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There are many arguments about the Jordan vs. LeBron topic. So many people have weighed in on this that it has become the # 1 debated basketball issue of the last several years.First we have to establish that two modes of thought must take priority .A. There will probably never be a definitive answer to this debate concerning who the GOAT is. Older fans and players may prefer Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, or Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Younger generations may choose Kobe, LeBron, or some future player. Different eras, different rules, and different emphasis on various aspects of the game, like 3 pointers, zones, etc. make it very difficult, and maybe impossible to decide who is the greatest. Then there are differences in roles, positions, pay, and other things which complicate matters further.B. Before we can decide who the greatest is, if there is such a person, we need to establish some criteria. In another post, I listed 12–13 measurements of greatness. I have since condensed this list to 10, and they may not be the same measurements, because my thinking has evolved on this issue.These are the common denominators in any sport that determine who is at or near the top of all-time greatest lists.Certificate of Achievement— A player’s body of work is always going to be directly tied to their career greatness. An athlete’s accomplishments comprise the greatest part of the measuring stick of their potential. So, let’s look at the accomplishments of Jordan and LeBron.Scoring achievements—Jordan has 10 scoring titles and the highest scoring average in NBA history. (I am assuming that we can accept the NBA as the upper echelon of basketball talent.) One scoring title usually means one has the ability to score at will and can put up many seasons averaging in the upper 20s and even low 30s. LeBron has won a scoring title, but was not called upon to score as much as Jordan. Jordan’s 10 scoring titles alone would put him in the Hall of Fame and likely cement his place atop the greatest scorers in the game, but his 30.1 points per game besting the great Wilt Chamberlain as well as his leading all NBA players in playoff scoring average set him head and shoulders above everyone else.LeBron is no joke in the scoring department either. He is in the top 4 all time in scoring average and is seriously considered as the greatest threat to Kareem’s all-time scoring mark since Jordan. However, we do need to make a distinction, because when you are debating who is the GOAT, it is the little things that matter, little distinctions or awards here, little detractions or knocks against you there, etc. It is debated who was a more efficient scorer.Supporters of Jordan say he averaged more and has more scoring titles so he is greater. LeBron proponents claim that it took Jordan more shots to get his average and overall total than it did LeBron, so LeBron is the more efficient scorer. His true field goal percentage is also higher than Jordan’s. Both guys hovered around 50% in classic fg%, with LeBron being slightly more accurate at 50.4, while Jordan was 49.7%. Really close. I am of the opinion that whenever scoring is discussed, and any other category for that matter, context is key. What Jordan or LeBron does in a vacuum means very little until understood within a broader framework.Scoring guards tend to shoot farther from the goal so they are not going to have field goal percentages as high as centers and forwards. Jordan, being a shooting guard, is going to shoot more, and also be forced to shoot farther away from the goal. LeBron, for his part, is going to shoot from much farther in. For his career, the bulk of his shots (46%) have come from 0–3ft. away. We are talking dunks, layups, and putbacks. He is shooting well over 70% within that range, which is highly efficient. Jordan has no comparative data for the bulk of his career, but he was one of the best finishers in the game and arguably one of the 2–3 greatest dunkers of all time, so we can assume he was efficient as well, but there is something interesting I noticed in studying the two athletes’ scoring as they got away from the point blank range. Jordan’s average dropped. LeBron’s plummeted. I say this making the assumption that Jordan’s field goal percentage was much higher during his prime. LeBron’s is around 35% beyond the 3ft range. In playoff games and in 4th quarter situations, it drops to around 31%.The only data we have for Jordan was the last year of his career, when as a 40 year old, he averaged 42% from beyond the 3 foot mark. That’s not great, but it bests even LeBron’s prime numbers. It should be noted that even during his prime, teams would back up on the King to let him shoot the mid-range shot or the 3 which he could not hit with reliability. No team in its right mind would dream of doing that to Jordan. Dennis Rodman, a defensive specialist for the Detroit Pistons at the time, would have two hands on Jordan out beyond the 3 point arc. LeBron’s 3 point shot (34%), is below the league average (35%). Jordan, who played in an era when the 3 wasn’t nearly as important, averaged 33% in a league in which the average was 33%. So, for his time, Jordan wasn’t great and he wasn’t terrible. I would say he was just slightly above average only because of two reasons. First, his most iconic shots were near or beyond the 3 point mark. Secondly, he broke a record in a Finals half for 3 pointers made, with 6.Finally, look at both men’s scoring accuracy when no one is guarding either of them. I’m talking about the free throw line. Jordan is a career 84% shooter. LeBron is around 72%, the lowest for a non-center who is in the pantheon.You’re so Defensive— This is one area many people get confused about. Some will say Jordan is better, just because he won Defensive Player of the Year, but that is not enough. One award, even one as great as DPOY, is not enough to give him the edge for his career. Some will say that LeBron was the more versatile defender. That doesn’t make him better either. Golden Corral may have a more versatile menu than Ruth’s Chris, but that does not make it a better restaurant.What we need is context. Who played at an elite or near elite level on defense for the majority of their career? Certainly, Michael Jordan’s Defensive Player of the Year award was him at his best and the league’s best. LeBron has never won that award, but he has come close. When all is said and done, we will be able to take better measure, but as of right now, Michael Jordan has 10 defensive selections, with 9-1st team selections. That means he was the best or second best at his position for 10 of the 15 years he played! LeBron has 6 defensive selections with 5–1st team selections. Nothing to sneeze at either, but not on Jordan’s level. Also, LeBron has led his team in defensive win shares 4 times. Jordan has led his Bulls teams in defensive win shares 10 times.Bill Simmons is a sports analyst who wrote a book some years back called, The Book of Basketball discussing the 100 greatest basketball players which he has placed in categories or pyramids. The highest pyramid is called the Pantheon. Simmons created a new statistic that combines steals and blocks together to determine their overall impact on the game. He calls his new stat, “stocks”. Michael Jordan is the highest stocks player in history. Hakeem and others do quite well in this unique category. The reason it is important is because it reflects the stats of two different types of athletes on defense. The whippet-quick speedy guards that pile up the steals, and the lanky, springy forwards that have the wing span to blanket the offense and snuff out shots with blocks. NO player combines those two singular gifts quite like Michael Jordan. He was the