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About This Quiz
It's one thing to be a good athlete or even be a professional athlete. But, it is entirely different to be one of the greatest athletes ever. These greatest athletes have broken records, overcome obstacles, and stood up when no one else could to become the greatest in history. See how many you can name from an image.
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Ty Cobb
Lou Gehrig
Babe Ruth
The New York Yankee slugger swatted an amazing 714 home runs, topping out at a major league single-season record .690 batting average, which remains a record to this day. What many don't know about Babe Ruth is that he began his career as a pitcher in Boston, leading the Red Sox to three World Series titles, before he joined the New York Yankees as an outfielder.
Mickey Mantle
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Pele
Pele, or Edson Arantes do Nascimento, was named after the great inventor Thomas Edison. He played in four World Cups, won three times, and amassed a dazzling 12 goals in 14 matches. Over his entire professional career, Pele racked up 1,281 goals in all competitions.
Lionel Messi
Maradona
Ronaldo
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
John Stockton
Michael Jordan
Magic Johnson
Larry Bird
Rival of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird would go on to win three championships with the Boston Celtics in the 1980s. With all of his playing accolades, it's easy to forget that Larry Bird was also a great coach. He won Coach of the Year honors in 1998 in his first season as head coach of the Indiana Pacers.
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Walter Payton
Star running back, Walter Payton, is said to have invented the "stiff arm," plowing over defenders over the course of 13 seasons with the Chicago Bears, while only missing a single game. He was sturdy, explosive, and was the only player to make both the 1970s and 1980s All-Decade teams. Nearing the end of his career, and with his ticket already stamped for entry into the NFL Hall of Fame, Payton finally won a Super Bowl championship in 1987 with the Bears, forever cementing himself in the annals of NFL history.
Emmitt Smith
Barry Sanders
Jim Brown
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Jim Brown
Largely recognized as one of the greatest football players of all time, Jim Brown played nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns in a career shortened by his aspirations to pursue an acting career. In eight of the nine seasons he played in the NFL, he amassed the most rushing yards of any player. He was an absolutely dominating force who carried the Cleveland Browns to a championship in 1964.
Emmitt Smith
Walter Payton
Earl Campbell
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Wilt Chamberlain
Bill Russell
The linchpin of the Boston Celtics dynasty, Bill Russell was key in bringing the team a total of 11 championships in 13 seasons. He had a decade-long rivalry with fellow center Wilt Chamberlain, but often came out on top of his adversary, amassing a whopping 21,620 rebounds or, to put it into perspective, 22.5 per game.
Jerry West
Michael Jordan
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky had a total of 2,857 points playing most of his career with the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings. To put that points total into perspective, if Gretzky didn't score a single goal over the course of his career, he would still be the all-time NHL points leader.
Mark Messier
Sidney Crosby
Mario Lemieux
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Willie Mays
A Giant in baseball, Willie Mays was the first black captain in the Major Leagues, recording 660 home runs, which was eventually eclipsed by his godson, Barry Bonds in 2004. In 2000, he founded the Say Hey Foundation, a charity that supports underprivileged children across the United States of America.
Jackie Robinson
Barry Bonds
Sammy Sosa
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Chris Bosh
LeBron James
A modern-day phenom in the world of basketball, current Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Lebron James has dazzled crowds with his on-court performance, boasting three NBA championships and four MVP honors. He was so touted as a future star, that he received a $90 million contract with Nike before he even stepped onto the professional hard court.
Michael Jordan
Barry Bonds
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Novak Djokovic
Pete Sampras
Roger Federer
A consummate gentleman and dominant force in the tennis world, Roger Federer has won 18 Grand Slam titles, making him the most successful player in the history of tennis. His career earnings have now topped $100 million. He was rated the world's most marketable sports star in 2015.
Andy Murray
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Sammy Sosa
Larry Walker
Barry Bonds
With a whopping 762 home runs to his name, Barry Bonds will likely go down in history as one of the greatest and most controversial players to ever round the MLB bases. Even though he is known for his home run records, Bonds was also an expert at picking his pitches, holding the record for walks as well, with 2,191.
