The greatest ever from outside your favourite?

[WrongIslander]

The greatest got me thinking. What is it that truly defines greatness and how does it transcend cultural boundaries. What is that je na sais quoi that really make the best at what they do be remembered for all eternity?

 

I didn't want to hijack the other thread and I feel this is a different subject in a way so...

 

I am a fan of American Sports for so many reasons but one is the great stories and history of truly special players from each.

 

More so than even Football, a game revered throughout the world by many more people it seems if you are great in America you seem to reach an unrivalled plateu. Why is this? Well one theory I have is it is MUCH harder to be considered truly great in the U.S.

 

Take for example American Football. The arguements still rage today about who truly is the greatest and unlike Football where the general concensus is Pele or Maradona with Cruyff in the mix it's far more varied over there.

 

 

Namath, Montana, Marino, Bradshaw, Elway, Unitas. The debate rages on to this day and with Favre about to be thrown into the mix and Manning not long behind it continues to grow.

 

In Ice Hockey it is the same: For the younger generation Gretzky and Lemieux have the market cornered but there are more experienced fans who will tell you all about the days of Gordie Howe, Maurice Richard, Bobby Orr and so on.

 

Basketball? Jordan right? Well yeah more so than any other sportsman in history he is considered the undoubted number one from his sport. Don't count out LBJ from entering the arguement when he is finished though, a truly special talent.

 

What about Baseball? Well we could be here all day such is the varied opinion on that one. You might think because you know the name the answer is Ruth and that's that but it isn't quite that simple. Aaron, Ozzy, Williams, Cobb, Mays, Robinson, they can all lay claims. Some people will vote for Bonds, those people are idiots.

 

So given that Jordan is the closest thing to undoubted greatness in U.S sports in his profession and a name that transcends his sport what is it that makes him great?

 

Ask his teammates and they will tell you his unmatched will to win. He was not a nice guy to be around they will say but he knew how to get the best out of you and he never stopped trying to better his game. Obviously natural ability plays a part but it is interesting to note that while Jordan was the best NBA player hands down, the same can not be said of his College Ball days. So maybe the answer to being the greatest lies not just in natural ability but to never stop improving yourself and being prepared to do what ever it takes to win.

 

Despite his selfish attitude off the court, you could never call him anything but an exempolary team mate on it. He brought players into the game, he was a leader by both word and deed and he was never scared to take the big shot.

 

So what percentage is it talent to effort? I don't know but what I do know is that from reading a lot of sports writing there is no statement that has rang truer than the following:

 

"Hard work only beats talent when talent doesn't work hard."

 

Whether it be mentally or physically Jordan worked harder than anyone in the NBA and ultimately with the talent he had (though not as talented as some when he was younger) he became the best of all time.

 

If LeBron were taking note he might do well to realise that he is every bit as talented if not more so (I believe more so) but will he ever reach the mental conditioning levels of MJ? Time will tell.