All-Time Top-100 Matrix

Last update: 3/5/25

RankBaseballBasketballFootballGolfHockeyMMAPro WrestlingSoccerTennis
1Barry BondsLeBron JamesTom BradyTiger WoodsWayne GretzkyJon JonesHulk HoganLionel MessiNovak Djokovic
2Babe RuthMichael JordanJerry RiceJack NicklausGordie HoweAnderson SilvaRic FlairCristiano RonaldoRoger Federer
3Willie MaysKareem Abdul-JabbarPeyton ManningPhil MickelsonAlexander OvechkinAlexander Volkanovski“Stone Cold” Steve AustinPeléRafael Nadal
4Roger ClemensShaquille O’NealLawrence TaylorBen HoganMario LemieuxGeorge St-PierreThe UndertakerRobert LewandowskiPete Sampras
5Lou GehrigTim DuncanRay LewisSam SneadBobby OrrKhabib NurmagomedovThe RockGerd MüllerRod Laver
6Randy JohnsonMagic JohnsonEmmitt SmithArnold PalmerSidney CrosbyIlia TopuriaJohn CenaDiego MaradonaBjörn Borg
7Hank AaronKobe BryantAaron RodgersTom WatsonPatrick RoyIslam MakhachevShawn MichaelsZinedine ZidaneJimmy Connors
8Ted WilliamsSteph CurryReggie WhiteGary PlayerConnor McDavidMerab Dvalishvili“Macho Man” Randy SavageAndrés IniestaIvan Lendl
9Greg MadduxKevin DurantBruce SmithBobby JonesJaromir JagrIsrael AdesanyaBret HartJohan CruyffAndre Agassi
10Alex RodriguezLarry BirdAaron DonaldRory McIIroyMark MessierFedor EmelianenkoAndre The GiantKylian MbappéJohn McEnroe
11Mike SchmidtKarl MaloneJoe MontanaErnie ElsMartin BrodeurFrancis NgannouRoman ReignsPaolo MaldiniAndy Murray
12Albert PujolsNikola JokicPatrick MahomesNick FaldoPhil EspositoStipe MiocicBrock LesnarLuka ModrićBoris Becker
13Ty CobbGiannis AntetokounmpoDrew BreesSeve BallesterosNicklas LidstromDaniel CormierLou TheszFranz BeckenbauerStefan Edberg
14Clayton KershawHakeem OlajuwonDeion SandersLee TrevinoRay BourqueLeon EdwardsBuddy RogersRonaldoMats Wilander
15Mike TroutJames HardenAnthony MunozGreg NormanDominik HasekKamaru UsmanBruno SammartinoManuel NeuerPancho Gonzales
16Pedro MartinezDavid RobinsonBrett FavreBrooks KoepkaJean BeliveauAlex PereiraSeth RollinsXaviKen Rosewall
17Justin VerlanderWilt ChamberlainBarry SandersWalter HagenBobby HullKhamzat ChimaevTriple HLuis SuárezBill Tilden
18Rogers HornsbyKawhi LeonardRod WoodsonGene SarazenMaurice RichardHenry CejudoHarley RaceKarim BenzemaJack Kramer
19Mickey MantleKevin GarnettBruce MatthewsByron NelsonGuy LafleurDominick CruzDusty RhodesMichel PlatiniJohn Newcombe
20Stan MusialDirk NowitzkiJJ WattVijay SinghDoug HarveyLyoto MachidaStingMarco van BastenJim Courier
21Walter JohnsonChris PaulJoe GreeneNick PriceJacques PlanteDan HendersonMick FoleySergio RamosDon Budge
22Lefty GroveMoses MaloneAlan PageDustin JohnsonKen DrydenShogun RuaCody RhodesGianluigi BuffonEllsworth Vines
23Mariano RiveraBill RussellDerrick BrooksBernhard LangerGlen HallRobert WhittakerGorgeous GeorgeAlfredo Di StéfanoRoy Emerson
24Max ScherzerCharles BarkleyWalter PaytonBilly CasperStan MikitaDemetrious JohnsonChris JerichoFerenc PuskásArthur Ashe
25Jimmie FoxxJerry WestJim BrownRaymond FloydBobby ClarkeMax HollowayKurt AngleHarry KaneIlie Năstase
26Tom SeaverJulius ErvingRonnie LottScottie SchefflerEvgeni MalkinDustin PoirierRandy OrtonThierry HenryGuillermo Vilas
27Manny RamirezDwyane WadeEd ReedJordan SpiethEddie ShoreFabricio WerdumTed DiBiaseBobby CharltonStan Wawrinka
28Rickey HendersonRick BarryMarshall FaulkBen CrenshawJoe SakicRampage JacksonRoddy PiperEusébioCarlos Alcaraz
29Miguel CabreraOscar RobertsonLaDainian TomlinsonHale IrwinPatrick KaneChuck LiddellTerry FunkLothar MatthäusJannik Sinner
30Warren SpahnJohn StocktonRandy MossPayne StewartNikita KucherovRandy CoutureDaniel BryanRonaldinhoDaniil Medvedev
31Joe DiMaggioAnthony DavisTerrell OwensXander SchauffeleSteve YzermanMatt HughesEdgeIker CasillasLleyton Hewitt
32Christy MathewsonRussell WestbrookSteve YoungPádraig HarringtonBryan TrottierAlistair OvereemScott HallZlatan IbrahimovićAndy Roddick
33Ken Griffey Jr.Steve NashTravis KelceJon RahmBrett HullCharles OliveiraRicky “The Dragon” SteamboatKarl-Heinz RummeniggeMarat Safin
