, and 63 singles titles on clay are as unbreakable as data get. – Wolfond
Alex Ovechkin
Ovechkin is probably the most prolific sniper in NHL historical past. The Washington Capitals legend is lower than 30 targets away from breaking Gretzky’s profession file. A freak of nature, he is hardly ever been sidelined by damage over a 20-year profession regardless of enjoying a bulldozing type for a lot of it. He is continued to fireside pucks previous goalies regardless of constantly telegraphing his intentions on the ability play: left circle, one-timer, aim. He is been wildly productive and charismatic regardless of coming of age in an period of low scoring charges and bland personalities. Ovechkin, who hoisted the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy in 2018, is a 12-time All-Star and three-time regular-season MVP. – Matisz
Michael Phelps
Phelps’ defining trait is dominance. Swimming teems with medal alternatives, and he seized all of them. The Olympic megastar has a file 28 medals, together with 23 golds. Phelps established himself on the 2004 Athens Video games, the place he received six gold medals and two bronze. He conquered Beijing by profitable all eight occasions he entered and setting a slew of freestyle, butterfly, and medley world data. In London, he added 4 gold medals and two silvers to his tally earlier than retiring however made a shocking comeback at Rio with 5 extra victories and one silver. – Latimer
Albert Pujols
Nicknamed the Machine, Pujols was an unstoppable offensive pressure. He received three MVPs and two championships for the St. Louis Cardinals, stuffed the again of his baseball card with uncommon numbers, and did not play underneath the cloud of PED-use suspicion. He was the primary participant to have 700 residence runs and 100 WAR inside the confines of the twenty first century. He led all gamers throughout his 22-year profession in hits, doubles, RBI, and runs. His profession 145 OPS+ means he was 45% higher than the typical hitter, and over a 12-year peak, he averaged a .325/.414/.608 slash line, 1.022 OPS, 42 homers, and 120 RBIs. Not unhealthy for a Thirteenth-round decide who was one of many century’s nice scouting finds. – Travis Sawchik
Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo’s forte – sticking the ball within the web – made him one among soccer’s most influential and magnetic stars. The Portuguese supernova is the consummate attacker: He buries headers, penalties, free kicks, and screamers from everywhere in the pitch. A world legion of followers imitates his unmistakable large stance and emphatic “Siuuu!” celebration. Ronaldo’s bravado, tempo, and energy spotlight a distinction with Messi, the foil he one-upped in profession targets (greater than 900) and Champions League conquests (4 with Actual Madrid, one with Manchester United). He scored at 5 World Cups, received Euro 2016, and set a pattern along with his 2023 switch to the Saudi Professional League. – Faris
Mike Trout
If not for damage, Trout could be the period’s No. 1 ballplayer and an inner-circle Corridor of Famer. On the top of his powers, he was a five-tool famous person harking back to Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays. From ages 20 by way of 27, Trout averaged 35 residence runs, 110 runs, 24 steals, 99 walks, and a .308/.422/.587 slash line. He averaged 178 OPS+ for a decade, sustaining a degree of efficiency that earned him 9 Silver Sluggers and three MVP awards. He was an elite baserunner and produced one of many century’s iconic catches, leaping over the middle subject wall at Camden Yards to rob J.J. Hardy’s blast. That he is solely appeared in a single postseason sequence does not diminish his greatness. – Sawchik
Serena Williams
Williams’ mix of athleticism, blunt-force energy, ruthlessly environment friendly techniques, and smoldering aggressive will carried her to an Open-era file 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with sister Venus, and 319 weeks at No. 1. Her serve is the best weapon girls’s tennis has seen. It generally felt like she may win matches by dint of her domineering courtroom presence alone. Serena endured accidents and familial tragedy however returned every time to reclaim her place on the high of the sport. She made 4 finals and compiled a 52-14 file at majors after giving delivery in 2017. Her profession got here to be outlined by that resilience: She was a fighter to the top. – Wolfond
Tiger Woods
The period’s best golfer beloved to don two iconic clothes: pink Nike shirts and inexperienced jackets. Tiger wore pink on Sundays to tug away from overmatched fields, and he hogged the jackets as a five-time Masters champion. His 15 main victories (13 since 2000) solely path Jack Nicklaus’ 18. Woods tied a file set in 1965 when he equaled Sam Snead’s 82 PGA TOUR wins. He was a toddler prodigy whose ball hanging and talent to realize and maintain a lead turned phenomenal attributes. Following a cinematic rise to fame and fall from glory, Woods capped his redemption arc with a stirring comeback at Augusta in 2019, greater than a decade after he received his final U.S. Open on an ailing knee. – Faris
theScore’s Prime 25 sequence: MLB | NBA | NFL | NHL | Olympics | Soccer