Mark Mcgwire
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
John Stockton
Michael Jordan
ESPN's Athlete of the Century, Michael Jordan took the NBA by storm, collecting six championships, five MVP honours, and six Finals MVP trophies. As a result of his numerous long-standing endorsement deals, and a majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets, Michael Jordan was ranked as the richest athlete in history, with Forbes estimating his total net worth at $1.14 billion.
Lebron James
Scotty Pippen
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Hank Williams
Ted Williams
Ted Williams is the only player in MLB history to be snubbed MVP honours twice after winning Triple Crown honors in 1941 and 1947. Despite serving as an ace pilot in World War II and flying 39 missions in the Korean War, Williams was still able to amass 521 home runs and 2,654 hits over the course of his career.
Babe Ruth
Mickey Mantle
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Jesse Owens
Carl Lewis
Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Carl Lewis is one of the greatest Olympic athletes of all time. Although he was introduced to variety of sports and hobbies at a young age, he found his niche in Track and Field, competing in four Olympic Games and winning an astonishing nine gold medals.
Sammy Sosa
Michael Johnson
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Michael Phelps
Timothy Ferriss
Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong shocked the cycling world when he won the Tour De France in cycling seven consecutive times between 1999 to 2005, all the while conquering testicular cancer and raising substantial funds for cancer research in the process. However, his reputation was tarnished when all of his medals were rescinded and he was disqualified due to illegal doping.
Alberto Cantador
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Usain Bolt
Carl Lewis
Michael Johnson
Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens, U.S-born track star, had one of the greatest sporting achievements of all time: setting three Track and Field world records and tying a fourth in the span of 45 minutes at the 1935 Big Ten Championships. He later became the first American Olympic athlete to capture four gold medals in one tournament, all the while fending off deep-rooted segregation as he competed in Hitler's Nazi Germany.
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Terrell Owens
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods spent a record 281 straight weeks as the world's #1 golfer, shattering previous records and winning 14 majors in the process. In the 2000s, he was one of the most dominant players in any sport, and carried the PGA on his back while becoming one of the highest earning athletes of all time.
Ernie Els
Jack Nicklaus
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Tom Brady
John Elway
Dan Marino
Joe Montana
Joe Montana is considered to be one of the best quarterbacks of all-time, and perhaps the best quarterback of all time under pressure. In his time with the San Francisco 49ers, "Cool Joe" won four Superbowls and was the first player to receive three Super Bowl MVPs.
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Jimmie Foxx
Considered to be one of the hardest hitters in MLB history, Jimmie Foxx smashed 534 career home runs, second only to Babe Ruth when he retired in 1945. He was a farm boy from Maryland when he signed his first professional contract.
Babe Ruth
Bill Dickey
Mark Mcgwire
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Joe Louis
Muhammad Ali
Forever known as one of the most influential and enigmatic athletes of all time, Muhammad Ali captured the World Heavy Weight Championship three times and won an Olympic Gold Medal in 1960. A civil rights champion, poet, and fleet-footed master in the ring, Ali passed away in 2016 after an extended battle with Parkinson's.
George Foreman
Mike Tyson
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Larry Bird
Lebron James
Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson was a prolific point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers for thirteen seasons, earning himself legendary status as he helped his team win five championships in the 1980s. His rivalry with Larry Bird is one of the most famous in all of sports.
Michael Jordan
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus, the leading contender for greatest golfer of all time, won a record of 20 majors over the course of his professional playing career. In 1999, he was rated by Sports Illustrated as the Best Individual Athlete of the 20th Century.
Arnold Palmer
Tiger Woods
Gary Player
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Mickey Mantle
Ace Bailey
Babe Ruth
Lou Gehrig
Little known fact: Gehrig was once offered to the Boston Red Sox for a pittance, but the Red Sox refused. Gehrig went on to win six World Championships with the New York Yankees, hitting a total of 493 home runs over a playing career cut short by ALS. He was also the first baseball player to have his number retired to the rafters.
