ESPN top 100 athletes of the 2000's

[smicker16]

The write up for this talks about these athletes.

In order mentioned

Brady
Messi
Lebron
Serena
Federer
Nadal and Djokovic
Bolt, Phelps, Ledecky, Biles
Kobe, Lewis Hamilton, P. Manning (26th), Mayweather, Tiger

So that list is 16, 15 of which are going to be in the top 25.

They also mentioned Patrick Mahomes in the same sentence as Jokic (28th) and Shohei (62nd), and since we've yet to see Mahomes on the list, he is in the top 25.

So just 9 other players one of which will certainly be Curry and probably a couple of Aaron's (Donald and Rodgers).  I imagine Garnett will be there. I am curious to see if Shaq makes the list given he had a lot of time in the 90's, but his best was the early 2000's. MLB, I don't think I saw Pujols yet, not sure anyone else makes it.  I don't know much about NHL, but Sid Crosby probably is there. Along with Messi, I'm guessing Ronaldo is in the top 25.

I think Rodgers was already shown pretty high up. Garnett is an interesting one. Feel he has to be there and I love him but top 25 feels maybe a tad high when seeing who else is left. Duncan I feel should be there too if KG is and higher than KG.

[Moranis]

The write up for this talks about these athletes.

In order mentioned

Brady
Messi
Lebron
Serena
Federer
Nadal and Djokovic
Bolt, Phelps, Ledecky, Biles
Kobe, Lewis Hamilton, P. Manning (26th), Mayweather, Tiger

So that list is 16, 15 of which are going to be in the top 25.

They also mentioned Patrick Mahomes in the same sentence as Jokic (28th) and Shohei (62nd), and since we've yet to see Mahomes on the list, he is in the top 25.

So just 9 other players one of which will certainly be Curry and probably a couple of Aaron's (Donald and Rodgers).  I imagine Garnett will be there. I am curious to see if Shaq makes the list given he had a lot of time in the 90's, but his best was the early 2000's. MLB, I don't think I saw Pujols yet, not sure anyone else makes it.  I don't know much about NHL, but Sid Crosby probably is there. Along with Messi, I'm guessing Ronaldo is in the top 25.

I think Rodgers was already shown pretty high up. Garnett is an interesting one. Feel he has to be there and I love him but top 25 feels maybe a tad high when seeing who else is left. Duncan I feel should be there too if KG is and higher than KG.

Duncan will be there, I knew I was forgetting someone. 

[Donoghus]

Taurasi

[johnnygreen]

Could the following also make the top 25?
Andre Ward
Conor McGregor
Khabib Nurmagomedov

[smicker16]

The write up for this talks about these athletes.

In order mentioned

Brady
Messi
Lebron
Serena
Federer
Nadal and Djokovic
Bolt, Phelps, Ledecky, Biles
Kobe, Lewis Hamilton, P. Manning (26th), Mayweather, Tiger

So that list is 16, 15 of which are going to be in the top 25.

They also mentioned Patrick Mahomes in the same sentence as Jokic (28th) and Shohei (62nd), and since we've yet to see Mahomes on the list, he is in the top 25.

So just 9 other players one of which will certainly be Curry and probably a couple of Aaron's (Donald and Rodgers).  I imagine Garnett will be there. I am curious to see if Shaq makes the list given he had a lot of time in the 90's, but his best was the early 2000's. MLB, I don't think I saw Pujols yet, not sure anyone else makes it.  I don't know much about NHL, but Sid Crosby probably is there. Along with Messi, I'm guessing Ronaldo is in the top 25.

I think Rodgers was already shown pretty high up. Garnett is an interesting one. Feel he has to be there and I love him but top 25 feels maybe a tad high when seeing who else is left. Duncan I feel should be there too if KG is and higher than KG.

Duncan will be there, I knew I was forgetting someone.

But yeah the list is getting tight with who is left.  Using your list, we have about 21 or so that seem to be locks.  I do think KG and Ronaldo are very likely to be there too, which would bring it up to 23.  In no particular order of course below.  I do not know enough to speak to Mcgregor and Taurasi really.
1.   Brady
2.   Messi
3.   Lebron
4.   Serena
5.   Federer
6.   Nadal
7.   Djokovic
8.   Bolt
9.   Phelps
10.   Ledecky
11.   Biles
12.   Kobe
13.   Lewis Hamilton
14.   Mayweather
15.   Tiger
16.   Duncan
17.   Curry
18.   Crosby
19.   Pujols
20.   Donald
21.   Mahomes
22.   Ronaldo?
23.   KG?
24.   Mcgregor?
25.   Taurasi?
26.   Shaq?
27.   Brodeur? Was trying to think of other NHL players

[bdm860]

One of the Klitschko brothers?

