Who are the best Athletes from 2000-2017? The Top 5 Athletes of the New Millennium

February 6, 2017 Black Truth News Archives, Jarrod Horton Articles, Opinion, Originals, Recent Posts, Sports

3. LeBron James (2003-present): Hate him all you want but he has been to six consecutive NBA Finals and this year might make seven. One of the advantages these top three athletes have on this list is that they still are performing at a high level. That makes it hard to put anyone over them. Stats are below

NBA Rookie of the year
Only 3rd player to average 20, 5, 5 in their rookie season
4 MVP’S
Only the second player to win 4 MVPs in five year span (Bill Russell)
56 games with 30 and 10. 5th all-time. 2 behind Magic Johnson
Youngest player to reach 25,000 points & 28,000 points
7 NBA Finals
3 NBA Championships
Only frontcourt player in history to have over 7,000 assists
He also joined Michael Jordan as the only player to win an NBA MVP award, NBA championship, NBA Finals MVP, and Olympic gold medal in the same year
He recorded the first triple-double in U.S. Olympic basketball history with 11 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists
James became just the third player to record a triple-double in an NBA Finals Game 7
The first player in league history to lead both teams in all five statistical categories for a playoff round
2008 NBA Scoring champion
13 time all-star
2 time All star MVP
3 Time finals MVP
Top 10 all-time triple-doubles
Top 10 scorer of all time

4. Michael Phelps (2000-2016): This is when things started to get tricky for me. I went with Phelps because simply he is the most successful athlete in Olympic history. It is hard to argue his resume

Started in 2000 at age 15 in the Olympics.
Holds the record for Most Gold Medals in Olympics History (23) .
Hold record for most Gold medals in one Olympic (8 gold medals)
Hold record for most gold medals in individual events
Hold record for most medals in individual events
Holds the world record for the fastest time in 3 different events
83 medals in total events
Swimmer of the year in 2012 and 2016
Sportsman of the year in 2008

5. Barry Bonds (2000-2007): Now this selection in the words of 2Chainz might “start a riot.” Yes my nigga Barry Bonds can’t make the Hall of Fame, but he can make my list. Screw all that steroid talk, this man was amazing. You might ask if I ignore the enhancement drugs on his part, then why I didn’t include Lance Armstrong? And I would say you have a point. But if you know anything about baseball and look at his stats; then you will know that you need more than steroids to accomplish some of the things that he did. His stats in this seven-year stretch also includes an injury season in 2005. It was only seven years, but they were a special seven years.

4 consecutive MVP’s 2001-2004
He hit 73 Home runs in 2001
Became the only member of the 500/500 club in 2003 with 500 home runs & 500 stolen bases
From 2000 to 2007 he hit 317 home runs and he only played 14 games in 2005 because of injury (an average of 45 per season)
He became the all-time home run leader in 2007
The slugging percentage was .863 in 2001
won the batting title in 2002 & 2004
Broke the record for intentional walks in a season in 2002
Major league record for on-base percentage .582 in 2002 & broke the record in 2004
At age of 43, he led MLB in walks at 132 in 2007