Tom Brady is called the GOAT for what he has accomplished in his NFL career. But is he the greatest athlete of all time? Brady appeared on HBO’s The Shop and talked about what LeBron James had to say about him in 2017. At the time, James explained why Brady is not the all-time greatest athlete.
“My only argument with a football player being the greatest athlete of all time is that they only gotta play one side of the floor, man,” James said, per CBS Sports in 2017. “Yes, Brady is unbelievable. Brady is the greatest quarterback I’ve ever seen, but he affects the game one way.” James then added: “As physical as football is — and to the body, I know it’s crazy to the body — but for a quarterback, [Patriots coach Bill] Belichick has done a great job of implementing those five guys in front to protect that asset.”
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“For us [as basketball players], every single night, you gotta know both sides. … When I played football, offensively, I never even talked to the defensive side. I never even talked to y’all. Ain’t nothing to talk about.” Brady was asked about James’ comments when he appeared on The Shop this month and said he can only do what he can on the field.
“I can really just be the best with the body that I was given,” Brady said. “There’s certain things that I certainly cannot do. And I have the awareness to realize, ‘OK, I can’t do those things.’ You can’t do everyone else’s job. I can’t block, tackle, run, catch — sure as hell can’t run — but I can throw the s— out of the ball. So, let me just do that. And let me do that really well.”
Brady is arguably the best NFL player of all time, winning seven Super Bowls and likely leaving the game as the game’s most prolific passer. His numbers are so strong, Brady has put together two Hall of Fame careers. And he continues to play at a high level, winning his latest Super Bowl at 43 years old.
As for the all-time great athletes, Brady may not be the best, but he’s up there. Back in 2019, USA Today ranked the top 50 athletes of the decade. Brady came in at No. 3 while Serena Williams came in at No. 2. The top athlete of the 2010 decade went to James.