first basketball player to get over 200 steals and 100 blocks in the same season, then duplicated that feat.Is LeBron a great defender? He was for the first part of his career. He has shown that he could lock up nearly anyone that he was motivated to stop. A defensively locked-in LeBron, over his career, would be a threat to best anyone on defense— Hakeem The Dream, Pippen, Rodman, and even Jordan. And he can guard all 5 positions. However, LeBron has not maintained that elite status throughout his career. Over the last several years, he has not only dropped from the upper echelon of defenders, he has become a liability. He has scored near the bottom of the league in defensive rating and defensive win shares for the last 3 years straight. And he has rarely guarded all five positions. For comparison, Michael Jordan never was a poor defender. Even when he was around LeBron’s age, he was winning 1st team all defense. Remember, this is comparing each player to others in his era. So, LeBron faced several defenders that were equal to him or superior. Kobe Bryant was a better overall long term defender than LeBron. So was Bruce Bowen, Kevin Garnett, and Gary Payton. I believe Scottie Pippen was, as well. None of those guys was better than Jordan on defense. What’s fascinating is that most of those guys who played against both MJ and LeBron will say that MJ was better on defense. So, Jordan is better at scoring and defense.MVPs— The Most Valuable Player award is the one thing in the NBA and most sports that comes closest to naming the best current player in the sport. The guys who won the most, rightly deserve a place in the pantheon, right at the top of the league. Kareem leads everyone with 6 regular season MVPs. Jordan and Russell are tied for second, with 5. Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James are tied for 3rd with 4. Magic, Larry Bird, and Moses Malone have 3. A host of players have 2. An argument could be made that the award is subject to bias, as many guys have likely been robbed, including Jordan, Kobe, Shaq, and LeBron. But winning the award multiple times will place you very high on the all-time list, especially if you pass the 2-MVP threshold. An exception is Moses Malone, who won 3 MVPs but is rarely talked about.Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson all battled for league supremacy, along with Moses Malone, Charles Barkley, and Karl Malone. None of those guys I mentioned are worse than 20th of all time. In fact, Kareem, Magic, and Larry are all in the top 6–7 all time! The idea that Jordan didn’t play against anyone that great is hilariously false. The 10 greatest NBA players of all time, by consensus, will include Kareem, Magic, Larry Bird, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaq, and Hakeem. Jordan played against 7 of those 10 players!At this elite level, all-star selections, all-NBA selections and other MVPS tend to be more a product of how long each athlete wants to play rather than whether they are qualified. LeBron will have a few more selections because he played longer. Some will argue that a longer career is a better career. If LeBron keeps plugging away and collects a few more MVPs, all-stars, and rings, then that may change the perception, but for now, Jordan has the edge. He leads LeBron in MVPs, 5–4, Finals MVPs, 6–3, and total MVPs (reg. season, finals, and all-star MVPS) with 14, which is the most in NBA history. LeBron is second, with 10 total MVPs, followed by Kareem, with 8. Jordan has 6 championships to LeBron’s 3. LeBron has had the fourth highest number of opportunities to play in an NBA Finals. Throughout most of his career, LeBron has also played in the Leastern Conference, so nicknamed because it was not as competitive as the Western Conference. LeBron’s East has lost 2 thirds of its titles to the West in LeBron’s career.Jordan’s number of awards, selections, etc. look even more impressive when you consider that he did much of this in only about 11–12 years time.2. Durability/Longevity— As easily as Michael owns the accomplishments argument, so does LeBron take the durability argument. If ever there was a human being who operated as a machine, it’s LeBron. Until a year ago, he had never been seriously injured at any point of his career. He is in his 17th year with only marginal signs of letup. He doesn’t have the energy or the hops he used to, but he is far superior to many other players in only their 13 or 14th seasons. He is highly disciplined and maintains a strict health and exercise regimen.Jordan is not exactly a wimp, though. He had the second year foot injury and he retired twice, but when he played, he played hard and he played the whole game. Michael Jordan almost always played the entire 82 game season, whereas LeBron has only rarely played a full season. So, both men are very durable, suffering only one main injury in their entire careers. Still, LeBron takes this because not only did he have a longer career, his peak has carried farther. Jordan was in his peak for 10–11 years. LeBron is not in his peak, but he just left it, so maybe 15 years. Outside of the year he broke his foot, Jordan has been remarkably durable.This durability of Jordan’s may be what keeps LeBron from being able to overtake him, unlike other great players. Even still,The score is tied. One to Jordan for accomplishments. One to LeBron for durability/longevity. When it’s all said and done, Jordan’s proximity to LeBron in this area will help to settle this whole issue decisively.3. Lies and Statistics/Analytics— This one gets a little more complicated because we need to explain the reasoning behind certain stats or analytics before we can truly understand each athlete’s place. We have to give context because anyone can lie with stats. Most people who debate the abilities and greatness of players typically use the standard statistics, of which there are 8. These include:ScoringAssistsReboundsFree ThrowsStealsBlocksField goal percentageTurnoversIn a head-to-head comparison, Jordan leads LeBron in 5 of these categories—scoring, free throws, steals, blocks, and (fewer) turnovers. LeBron leads in 3—assists, rebounds, and field goal percentage. But we need to give this comparison more context. Just as we had to break up the scoring so we could better understand the statistics, we need to do so here. For example, we can look at Jordan’s scoring average and think that because he outscored LeBron for their respective careers, that he was the better scorer. That is not necessarily true, but we demonstrated why Jordan was better. He performed much better with respect to his position than did LeBron. In fact, it does no good to compare MJ apples to LeBron oranges. We need to compare them to others at their positions throughout the eras that the NBA has been in existence. Why?Because otherwise, we will assume that stats will prove who is better when they may not. For example, in the 2018–2019 NBA season, Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 5.9 assists per game. Giannis is primarily a power forward, but also plays shooting and point guard, so he’s a stretch 4. Darren Collison, a point guard with the Indiana Pacers averaged 6.0 assists per game within the same time frame. So, since he averaged a tenth of an assist more than Giannis, does that make him better? No. A point guard can facilitate and get assists more easily than any other player. He is in a much better position to find the open man, in more cases than Giannis, yet Giannis is in a statistical dead heat with Collison. So, we really need to compare each player to others within their primary position. Giannis is one of the 3–4 best passing big men in the league. Darren Collison is a solid, but average assists man. Giannis is most likely the better passer.When we do this with Jordan and LeBron, we can