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Donovan Bailey
Usain Bolt
Clocking in at 9.58 seconds in the 100m sprint, Usain Bolt is the fastest man of all time, and front-runner for the greatest athlete. His 9.58 seconds time is 0.11 seconds faster than the next best (9.68), co-owned by Yohan Blake and Tyson Gay. Little-know fact: In the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Bolt was entirely fueled by McDonald's chicken nuggets.
Yohan Blake
Tyson Gay
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Tom Brady
Still winning championships at the age of 39, Tom Brady is the first quarterback in NFL history to win five Super Bowls. In 2015, he was involved in the infamous scandal "Deflate-gate," was suspended for the first four games of the 2016-2017 season, and then went on to win yet another championship. Little-known fact: Brady grew up a San Francisco 49ers fan.
Joe Montana
Ben Roethlisberger
Drew Brees
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Pele
Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi ranks near the very top of the all-time world's best. A five-time footballer of the year, Messi scored 73 goals in the 2011-2012 season, becoming the highest single-season scoring player in major European football history. Messi retired from international soccer in 2016 after failing to win the World Cup in Brazil.
Wayne Rooney
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Shaun White
Michael Phelps
American-born swimmer, Michael Phelps, has won 13 individual Olympic gold medals, 9 team Olympic gold medals and 27 Olympic medals in total. To truly understand how incredible this is, you need only to understand that the next most-successful Olympic athlete, Larina Latynina, only has 18 total medals.
Ryan Lochte
Grant Hackett
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Muhammad Ali
George Foreman
Evander Holyfield
Mike Tyson
"Iron" Mike Tyson was the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history and possibly the most inspiring boxer to don the gloves since Muhammad Ali. That was until he made several poor choices in the 1990s, derailing his life and his career as a boxing legend. However, Tyson will go down as one of the most powerful punchers in boxing history, and he easily could have been one of the greatest.
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Derek Jeter
Babe Ruth
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle played 18 seasons with the New York Yankees and is regarded by many as the greatest switch hitter in baseball history. Touted as the next Babe Ruth at the time, he started slow in the Majors, but eventually hammered 536 Home Runs and claimed seven World Series titles.
Hank Aaron
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Happy Gilmore
Arnold Palmer
Often credited with bringing the game of golf into the mainstream, Arnold Palmer won a total of seven majors and did particularly well at The Masters, winning four times in stunning fashion. Over the course of his life, Palmer built a financial empire, started a charity for men's prostate cancer after beating the affliction himself, and played in a record 50 consecutive Masters Tournaments over the course of his career.
Jack Nicklaus
Tiger Woods
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Sharing 19 seasons between the Milwaulkee Bucks and LA Lakers, and winning the NBA Championship a whopping six times, Kareem Abdul Jabar holds the NBA record for most career field goals with 15,837. He was also a proficient martial artist under the tutelage of his good friend, Bruce Lee, and starred in Lee's film, "The Game of Death."
Michael Jordan
Magic Johnson
Scotty Pippen
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Derek Jeter
Jackie Robinson
A hero in the world of sport, Jackie Robinson was just too good not to play in the Majors, and he became the first African-American athlete to play on a major sports team. Preoccupied by his football career and his military service in World War II, Robinson didn't make it into the MLB until the age of 28. But in his shortened career, Robinson won over the hearts of the sporting world by slugging 1,518 career hits and winning the 1955 World Series with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Ernie Banks
Sammy Sosa
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Deion Sanders
Never one to shy from the limelight, Deion Sanders was the first NFL cornerback to make $1 million a year, eventually winning two Super Bowl championships with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. He was such a gifted athlete that in September of 1989, Deion Sanders hit a home run with the New York Yankees and then, just fives days later, returned a punt for a touchdown for his NFL team, the Atlanta Falcons.