34Frank RobinsonJoel EmbiidMike SingletaryJustin ThomasErik KarlssonConor McGregorNick BockwinkelToni KroosPatrick Rafter
35David OrtizGary PaytonRandy WhiteSergio GarciaPaul CoffeyJose AldoJake “The Snake” RobertsRoberto CarlosGustavo Kuerten
36Frank ThomasScottie PippenCharles WoodsonJason DayChris CheliosDricus Du PlessisKaneMohamed SalahRené Lacoste
37Reggie JacksonAdrian DantleyRob GronkowskiJustin RoseDenis PotvinBelal MuhammadJerry “The King” LawlerKevin DeBruyneHenri Cochet
38Bob GibsonDamian LillardTJ WattAdam ScottAndrei VasilevskiyFrank ShamrockAJ StylesGarrinchaHans Nüsslein
39Johnny BenchClyde DrexlerChamp BaileyJulius BorosMike BossyRoyce GracieJohn MoxleyNeymarGottfried von Cramm
40Sandy KoufaxLuka DoncicJonathan OgdenHarry VardonHowie MorenzRashad EvansBob BacklundRoberto BaggioGoran Ivanišević
41Willie StargellGeorge GervinJohn ElwayJohn Henry TaylorTerry SawchukTito OrtizThe Big ShowRomárioJuan Carlos Ferrero
42Mel OttJimmy ButlerJunior SeauJames BraidAl MacInnisWanderlei Silva“Superstar” Billy GrahamFranco BaresiThomas Muster
43Cy YoungTony ParkerRandall McDanielJosé María OlazábalLarry RobinsonAljamain SterlingMr. PefectFrancesco TottiYevgeny Kafelnikov
44Tris SpeakerJason KiddJack LambertJohnny MillerJari KurriBrandon MorenoCM PunkRaúlCarlos Moyá
45Jim PalmerWalt FrazierAdrian PetersonLarry NelsonNathan MacKinnonCain VelasquezChris BenoitPhilipp LahmJuan Martin Del Potro
46Steve CarltonJohn HavlicekEric DickersonDavis Love IIIRed KellyAntonio Rodrigo NogueiraBig Van VaderDani AlvesMichael Chang
47Honus WagnerReggie MillerJohn HannahFred CouplesPierre PiloteJunior dos SantosDory Funk Jr.Carles PuyolDominic Thiem
48Chipper JonesDwight HowardLarry AllenJim FurykSergei FedorovChris WeidmanJack BriscoLuís FigoMichael Stich
49George BrettRudy GobertWillie RoafCary MiddlecoffPeter ForsbergKen ShamrockBruiser BrodyLev YashinJaroslav Drobný
50Carl YastrzemskiPatrick EwingKen HoustonLanny WadkinsPatrice BergeronBas RuttenPedro MoralesRivaldoPancho Segura
51Curt SchillingPaul GeorgeWalter JonesTom KiteAuston MatthewsRickson GracieKevin NashThomas MüllerBobby Riggs
52Joe MorganPaul PierceMichael StrahanTom WeiskopfLeon DraisaitlAnthony JohnsonDrew McIntyreRuud GullitSergi Bruguera
53Pete AlexanderPau GasolDerrick HenryReteif GoosenChris ProngerVitor BelfortRick RudePaolo RossiTony Roche
54Pete RoseRay AllenJack HamLouis OosthuizenBrian LeetchJake ShieldsThe Ultimate WarriorMario KempesStan Smith
55Derek JeterAllen IversonWarren SappHenrik StensonCyclone TaylorForrest GriffinVern GagneGiuseppe MeazzaJan Kodeš
56Yogi BerraIsiah ThomasVon MillerLee WestwoodNewsy LalondeGlover TeixeiraThe MizMarceloFred Perry
57Jeff BagwellKyrie IrvingJohn RandleMartin KaymerJoe MaloneJustin GaethjeStan HansenHugo SánchezLew Hoad
58Jim ThomeDominique WilkinsMarvin HarrisonDavid DuvalTeemu SelanneVadim NemkovJimmy SnukaAlan ShearerTony Trabert
59Vladimir GuerreroManu GinobiliLamar JacksonSteve ElkingtonScott StevensRyan BaderDick the BruiserAndriy SchevchenkoFrank Sedgman
60Mike PiazzaBob McAdooDan MarinoJustin LeonardJarome IginlaPhil DavisRay StevensKakáStefanos Tsitsipas
61Tom GlavineWillis ReedMike WebsterHubert GreenSteve StamkosFrankie EdgarBooker T.Andrea PirloAlexander Zverev
62Gaylord PerryDave CowensWill ShieldsCurtis StrangeEd BelfourMirko Cro CopRey MysterioBobby MooreJack Crawford
63John SmoltzChauncey BillupsDarrelle RevisMark O’MearaTed LindsayRicardo AronaDDPErling HaalandDavid Ferrer
64Roy HalladayChris WebberDeMarcus WareIan WoosnamMarcel DionneGegard MousasiKevin OwensSteven GerrardTomáš Berdych
65Cal Ripken Jr.Dikembe MutomboAlan FanecaFuzzy ZoellerScott NiedermayerAntonio Rogerio NogueiraThe SheikFranck RibéryYannick Noah
66Nolan RyanAlonzo MourningGino MarchettiTom LehmanZdeno CharaKazushi SakurabaJeff HardyÁngel Di MaríaVitus Gerulaitis