see that they both are very impressive, but one guy is clearly superior:Jordan compared to other shooting guards (all-time) :Points—1stAssists—4thRebounds—3rdSteals—3rdBlocks—3rdField goal %—9thFree throw %—34thLeBron compared to other small forwards:Points—2ndAssists—1stRebounds—12thSteals—9thBlocks—17thField goal %—17thFree throw %— 107thPut in context both men are very impressive, indeed. But Jordan is clearly on another level. He put much more distance between himself and other shooting guards than did LeBron versus other small forwards. So, whether we consider the classic 8 category comparison, Jordan wins 5–3, or whether we put it in context, he wins. The only category in which LeBron does better with others in his position, than Jordan does, is assists.Now, we could do analytics, but I am afraid that this would just skew Jordan’s way as well, but let’s try it. John Hollinger created a metric that attempts to determine the most efficient athletes in the game. It’s called Player Efficiency Rating, or PER. It condenses all of a players positive and negatives into one number. A player’s points, assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks are added up, minus his missed field goals, missed free throws, and turnovers. This number is then divided by games played to figure a player’s PER. Michael Jordan is the first player to record a PER of 30 or higher, with an ending career PER of 27.91, the highest in NBA history. LeBron’s is second, with 27.52. Update: (LeBron’s career PER has dropped slightly from 27.52)A different metric is that of Box Plus/Minus. LeBron was leading Jordan for 1st all-time. Jordan was a close second until Russell Westbrook had a season that broke the Box Plus/Minus model. The creator of this analytic realized that something was wrong. Westbrook got a score that blew everyone in NBA history away by a huge margin, making him the greatest of all time. Yeah, right. He’s great, but he’s not the GOAT, at least not at this stage in his career. So, some adjustments were made and guys like John Stockton who were being shortchanged, got a little more respect. Jordan, for his part, slid into the driver’s seat with a number one all-time Box Plus/Minus score of 7.2, to LeBron’s 7.1.Value Over Replacement is yet another metric created to give a different perspective for finding the most elite players in the league. It compares a player’s value to their team with a replacement or average player. It is a cumulative metric, in that its value is measured over time. It attempts to determine a player’s value over another replacement player. Again, Jordan and LeBron rise to the top of the NBA heap. LeBron has a higher VORP than Jordan, but Jordan has more of the highest seasons ever recorded, (6 out of the top 9) than Lebron. Overall, the aggregate value in these metrics favor Jordan over LeBron slightly. But slightly is enough to give him the nod in the statistics/metrics category.One last thing about a specific category is concerning rebounding. Jordan averaged more offensive rebounds, but LeBron averaged a little over one more defensive rebounds. This has to do with two things. One is his position relative to when opponents shoot the ball. The second is transition defense. Many coaches tell guys not to go for offensive rebounds, so that stat is lower than it has been in years. On the other hand, teams are setting records for defensive rebounds because every body on the shooting team is trying to get back in transition. Teams that shoot the ball are conceding the rebound. This means it is far easier to get rebounds because no one is fighting you for it anymore but your own teammates.That makes it easier to understand why LeBron just gets one more rebound and some change over Jordan. Why there is not a greater disparity speaks to the commitment Jordan had as being one of the best rebounding guards in NBA history.4. Championship mettle— The object of the game is to win by outscoring your opponent, and wow! Have both men ever done that! LeBron is one of just a handful of players who has played for a championship 9 times or more. That is just a great run in any era vs. any opponent. And he was always the focal point of those teams who played for titles. LeBron won three of those bad boys and he won the Finals MVP every time. But Michael Jordan, a champion of champions, doubled the King’s output, making it to 6 Finals and winning all 6 times. Jordan also was not merely a role player. He wasn’t even the sidekick or second man. In every one of those championships, he was the most important player, like LeBron, the game changer. Jordan was always the best player on the floor. This is not only true in Finals series, but throughout the playoffs. And he is undefeated in Finals series. To add to that, he never got taken to a Finals Game 7. By contrast, LeBron has struggled in all of his Finals except one. He hasn’t won often and he hasn’t even always been the best player on the floor. In fact, LeBron’s record in Finals series is 3–6. He has lost two thirds of the Finals he has played in!LeBron has had some amazing games where he was sensational, like against Detroit in 2007, again in 2016 against Golden State, and against the Thunder in 2012. But he has also had games where he left his own fans wondering if he forgot how to play basketball, like against Boston in 2010, against Dallas in 2011, and against Golden state in 2019. He has gotten swept twice and has experienced the wrong side of the most lopsided Finals ever, when the aging San Antonio Spurs gave his super team Heat a spanking they will never forget. Particularly, against Dallas, LeBron showed a side of him that was especially disturbing. He completely disappeared in Games 4, 5, and 6. I don’t mean he merely had a bad shooting night, but a hideous series. He was a non-factor. Game 4 was especially bad. LeBron scored a whopping 8 points and got 4 turnovers.This wasn’t him struggling against a juggernaut like Golden State. His Miami Heat were favored to beat the Mavericks and had actually taken a 2–1 lead on them when LeBron had his meltdown. I saw a couple of things in that series that have plagued LeBron on and off throughout his career.First, he was afraid to touch the ball. He didn’t want to get the ball in crucial situations and he didn’t want to get fouled. He was playing “Hot Potato” with his teammates!Secondly, I listened to what the commentators were saying about his opponents. His lack of conviction in playing caused J.J. Barrea to become a hero. He was credited with doing a phenomenal job on the great LeBron James. And when the commentator, who was none other than Magic Johnson, mentioned that LeBron was going to have to find a way to stop Jason Terry, I knew a major flaw had just been exposed in the King’s game. How was he going to stop Jason Terry????!!! Jason Terry was a 33 year old coming off the bench!This is the same guy, LeBron, who was considered a defensive stopper with multiple all-NBA defensive selections and had locked up the league’s MVP, Derek Rose, just a few weeks prior, in the playoffs. He was also, himself, a 2-time league MVP, scoring champ, and had participated in the Finals a few years before hand. So, this wasn’t his first rodeo. He was considered the best player in the league, but right then, he wasn’t even the best player on his team! Show me a series in Jordan’s playoff or Finals career where he wasn’t the best player on his team and on the floor. You will never find it. You might argue that Larry Bird was even with him in 1985–86, but that’s it. There was never a Dallas in Jordan’s resume. That’s crucial because when you are talking about the greatest of all time, even little things mean a lot. This isn’t little. Jordan never struggled mentally, from the standpoint of conveying the idea that he wasn’t up to the challenge. You can see when LeBron is beaten. He shows it in his posture, his downcast eyes. He gives the impression sometimes, against great competition, that he has thrown in the towel. Jordan, by contrast, was the champion of champions. His incredible athletic ability was matched only by his otherworldly competitiveness to produce a player who was a man’s man, a giant among mortals. Jordan wins the championship mettle category handily over LeBron.5. Still Super Without the Cape— Some people say that Jordan didn’t win anything without Pippen, that his vaunted exploits and great feats were dimmed by the fact that he could do nothing worthy of a championship until he had Scottie on his team. He was 1–9 in the playoffs without Scottie.That’s interesting, because of all the different versions of Jordan that exist, this ring-less one is actually my favorite. He showed the full range of who he was an individual performer. Scoring titles. Check. Defensive Player of the year. Check. Dunk championship. Check. MVP. Check. Led his team in steals. Check. Assists. Check. This was the Jordan that made basketball a global sport and made it ok for guys to have a shoe fetish. 