Willie Brown
Dick Lane
Derek Jeter
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Hank Aaron
Red Grange
Jim Thorpe
Of Native American descent, Jim Thorpe was the star of the 1912 Stockholm, Sweden Olympics, winning two gold medals -- in the decathlon and the pentathlon. His gold medals were later stripped when the Olympic committee discovered he'd been paid by a minor baseball league team, removing his amateur status. Regardless, he became a legend in the United States, drawing huge crowds and popularizing professional football.
Babe Ruth
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Babe Ruth
Joe DiMaggio
Considered to be one of the most consistent hitters in MLB history, Joe DiMaggio received credit for a hit in 56 straight games in 1941 in what many call "baseball's unbreakable record." In ten seasons with the Yankees, he won an amazing nine World Series titles. He was also constantly in the media spotlight due to his relationship -- and then marriage to -- Marilyn Monroe. Reports claim that his last words were "I'll finally get to see Marilyn."
Hank Aaron
Larry Walker
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Venus Williams
Serena Williams
Perhaps one of the greatest female athletes of all time, and certainly one of the greatest female tennis player of all time, Serena Williams has won an astounding 39 Grand Slam Titles, four Olympic gold medals, and over $85 million in career prize money. That money mark tops any other female athlete in history. And she's still going strong to this day, having won her most recent Grand Slam in January of 2017, surpassing fellow tennis legend Steffi Graf for the Open Era lead.
Maria Sharapova
Caroline Wozniacki
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Floyd Mayweather
Joe Louis
Joe Louis, a name he first adopted to hide the fact that he was using his violin-lesson money for boxing lessons instead, was the reigning boxing heavyweight champion for a record-setting 12 years, from 1937-1949. In one of his most memorable fights, he annihilated Max Schmeling in a first round, creating a hero and legend that brought black and white Americans boxing fans together during tumultuous times. Schmeling was a fighter who had been touted by Adolf Hitler as an example of Aryan supremacy,
James Braddock
George Foreman
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe's playing career spanned an amazing 32 seasons, having played 26 in the NHL and another six in the now-defunct WHA (World Hockey Association). He holds the record for most games played with 1,767, and remains to this very day second all-time in goals scored (801), only behind the "Great One," Wayne Gretzky. In hockey, it's considered "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" when a player gets a goal, an assist and a fight in a single game.
Mark Messier
Bobby Orr
Wayne Gretzky
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Michael Jordan
Bill Russel
Wilt Chamberlain
In 1962, Wilt Chamberlain had the best season of his career, scoring an NBA record 100-point game while racking up over 4,000 total points and a 50.4 points per game average. He won two NBA Championships; one in 1967 with the Philadelphia 76ers, and one later in 1972 with the LA Lakers. Little known fact: Chamberlain played basketball with the Harlem Globetrotters, before signing with the Philadelphia Warriors a season later.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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Mickey Mantle
Jackie Robinson
Babe Ruth
Hank Aaron
Hank Aaron electrified Milwaukee when he came onto the scene in 1954, eventually amassing a league record 755 home runs and passing fellow legend, Babe Ruth, in the process. He is featured in one of the two exhibits in the Baseball Hall of Fame that honor individual athletes. The other? Babe Ruth.
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Prince Fielder
Alex Rodriguez
Zack Greinke
Albert Pujols
Currently a member of the Anaheim Angels, Albert Pujols seems to be a lock for the MLB Hall of Fame with 591 homers, almost 3,000 hits and two World Series' already to his name. A perennial all-star in the 2000s, the Dominicano was named Player of the Decade by Sports Illustrated Magazine. Pujols is also a philanthropist. He founded the Pujols Family Foundation which helps those living with Down Syndrome, as well as the impoverished n the Dominican Republic.
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Jerome Bettis
Walter Payton
Emmitt Smith
Barry Sanders
Preferring to take a low profile in both his career and his life, Barry Sanders retired early in 1999, coming up less than 1,500 total yards short of Walter Payton to become the NFL's all-time rusher. Despite his years of individual success, Sanders never once made it to the Super Bowl. Still he was inducted into both the College (Heisman Trophy winner) and NFL Hall of Fame.
