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GOAT of GOATs Final: Who is the Greatest Athlete Of All Time — Wayne Gretzky or Michael Jordan?

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)
(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

Who is the GOAT of GOATs? The greatest of the greatests? An answer to the question: Who is the greatest athlete of all time?

We’ve asked you to vote, and now we’re down to the final two: Wayne Gretzky vs. Michael Jordan.

When you vote, keep this in mind: It’s impossible to compare players of different sports. What we can attempt to determine is this: Who dominated their competition the most? That’s ultimately the question we’re trying to answer here.

So let’s get to it to determine who is The GOAT of GOATS.

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports illustration)
(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports illustration)

1. Wayne Gretzky vs. 2. Michael Jordan

The case for Wayne Gretzky

The “Great One” racked up 2,857 points in his 20-year career and would own the NHL’s all-time scoring record even if you took away his career goals (894) and counted only his assists (1,963). A nine-time MVP, Gretzky was so brilliant he cast a shadow on three men who would otherwise have great NHL GOAT cases: Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr and Mario Lemieux.

— Kevin Kaduk

The case for Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan was so good his claim to the NBA’s GOAT throne is still gaining momentum almost a quarter-century after his retirement from the Chicago Bulls. “The Last Dance” documentary reminded us how thoroughly he eviscerated the league. Jordan went 6-for-6 when a title was on the line, winning Finals MVP each time. He added five regular-season MVPs, three more scoring titles than anyone else in history and a Defensive Player of the Year award. No amount of honors or statistics can properly calculate how much fear Jordan’s blend of skill, athleticism and confidence struck into opponents’ hearts when the game mattered most.

— Ben Rohrbach