80s Jordan was in his prime and would decimate anyone in today’s game, in or out of their prime. He took the #1 Boston Celtics into 2 overtimes before finally bowing out. His 63 point performance in that playoff series has never been broken, and had only been done once before in history, by the great Elgin Baylor.To this day, only Elgin Baylor (61) and Michael Jordan (63) have ever scored 60 points or more in a playoff game. This is because you play the more elite teams in the playoffs and finals and it’s very difficult to put up great numbers against teams that can focus on you defensively every other night. Jordan did it against the best defense in the league and one of the greatest teams ever assembled. With no help.Not only did Jordan take on the immortal Celtics, prompting Larry Bird to call him “God disguised as Michael Jordan”, but he would put the team on his back and give the Bad Boys of Detroit nightmares. These teams could both beat anyone in this current era, if using 1980′s rules. Jordan didn’t have the benefit of refs enforcing “no hand check rules”. Dennis Rodman could have both hands on him out beyond the 3 point arc, and often did. Jordan couldn’t shake some of these guys because they could check him in his mid section, which is a part of your body that has to be free in order to cross people over.Also, Jordan played injured and sick. When he took on the Jazz, he was suffering flu-like symptoms, but still put in a 38 pt. performance, then was half-carried off the court by Scottie Pippen.Even when his shot wasn’t falling as easily, Jordan found a way to win. He didn’t have to take the last shot, or even be the leading scorer. He scored 22 points one time against the Knicks, which was low for him, but his defense, assists, and rebounds kicked it up a notch and they cruised to an easy win. When guys on his team made bone-headed mistakes, he just played harder. When LeBron’s teammate, J.R. Smith, lost track of time and frittered away a chance to win the game in regulation in Game 1, 2018 Finals, LeBron lost his nerve. He went into a rant and fell apart. He had been amazing up until that point, and even had given Cleveland the lead and a chance to steal home court advantage against the Golden State juggernaut, with a 49 point outburst.But little things sometimes get under LeBron’s skin and he went ice cold in overtime, not scoring but one time. Let me clarify. He didn’t score, not because he kept missing. I could live with, and respect that. He didn’t take a shot until the halfway mark of the overtime session! We don’t even have to make a comparison with Jordan here. There are few all-time greats that would have invested that much of themselves into winning a game, then just vanished into thin air with the game on the line. That has become a recurring theme with LeBron. And because of the frequency of times it has occurred, it has fatally hurt his GOAT chances, especially in a comparison with Jordan, who was so killer, that this was like, his greatest strength.On the other hand, if all we ever knew of LeBron, was this side of him, he wouldn’t even be in the conversation, indeed some say he shouldn’t be in the conversation. However, greatness is greatness, and LeBron has it in spades. He may not be the GOAT, but he is on the Mount Rushmore. His 2016 series against Golden State did much to erase the stigma he had created for himself as a choke artist. He put the Cavaliers on his back and brought them back from being 3 down to winning the championship. That was the single greatest feat in his career, for me. It was also considered by many to be as great as any series of Jordan’s career. Even though LeBron had help. The Warriors were overrated that year. The refs did a poor job. And you didn’t have to worry about hand checks. There were several obvious no calls or wrong calls, prompting some to say that it was in the NBA’s best interest to keep the series going. There is also the hindsight question of how LeBron let a team get a 3–1 lead on him, if they were beatable.But make no mistake, this series showed what LeBron was capable of when he was locked in. Nobody had an answer for him on both sides of the court. And it was his defense, shockingly, that won the game and the series, outside of Kyrie’s amazing shot. His chase down block of Iguadala will be replayed for years to come. If LeBron had played this way more consistently, he could more aptly be compared to Jordan. Actually, if LeBron played throughout his career, the way he played against Golden State in 2015–2016, he would be greater than Michael Jordan!But greatness isn’t always seen in super human exploits. You could say that if Jordan had been the play-maker through his career, the way he was in 1989, he would be a better passer than Magic, Stockton, LeBron, and Bird. But consistency and doing little things extraordinarily right is often more important than sensational performances. How a player plays without his powers has more accumulative impact. That’s why Jordan was so great. He did any and everything it took to win. He beats LeBron in being great “without” the powers, whether it was his shot not falling, playing with food poisoning, or the Pistons having everyone else’s number, just waiting for him to collapse, he fought his way to the bitter end, win or lose. It’s like Superman fighting with a kryptonite bullet in him. He still has to find a way, and Jordan usually did.5. Strength of Competition— Have you ever wondered why some teams can be undefeated on basketball or football rankings of the top 25, but they are ranked near the bottom? How can a team be undefeated, yet ranked very low? Simple. They haven’t played against real competition. Other teams that have lost 2 or even 3 games, can remain in the top 5, depending on how the teams that beat them were ranked. This is a very important topic and one that can change the nature and impact of this discussion. If Jordan or LeBron had more competition throughout their careers, it will favor either one of them enough to give them the edge in this discussion.When Jordan was going 1–9 without Scottie Pippen, it was when the East was a beast. The Celtics, Bucks, and Pistons were fighting to break out. Before that, it was the 76ers with Dr. J and Moses Malone. Every series was thrilling. Many of them went to 5 games or 7. They had best out of five in the earlier rounds back then. The East won as much as the West, which had the Mavericks, the Jazz, the Lakers, and the Rockets. The NBA was more competitive in a more balanced way than it is now, and players were more mature, spending more time playing in college systems until they developed, although today’s NBA has