[Moranis]

McGregor won't be there. Very popular but not a good enough athlete or career to make this list.  Put another way, if McGregor is in the top 25 the list has no credibility.  The 3 best UFC fighters of all time are Jones and GSP who are both on the list and Khabib who isn't yet, but could be (I wouldnt be surprised if he is in the 20 to 25 range). The only other MMA fighter you could potentially see is Ronda Rousey because she basically made women's mma, but Amanda Nunes is a much better historical fighter (and no way Nunes is ahead of GSP let alone Jones).

[Donoghus]

I feel pretty good about some combo of Tiger, Brady, Lebron, & Serena in the top 5.  The wild card to me is the fifth one.  Thinking one of the Olympians (Phelps, Bolt) or Messi.

I swear, if its Kobe or Mayweather in the top 5, I'll be irritated. 

[bdm860]

It would make me smile to see Joey Chestnut make the list.

[Neurotic Guy]

I feel pretty good about some combo of Tiger, Brady, Lebron, & Serena in the top 5.  The wild card to me is the fifth one.  Thinking one of the Olympians (Phelps, Bolt) or Messi.

I swear, if its Kobe or Mayweather in the top 5, I'll be irritated.

It?s getting into greatest of all-time status with top selections. Of Tiger, Brady, Lebron, Serena, and Bolt, only two would not be widely considered the GOAT of their respective sport.  Brady, consensus GOAT, Bolt hand-down (his events), and Serena unquestionable.   Tiger would have legit competition in Nicholas and Lebron flat out is not the GOAT in basketball. So if criteria were to include standout competitor in the history of their sport, my order given your top five (with my pick of Bolt as the fifth) would be:

Serena
Bolt
Brady
Tiger
Lebron

If Serena were male, I think she?d be automatic number one on this list.

[Moranis]

I feel pretty good about some combo of Tiger, Brady, Lebron, & Serena in the top 5.  The wild card to me is the fifth one.  Thinking one of the Olympians (Phelps, Bolt) or Messi.

I swear, if its Kobe or Mayweather in the top 5, I'll be irritated.

It?s getting into greatest of all-time status with top selections. Of Tiger, Brady, Lebron, Serena, and Bolt, only two would not be widely considered the GOAT of their respective sport.  Brady, consensus GOAT, Bolt hand-down (his events), and Serena unquestionable.   Tiger would have legit competition in Nicholas and Lebron flat out is not the GOAT in basketball. So idk criteria were to include standout competitor in the history of their sport, my order given your top five (with my pick of Bolt as the fifth) would be:

Serena
Bolt
Brady
Tiger
Lebron

If Serena were male, I think she?d be automatic number one on this list.

If Serena was male she'd be Novak Djokovic.

[Birdman]

Just don?t see golf as a ?athletic? sport

[Roy H.]

Just don?t see golf as a ?athletic? sport

Think of it more like a ranking of sports stars by their level of dominance and achievements, rather than the best pure athletes (i.e., who might win a decathlon).  Otherwise, we'd see the list dominated by track and field athletes, and guys like Tom Brady might not even make the top-100 despite being the most successful star ever in the most popular American sport.

[Donoghus]

Here it is. 1-25

https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/40446224/top-100-athletes-21st-century

1) Phelps
2) Serena
3) Messi
4) Lebron
5) Brady

No issues there.  Tiger at #8 is the biggest surprise for me.  Thought he'd be a shoe-in for top 5.

[Moranis]

Serena seems high to me.  The men are similarly accomplished and did so overlapping their primes while Serena had no rival.  And Novak, in particular, ended up with more Grand Slams, more Grand Slam wins, more wins, more wins against top 10 players, more weeks at #1, etc. than Serena did   I get Novak is not well liked, but there really isn't much of objective measure to put Serena ahead of Novak except for doubles, which they didn't even mention.  Had they used the doubles with her sister as a tiebreaker, I think it could at least be defended, but the snippets they put, especially the pregnancy stuff, make it much less about the actual sport of it.