67Gary SheffieldKevin McHaleBobby WagnerCollin MorikawaDuncan KeithTJ DillashawEddie GuerreroVirgil van DijkPat Cash
68Whitey FordJames WorthyBob LillyBubba WatsonAnze KopitarJosh BarnettKenny OmegaAlessandro NestaJean Borotra
69Eddie MathewsAlex EnglishJohnny UnitasBryson DeChambeauBrad ParkMasakatsu FunakiGoldbergLilian ThuramLaurence Doherty
70Johan SantanaTracy McGradyDeacon JonesZach JohnsonBernie GeoffrionCyril GaneLex LugerRuud van NistelrooyJo-Wilfried Tsonga
71Wade BoggsBernard KingMerlin OlsenAngel CabreraBernie ParentDeiveson FigueiredoBam Bam BigelowCafuDavid Nalbandian
72Al KalineCarmelo AnthonyMel BlountSandy LyleBill DurnanJan BlachowiczEd “the Strangler” LewisJosé Manuel MorenoManuel Orantes
73Roberto ClementeLarry NanceJoe ThomasLee JanzenJoe ThorntonMark ColemanAbdullah the ButcherEdinson CavaniMiloslav Mečíř
74Harmen KillebrewDennis RodmanBrian DawkinsDavid GrahamDoug GilmourYoel RomeroKerry Von ErichSergio AgüeroMarcelo Ríos
75Ernie BanksElgin BaylorBrian UrlacherJerry PateTed KennedyNick DiazBray WyattSamuel Eto’oBudge Patty
76Carl HubbellBen WallaceTed HendricksDave StocktonDrew DoughtyBJ PennBatistaGonzalo HiguaínTom Okker
77Hal NewhouserElvin HayesForrest GreggPaul AzingerTony EspositoTyron WoodleyBobby LashleyAlessandro Del PieroPetr Korda
78Mark McGwireGeorge MikanLarry FitzgeraldHal SuttonFrank MahovlichAlexandre PantojaGuntherGerard PiquéTim Henman
79Willie McCoveyBob PettitOJ SimpsonLeo DiegelNels StewartJiri ProchazkaScott SteinerGeorge BestWilliam Larned
80Tony GwynnJayson TatumEarl CampbellJimmy DemaretElmer LachLuke RockholdThe British BulldogMiroslav KloseTommy Haas
81Rod CarewJaylen BrownOtto GrahamDenny ShuteHenrik LundqvistJacare SouzaSgt. SlaughterPavel NedvědKei Nishikori
82Sammy SosaKarl-Anthony TownsTony GonzalezTony JacklinSergei BobrovskyStephen ThompsonGoldustDaniel PassarellaAlex Corretja
83Bob FellerDomantas SabonisJulius PeppersColin MontgomeriePavel DatsyukEddie AlvarezMJFAntoine GriezmannCasper Ruud
84Robin RobertsDevin BookerMike HaynesLuke DonaldMartin St. LouisRich FranklinSami ZaynGareth BaleMarin Čilić
85Ferguson JenkinsJoe DumarsJason TaylorCraig WoodEric LindrosRafael dos AnjosRVDWayne RooneyAnthony Wilding
86Hank GreenbergWes UnseldJosh AllenRalph GuldahlRon FrancisPatricio PitbullRick MartelImmobileRichard Krajicek
87Johnny MizeArtis GilmoreMyles GarrettIan PoulterBilly SmithMagomed AnkalaevRick SteinerPeter SchmeichelGuillermo Coria
88Nap LajoieLaMarcus AldridgeTroy PolamaluRickie FowlerLuc RobitailleArman TsarukyanJey UsoPetr ČechNikolay Davydenko
89Adrian BeltreAmar’e StoudemireJack YoungbloodHideki MatsuyamaRoberto LuongoSean O’MalleyArn AndersonMarcel DesaillyThomas Enqvist
90Brooks RobinsonChris BoshKevin GreeneMatt KucharTim ThomasSean StricklandSabuZicoMilos Raonic
91Rafael PalmeiroBob CousyLuke KuechlyTommy FleetwoodRod LangawayPetr YanRon SimmonsOliver KahnAndrés Gimeno
92Eddie MurrayVince CarterDick “Night Train” LaneCorey PavinDickie MooreMichael ChandlerKiller KowalskiPaul BreitnerAndrés Gómez
93Paul MolitorChris MullinDick ButkusDarren ClarkePavel BureColby CovingtonRoad Warrior HawkOleg BlokhinAdriano Panatta
94Freddie FreemanDennis JohnsonSammy BaughStewart CinkAndy BathgateTony FergusonDynamite KidGordon BanksAndrei Medvedev
95Pudge RodriguezBradley BealRussell WilsonPeter ThomsonJohnny BowerAnthony PettisTerry GordyKevin KeeganAndrey Rublev
96Dennis EckersleyMitch RichmondChuck BednarikSteve StrickerMilt SchmidtBenson HendersonJBLFabio CannavaroGrigor Dimitrov
97Joey VottoTim HardawayJoe SchmidtCraig StadlerSyl AppsRobbie LawlerThe CrusherJean-Pierre PapinTodd Martin
98IchiroTiny ArchibaldJulio JonesAndy NorthBill CookRory MacDonaldWahoo McDanielRaymond KopaWayne Ferreira
99Gary CarterSidney MoncriefAntonio BrownJohn DalyFrank NighborFrank MirOwen HartGeorge WeahCédric Pioline
100Edgar MartinezPaul ArizinTerry BradshawDavid TomsCharlie ConacherNate MarquardtGene KiniskiGiacinto FachettiRobin Söderling