more talent and more advanced technology.LeBron has had more competition in his Finals appearances. The Golden State Warrior teams and the San Antonio teams were great, better than most of Jordan’s Finals competition. But there are two things I have to say about that.First of all, Jordan’s conference was just as tough as LeBron’s Finals. I would love to see the ’86 Celtics who lost like twice in the whole playoffs take on the 73–9 Golden State Warriors with no hand checks. If LeBron spotted them 3 games and beat them, what could a prime Larry Bird, with Kevin McHale, Robert Parrish, Dennis Johnson, and Danny Ainge do to them? Remember, Larry Bird was the alpha of the NBA and was a decidedly better individual player than Magic in both their primes, though Magic had a better career.They (Celts) would never have allowed Golden State to get a 3–1 lead in the first place. Furthermore, what about the 2-time champ Detroit Pistons? Jordan had to battle these guys before he even got to the Finals. Dumars was Defensive player of the Year. Rodman was 2-time Defensive Player of the Year. And Isiah Thomas led the league in steals at one point. They had the # 1 Defense in the league multiple years and inspired several other teams to form advanced defensive strategies for containing Jordan, like the Knicks, the Shaquille O’Neal-led Magic, and Reggie Miller’s Pacers, who are one of the only teams to take championship Chicago to 7 games.The teams Jordan faced were tougher than LeBron’s opponents were, to the teams they faced. In other words, Jordan’s opposing teams had a higher net rating, slightly, than LeBron’s. For Jordan’s competition, it translated into 53–54 wins per season. That’s the average record of their opponents. LeBron’s was slightly less at 51–52. Jordan’s own team averaged just slightly over 58 wins, while LeBron’s averaged 55. The net average rating of Jordan’s opponents was 4.6, while LeBron’s was 4.0. Jordan’s Bulls’ own net rating was 7.3, while LeBron’s teams’ were 5.3. LeBron’s Finals opponents averaged 60.8 wins. Jordan’s opponents averaged 61.2.This is devastating to the argument that LeBron’s teams were light years ahead of the neanderthals who Jordan went up against. This doesn’t prove that teams in Jordan’s era could mop the floor with today’s players, but clearly, it doesn’t show that LeBron’s teams would make quick work of the Jordan-era squads either. The truth is, we will never know for certain. Jordan’s teams though, weren’t facing a juggernaut like Golden State because Jordan’s teams were the juggernaut. His Bulls won more titles than Golden State and San Antonio.Today’s players do have better technology and training techniques at their disposal. They also are more talent-rich. Certainly, this would give today’s players a decided edge over players who played 20-30+ years ago. But there are other factors as well. Guys back in the day went to college. They actually stayed in school, some of them until they graduated. So, when they were drafted, they tended to be older, more mature, and had spent considerable time playing under the tutelage of some great coaches in a system. This is why those players, though somewhat less talented, were more skilled, on the average.Look at a comparison of Jordan and LeBron’s rookie years. Actually, there is no real comparison. Jordan’ was better and it wasn’t even close. Even in assists, an area where LeBron has typically bested Jordan at every turn, Jordan is even with him.Another area where Jordan bests LeBron is in the building of an enduring dynasty. LeBron jumped teams several times through his career. In fact, every three to four years, throughout his career, he has to reboot with a different team. Now, his teams were more talented than Jordan’s but they didn’t have the same rapport, the same chemistry. The Bulls worked and functioned together like a well-oiled machine and that was largely because of Phil Jackson, Scottie Pippen, and Michael Jordan. It was also because Jordan stayed put. He didn’t need to keep rebooting.They kept a high level of morale and worked out any team differences so that they could continue to compete for championships for many years. They didn’t cut and run when it looked like they couldn’t get past the Pistons. They just dug down and tried harder.They took their lumps until they learned to give them. That was because of Jordan. A lesser leader would have folded, took his talents elsewhere, or just been content to be an Eastern Conference Finals contender or also-ran. Not Jordan. Unlike the guys who had to go against him when he and his Bulls were on top, Jordan didn’t bow to the Pistons. That’s important because if he had, he would be exactly where LeBron was when he couldn’t beat the Spurs and left town. Jordan bent the Pistons to his inexorable will. They were not old. They weren’t injured and they weren’t burnt out. They were just beaten, and Isiah Thomas tells why they got swept. He said he looked over at the Bulls and realized in that moment that “They were us.” They had the Pistons’ drive, their skills, heart, and grit.If LeBron had a conference that tough, it would require him to face the Golden State Warriors (Celtics) and the San Antonio Spurs (Pistons) in his own conference! He could not have made it to 9 Finals with the kind of competition Jordan faced on a regular basis in his own backyard.I am going to push back a little harder on the “Pistons got old” lie. When the 1991 playoffs started, Isiah was 29. Dennis Rodman was 29. Joe Dumars was 28. John Salley was 26. Mark Aguirre was Kevin Durant’s age (31). It was a relatively young team. In fact, the older players for the Bulls, like Cartwright, were nearly as old as the Pistons’ oldest players, like James Edward, who was younger than LeBron is now, and Bill Laimbeer, who was just a little older than Steph Curry is currently. The Bulls’ Craig Hodges was older than most of the Pistons. They just got beat by a better team. And the Pistons had gotten a taste of their own medicine. Jordan wore them down and got inside their heads the way they did to the 76ers, the Lakers and the Celtics. They finally realized that they could only delay, but not deny the inevitable. Jordan was coming for them and he was at the door. KNOCK KNOCK! But Jordan didn’t play against the guys LeBron went up against, or did he? We will get to this in a moment.Another falsehood is the notion that Jordan only beat the Utah Jazz because they were declining, which is hilarious! Jordan was around the same age as John Stockton, who entered the league the very same year. Karl Malone entered a year later. I really get tired of people making up stuff!Could Jordan have faced the guys that LeBron did? Could he deal with them the same way? We actually don’t have to imagine such a scenario because one exists. An aging Jordan was playing in the same league as a prime 25/10 Dirk Nowitzki, a 30/7/6 Kobe Bryant, a 28/11 Shaquille O’Neal, an Allen Iverson coming off his MVP season, a two-time MVP, Tim Duncan, who put up 25/13 and 23/13 in the two years that Jordan came back, Vince Carter, Steve Nash, Tracy McGrady, Jason Kidd, and Kevin Garnett, all in their primes. Shaq, Kobe, and Tim Duncan are pantheon players. How well did Jordan do? He averaged 23 points per game in 2001–2002. That was about what Tim Duncan averaged when he won the MVP the next year! Duncan was actually averaging 21/12 with nearly 3 blocks per game the year of the Bulls’ Last Dance.In fact, I want to show you something because these players I just posted were in their primes during Jordan AND LeBron’s playing careers, especially a guy like Kobe.Look at Kobe’s 2007–2008 MVP numbers— ppg 28.3, rebounds-6.3, assists-5.4 free throws-84%, fg %-46%, steals-1.8, blocks-0.5, and turnovers-3.1 Great, right?Now compare them to Michael’s rookie numbers—ppg 28.2, rebounds- 