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Eli Manning
Tom Brady
Peyton Manning
A master at running a "hurry-up" offense, Peyton Manning is among the greatest quarterbacks to ever grace the football field. Drafted by the Indianapolis Colts and later signed by the Denver Broncos, Peyton holds the records for most career touchdown passes (539), most touchdowns in a single season (59), most passing yards (71,940), and most passing yards in a single season (5,477). He is a member of one of the greatest football families of all time. His father played 15 years. Peyton matched his brother, Eli's, Super Bowl ring count at two.
Ben Roethlisberger
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Michael Johnson
An intelligent, relaxed and enigmatic sprinter, Michael Johnson won four gold medals in the Olympics and eight World Championship golds for the United States. He set (now-broken) records in both the 200m and 400m sprints, and forever left his mark on the game with his confident demeanor and larger-than-life personality. Little known fact: When he was in high school, he was considered a "nerd," dreamed of being an architect, and only ran for "fun" and a means to obtain a university education.
Donovan Bailey
Michael Jordan
Usain Bolt
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Randy Moss
Jerry Rice
Finishing his career at the top of almost everyone's list as the greatest wide receiver to play the game of football, Jerry Rice retired in 2004 with 20 seasons of pro football under his belt. He is considered to be the "standard," having set the all-time bar in receptions (1,549), touchdown catches (197), and total yards (22,895) to go along with his three Super Bowl rings with the San Francisco 49ers.
Troy Aikman
Deion Sanders
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Babe Zaharias
Lolo Jones
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Jackie Joyner-Kersee became famous for her 7,291 point score in the heptathlon, bringing home the gold twice -- in the 1988 and 1992 Olympics. To put that into perspective, she's the only female athlete to ever score above 7,000 points, making her one of the most versatile athletes ever. To top it off, she set records in long jump, claiming gold in 1988, as well as two bronze in 1992 and 1996.
Venus Williams
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Bucky Lasek
Rodney Mullen
Tony Hawk
With over 70 professional skateboarding contests under his belt, Tony Hawk is one of the most successful and popular skaters to ever live. He invented the "900" trick, helped the sport launch to new heights in the mid-90s and won two X Game golds in 1995 and 1997. Hawk has always thrived outside of competitions as well, with a successful line of video games, skateboarding videos and an extreme sports tour. He's also a philanthropist, having started the Tony Hawk Foundation to bring new parks to low-income areas in the United States.
Shaun White
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Michael Jordan
Kobe Bryant
In a class of his own for much of his playing career, Kobe Bryant won five NBA Championships over 20 seasons, all of them with the Los Angeles Lakers. Originally drafted by the Charlotte Hornets, they traded him in 1996 before he even played a game in what is possibly the worst trade in NBA history. He went on to place third on the NBA all-time scoring list, and will forever be known as one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball.
Shaquille O'neal
Lebron James
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What is the name of the great athlete shown in this image?
Bobby Orr
Hands down the best defenseman to ever play the game of hockey, Bobby Orr went on to win eight Norris Trophies (best defenseman) and scored the clinching goal in both the 1970 and 1972 Stanley Cup Finals. He revolutionized his position. Had it not been for his bummed knee, Orr would likely own the all-time record for defensemen points scored. Instead, he only played 657 games over the course of 12 seasons.
Cam Neely
Mark Messier
Paul Coffey
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Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras won his first Grand Slam at the age of 19, defeating both John McEnroe and Andre Agassi enroute to become the U. S. Open's youngest champion ever. Only Rodger Federer has captured more Grand Slam titles (18) than Sampras' 14. In 2002, he retired from tennis on top, defeating his rival, Agassi, in a legendary U. S. Open Final that ended up being his very last professional match.
Roger Federer
Andre Agassi
Rafael Nadal
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