3 thoughts on “All-Time Top-100 Matrix

  1. Magic Johnson moved down 2 spots on the basketball top 100 list. Nikola Jokic is 12 on the basketball list, but 60 here. What did you update?

    1. Hey Nic,

      You found an Easter egg. That is a sneak peak of some of the changes to the basketball list after the NBA season.

      As for Ovechkin, the move to #2 came after my last update to this list.

      1. Hey Nic,

        Update: Apologies. I thought this comment that you left was on the All-time, All-time list. That list has a few potential Easter eggs on some basketball movement that will happen in July. The basketball list that you’re referring to on this list (the matrix) was an outdated list that somehow made it’s way onto the published version. I have updated it and it has the current basketball list, now.

Leave a Reply

Hi (hopefully) awesome reader! I welcome your comments. However, please be aware that I make all of my arguments using facts, statistics, and logic. Unfortunately, the average comment on a top-100 list goes something like this:

"UR StooPid. (Insert player) is trash. I've watched (pick a sport) for (pick a number of years) and (pick a player) is better than everyone. UR DUMB. HAHA6969."

–Some Jabroni

As cognitively stimulating as this species of comment is, it ends up being a missed opportunity to share a nuanced perspective. I reply to all comments that show even the most basic levels of thought and humility. The people who make the comments like the example above are under the assumption that the three seconds of thought that popped into their brains after reading the list is more than the 1000s of hours that I put into creating and maintaining the lists. I would be happy to defend any placement, or make an adjustment if one is warranted. If you are a jabroni, like the one above, then your comment will die in the lonely void of the unpublished comments section.

For everyone else, I look forward to your comments!

P.S. The theme of this site and the top-100 lists is that athletes from previous generations have historically been grossly overrated by sports publications in a way that is statistically improbable. Click on the "About" dropdown menu to see just how badly the average top-100 list disproportionately favors athletes from older generations when leagues were smaller, race quotas existed, and globalization wasn't a thing. Also, please consider reading "The History" section of the sport you are commenting on.

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