6.5, assists-5.9, steals-2.4, fg%-51.5% Free throws-84.5%, blocks-0.8, turnovers-3.5. They both played the same position, but Michael Jordan’s rookie numbers were better than Kobe Bryant’s MVP numbers in every category but two! This is an apples-to-apples comparison, folks!LeBron’s first MVP season was also impressive, but Jordan had several non-MVP seasons that were just as impressive. In fact, the year he averaged 37 points per game, but Magic took the MVP, his numbers were neck-and-neck with LeBron’s first MVP season numbers.The 1988–89 season Jordan again fell to Magic Johnson in the MVP voting, but beat out nearly all of LeBron’s MVP seasons! Comparing Jordan’s 88–89 season to LeBron’s 2009–2010 MVP season, you can see that Jordan averaged more points, rebounds, better fg%, better free throw %, more steals, but fewer blocks and assists. Jordan also had more turnovers. Still, he comes out ahead of LeBron in 5 of 8 categories, and this was a non-MVP year for Jordan. Now, I am on the record as saying that comparing players of two different positions in the 8 classic categories is like comparing apples to oranges. I stand by that, but supporters of LeBron James for GOAT are fond of saying he put up better overall numbers, and they use the classic 8 to make their case. I am merely showing that by their own standards, LeBron fails the test. But when you put those numbers in context, Jordan goes into overdrive.In every one of the 8 classic statistical categories by which a player is rated, ranked, and compared, rookie Michael Jordan is not only competitive with MVP Kobe, he is beating him, except for one tenth of a point less in scoring and 4 tenths more in turnovers, but he was playing as more of a point guard while Kobe was a shooting guard! At any rate, Jordan’s rookie year is an MVP year in the Kobe/LeBron era! LeBron actually won the MVP the very next year after Kobe got his.In fact, Jordan’s rookie numbers were nearly as good as LeBron’s in his first MVP season. They are neck-and-neck in scoring. Jordan has a higher field goal percentage, higher free throw percentage, played one more game, and averaged more steals. LeBron had a slightly higher points per game average, at 28.4, and had slightly fewer turnovers, but more blocks. So, the two apex predators in their primes, Kobe and LeBron, the best basketball players on the planet, at the time, having possibly the best years of their careers, have stats that are virtually indistinguishable from a rookie Michael Jordan! All of the years of these three men would be great in ANY era. Let’s just take a moment and savor their collective greatness.One other thing to consider is that Jordan, playing as a forty-something in the same calendar year in which LeBron would make his debut, posted an ALL TIME record for the most points by a player over 40, with 43 in 43 minutes! That’s an average of a point per minute, in an era where people said Jordan would just be a mortal of average ability. The fact is, everybody Jordan torched that year, from Tim Duncan, to Kevin Garnett to Dirk Nowitzki, to Kobe and Shaq, all played against LeBron and gave him problems. So the ludricous idea that Jordan played in the Stone Age while LeBron played against super humans of ridiculous ability, is just plain foolish. If old man Jordan impressed, what would apex prime Jordan do???I want to say that the NBA has improved tremendously, but that is, in part, because it has partly gone back to what it was originally, a non contact sport. If Jordan had played in a league in which you couldn’t put two hands on a player out beyond the 3 point arc, and one in which you couldn’t lean on guys, pull their jerseys, or give hard fouls, he would have not only scored more, but his passes would have resulted in more assists, as teams would not let any pass from Jordan result in an assist. The abiding rule was to let him score, but not do any other damage. That is all illegal in the era of LeBron.The NBA is much better at shooting the three. In fact, a lot of the talent in the NBA is maximized because they actually let players play. That is as it should be, and the league has benefited greatly because of it. But it also means that when we revisit the glory days, we must give context to lower scores, non-existent 3 point shooting, and bump and grind basketball. There are no Jordan Rules that LeBron or anyone in today’s NBA has to worry about.If yesteryear’s more skilled teams played against today’s more talented teams, it would come down to the rules used. If they played by today’s rules, Jordan-era teams would be in trouble. Today’s players could shoot the lights out on them. If using 80s/90s rules, the Pistons, Celtics, Knicks, Magic, and the Bulls would make quick work of any team today, including the 2015–2019 Golden State Warriors and the 2010–2013 Miami Heat, and the 2014 San Antonio Spurs.6. The Help— Jordan and LeBron have enjoyed playing with some great athletes who helped them win titles but one guy, LeBron, has changed the entire NBA with his choice and ability to take his talents to other places and join up with other great players. LeBron was the first player to generate a super team as a player. He left Cleveland and went to Miami to win “not one, not two, not three, not four,….” championships. Why did he think he could win that many? Well, aside from feasting in an anemic East that usually lost the title to the West, he had signed on with scoring champ and Finals MVP, D Wade, one of the all-time greatest players to ever play in the NBA. He also had contacted Chris Bosh, a big man who was in the MVP discussion and played for Toronto. These guys averaged 30/6/7, and 25/10, respectively. These numbers were good enough for either of these guys to lead the team by themselves, but on a team with LeBron James? Yeah, this was definitely a super team.In fact, LeBron has had a great deal of help no matter what team he has played for. He wouldn’t have it any other way, and I don’t blame him. If I could pick my team and my teammates, I am picking scoring champs, Finals MVPs, MVP candidates, and the best guys I could find. No scrubs for me! That is one reason why LeBron’s losing record in the Finals is constantly questioned, scrutinized, and criticized. He was not laboring with mortal scrubs that he dragged to Mount Olympus every year. In many of the years he played for a chip, he was playing with the gods!Jordan’s guys never attained the status of LeBron’s teammates, as Jordan was at the mercy of the general manager and owner, who didn’t always have the team’s best interests at heart. Jordan struggled to play with guys who took cocaine and lived a hard life. He got journeymen and just average or solid guys who never played for championships and often looked as if they didn’t belong. Without Scottie Pippen, Jordan’s teammates have a whopping 4 total all-star appearances! LeBron’s teammates have a staggering 44 appearances. This is not including Shaquille O’Neal, who was no longer in his prime, and didn’t help LeBron win anything of note.But then, Jordan only had 6 guys who were all stars making those 11 appearances, 7 by Scottie Pippen, whereas LeBron had 14 guys making those 44 appearances.Outside of Scottie Pippen, it looks even worse. 4 of LeBron’s teammates have won scoring titles, rebounding titles, championships, Finals MVPs, or were in the top 10 in the league before playing with him! Besides, you had to double team several of LeBron’s teammates. Jordan played with no one that you had to consistently double team throughout his career, neither did he play with anyone who was consistently in the top 10 throughout his career. Scottie attained that status some years.What about in the Finals? Who had more help then? Well, Jordan didn’t have any all-stars in either his first or his last championship runs. In at least 2 of the Finals appearances, the opponents Jordan faced had a better record, more all-stars, and better stats. LeBron did face the Warriors and the Spurs who had more guns, but generally he matched up better with his opponents than did Jordan.7. Follow the Leader— Bulls seemed like a super team because they had Jordan and the Bulls kept their nucleus in place for years, because of him. He kept the team together and they learned to work together.I want to dispel the notion that because the Bulls barely missed a beat when Jordan retired, that somehow he is not this great leader like LeBron. What a load of crock! Jordan stayed on the same team with the same basic guys until they could think and feel as one, a unit. That takes a lot of hard work and years of preparation and playing together. I am not knocking LeBron because he had to do what he had to do, but forming a super team in 2 years or so, only to leave a few years later, and form another super team, is not the same as staying put and actually building something special. A dynasty is a dynasty because it is bigger than any one man. No one ruler in history could preside over a true dynasty. It outlasts any one ruler.LeBron had built some amazing teams in a very short period of time. He deserves the lion’s share of the credit for that. He is also the best in the business at taking teams that have very little chemistry and creating something that can win big. Both men are very good leaders. And LeBron created some special moments in Cleveland and Miami. But Chicago was the House that Mike Built.8. The “I” Test— When it’s all said and done, people can usually just look at two players and watch them to determine who is the best. When I look at LeBron James, I see someone who might be the most talented player ever to play, though that is debatable. I see someone who has many gifts. I see someone who is sensational to watch and who I would gladly pay money to see any day.But in Jordan we had a guy who displayed a trait unlike anyone in any sport. His greatest gift was not his athletic talent, though he arguably is just as talented as the bigger, stronger LeBron, but has a higher vertical and faster 40 than the King when both were in their primes. Jordan’s greatest gift wasn’t just his competitiveness either. Other men were extremely competitive. Jordan’s greatest gift is self-hypnosis, the ability to convince himself that he was playing the same game as his opponents and his teammates, but for higher stakes.It was as if someone was holding his family members hostage with the caveat that they wouldn’t live if he didn’t win. When other people were playing very hard to win important games for status, prestige, or bragging rights, Jordan playing in the same games they were, was playing, as if for his life. And that is visible to the eye. Jordan knew that he was the game changer, the one for whom the buck stopped. He could do everything LeBron could, including pass. What LeBron could not consistently do that Jordan could was take over when ever and wherever it was necessary. Jordan was once told that there is no “I” in team. He responded by saying, “Yeah, but there is an “I” in win. Enough said.9. In My Professional Opinion— What do the best minds in basketball say about the GOAT? This is also a very important factor in determining the greatest of all time. People who vote for the MVP every year—coaches, basketball analysts, sports writers, and such, have professional opinions about everything basketball-related. The vast majority of them say that there is only one person that is clearly, or most clearly the greatest. It is Michael Jordan. In a recent poll, 73% of professional basketball players, including younger ones, said Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.10. Days of Future Past— One of the greatest factors in determining the GOAT is whether the athlete performed so well for so long, that he actually changed the way the game is played. What legacy did the player leave for future generations? How many players from the past can be compared to him? I don’t believe there is anyone better than Jordan, but I do believe that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is in the conversation. LeBron, Magic, Kobe, Bird, Russell, Duncan, and Wilt Chamberlain also deserve mention, in my opinion. Hakeem and Shaq might take up the next tier.But guys like Wilt, Russell, Dr. J, Magic, and Bird, deserve to be spotlighted because their careers transformed the sport. Wilt caused the NBA to widen the lane to where it is now. Russell made defense an integral part of the game. Kareem was so dominant that colleges, fearful that he would destroy their game, outlawed dunking to give other teams a fighting chance. This decision, which forced a generation of big men to alter their game, caused Kareem to excel even more, developing the most unstoppable shot in history—the sky hook.The subject of Kareem is a painful one for me. How do the supporters of LeBron James for GOAT use total numbers to “prove” that LeBron is greater than Jordan—more points, assists, rebounds, blocks, etc., but not realize that King James falls prey to Kareem for the same reason?Kareem has more career points, rebounds, higher field goal percentage, more blocks, and fewer turnovers. LeBron takes assists, free throws, and steals. Kareem has more championships, with 6, equal to Jordan. LeBron has 3. Kareem has 19 all-star selections. LeBron has 17, although, to be fair, LeBron has only played 17 years. That’s why I think total numbers shouldn’t be used, but averages and other metrics. But let’s continue on. Kareem has more regular season MVPs—6, to LeBron’s 4. He has fewer 1st team all-NBA selections, but is tied with LeBron in overall All-NBA selections and has more total regular season and Finals MVPs combined, with 8. LeBron has 7. I repeat. If LeBron is better than Jordan because he has more total numbers, then by that same logic, Kareem cleans LeBron’s clock! So, we aren’t really talking about numbers acquired simply from playing so long, are we?Magic and Bird made non-basketball types feel that they could hold their own by making great plays and deferring to teammates. The popularity of the NBA rose with those two. Then Jordan took it into overdrive.If we are speaking of legacy, then Michael Jordan, according to guys like Wilt Chamberlain, is probably untouchable. His playing above the rim inspired a generation of players and fans to become interested in basketball globally. Jordan’s relationship with Nike is the most prosperous of its kind in the history of sports. Jordan has built a brand unto himself and the man is a walking billboard. Everything he wore became all the rage. When he shaved his head, millions of men said, “Yes!” and were glad that they didn’t have to invest in Rogaine. Baggy shorts became the apparel of choice in the NBA and the world over, because Michael did it. Gatorade, Coca-Cola, and Hanes underwear sold billions of products because of him.There are actually two men most responsible for the popularity of the NBA as we know it today. David Stern, to whom Jordan recently paid tribute because of his aggressive global recruiting policy, and Jordan himself.So, taking the full measure of both Jordan and LeBron, Jordan wins 9 of the ten categories, and is so close in the one he didn’t win,(Durability/Longevity) that it renders LeBron’s advantage in that area nearly moot.But I challenge anyone who disagrees with this answer I have posted, to have a real conversation with me, not one that resorts to name calling and juvenile behavior. This is an adult forum. I await your comments and questions.Thank you!

I'll try to provide innings which were constructed on pitches which were not flat as a belt, so some of the stupendous innings, like Sehwag's 219, Virat Kohli's 133 of 86 in ODIs, and Brian Lara's 400 in tests will not be included. Though the latter came on a pitch which started wearing out, he made most of the runs on a flat deck. But, not all of the innings I've given below were on pitches that were the devil incarnate. So we move forward.5 of the best Test innings:I'm not making this a countdown, meaning the one at No:1 isn't depicted as better than No.2,3,4 or 5.5. Dean Jones, 210 runs, 330 balls, 502 minutes.(Dean Jones is the man bending down.)This was the 7th test between India and Australia, and it was played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. Truth be told, the MAC has seen many historic matches played out these past years, and it has bought forth many heroes for India, but this is the match which will always be remembered for an Australian hero.Australia chose to bat in hellish conditions, and made a strong start. Dean Jones came in at the fall of the first wicket, and motored on to 56 at stumps on the first day. He started to suffer from serious dehydration at the start of Day 2. He wanted to go off retired ill, but his captain Allan Border said that if "you can't handle the conditions, let's get a real Australian out there." That spurred him on, and the rest was history.He wasn't able to drink or eat anything at all, including tea, coffee or water. He started urinating and vomiting involuntarily, causing play to be stopped often. The man was almost in a trance-like state, not having complete control of his mind or body, but still playing delightful shots.He made 202 at stumps on the second day. For most part of the day, he wasn't able to see the non-striker when he batted, because he used the focus and concentration he had, to keep his eye on the ball. The man had played in superhot conditions, sweated, vomited and urinated on his clothes and on the pitch, and still didn't ask for a runner. He made all his runs himself, and was finally bowled on 210."I can't remember anything after 120. I remember each cricketing shot in each innings I've played, but in that match, I can't remember a thing after 120." - Dean Jones.4. Sachin Tendulkar, 114 runs, 161 balls, 228 minutes.The year was 1992. India were playing Australia in Perth, which is known for its lightning-fast pitch which offered tremendous bounce. India were trailing 3-0 in the series, and one look at the wicket meant that the Indian batsmen would surely quail under the might of Australia's fast bowlers, which included the fearsome Merv Hughes and the accurate Craig Mcdermott. Australia batted first and made 346. India's fast bowlers picked up 9 of the 10 wickets to fall, which made the Australian bowlers lick their lips.Kris Srikkanth started slowly, but then batted with self-assurance. Though India lost Sidhu, they went on till 69 runs, which was when they lost Srikkanth. The Australians sensed a way in, as the 19 year old Sachin Tendulkar came in to the middle. The Australian fast bowlers decided to give him some chin music, and he responded beautifully. Every single ball which wasn't close to the corridor of uncertainty was dispatched to the boundary. If the ball was pitched up, the bat would come down in a straight flourish and ball would race away for four. If the length was dropped back, the weight would transfer on to the backfoot, and the ball would split the gap on the offside.He made 114 runs, and combined with the 23 extras given away, was still better than the runs scored by the rest of the Indians combined. His second fifty came off 55 balls, in the process making a record partnership of 81 runs with the wicket keeper Kiran More. He was 9th out, with the score at 248.India lost that match by a whopping 300 runs, with Mike Whitney taking a 7 for in the second innings. But it was the start of a glorious career, which would span for 25 years, and the diminutive 19 year old would be the talk of the town for many more years to come.3. Brian Lara, 213 runs, 344 balls, 468 minutes.This is one West Indies/ Australia series which any self-proclaimed fan of cricket would remember. Australia had won - no, slaughtered - West Indies in their backyard in the first test. West Indies had looked clueless in the face of the might of Australia, and it seemed that it underlined the shift of power in world cricket from West Indies to Australia. Indeed, the most famous match in this series was the third test, but to me, the second test match at Jamaica is what set the series up. The calm before the storm.Australia batted first on a good looking wicket. Though their captain Steve Waugh scored a dogged century, Courtney Walsh bowled like the demon he was, and blew away Australia's top order, before Curtly Ambrose and Pedro Collins cleaned up the tail. Australia made 256, and it looked like West Indies had their noses in front.The Australians came back to bowl, and showed exactly why they were a fearsome team in world cricket. Jason Gillespie started the slide with an inswinger to remove opener Suruj Ragoonath. Glenn Mcgrath then bowled with pinpoint accuracy, making the ball talk as it fizzed left and right, as the West Indies were reduced to 56-5. Their newly appointed captain Brian Lara, and the wicket keeper Ridley Jacobs were at the crease.When Brian Lara strode out to bat on the fine second day morning of the second test, you could see it in his eyes and that he was there to stay. He began cautiously, not willing to fish outside his off stump, as he covered the line of the ball and left alone anything which was pitched outside the off stump. He scored at a snail's pace, and his first 50 runs came off 140 balls. It looked like he would get out any minute.Then, the inevitable happened. The demon inside Brian Lara roared, and what happened next was a sight for sore eyes. He started with the spinners, Shane Warne and Stuart Macgill, as he spanked a six off each bowler. The crowd got to their feet as Lara cut, drove and pulled, each time his high bat-lift making his bat look like a massive axe, as it came down to send the ball to the boundary. He smashed Greg Blewett for four consecitve fours. Glen Mcgrath was brought on to bowl, and he delivered a snorter which caught Lara in the head. He cooly regarded Mcgrath, nodding once to appreciate the ball. The very next ball was smashed to the cover boundary. Brian Lara was the juggernaut.The West Indies team took heart from his innings, and responded beautifully in the second innings, with little known off spinner Nehemiah Perry taking a 5-fer and bundling Australia for 177, giving West Indies a paltry target of 3 runs to win.All in all, this was the innings which proved the supremacy of Brian Lara, whatever the pitch, whoever the opponent, whatever the circumstance. It set up his awe-inspiring innings in the third test match, which completely over-shadowed this innings. But for the sheer audacity of strokes played, and the ability to rise up from the ashes, this innings trumps all.2. Nathan Astle, 222 runs, 168 balls, 231 minutes.The day Nathan Astle foreshadowed the rise of T20s. The day Test Cricket would no longer be called a boring affair. The day England were almost shocked into submission.It started on a bright, blue March morning in Christchurch. Looking at the small ground, England hardly contained their excitement as they batted first. Chris Carins welcomed them to New Zealand as he took two wickets in the opening over, leaving them tottering at 0-2. But Michael Vaughn and captain Nasser Hussain steadied the ship, as England made 228, the latter scoring a sublime 106. New Zealand's innings never got going, as Matthew Hoggard made full use of the swinging conditions as he took 7-63, bowling New Zealand out for 147.England took the attack to the opposition in the second innings, as they made 468 runs, with Graham Thorpe scoring a brisk double hundred. Four batsmen had strike rates of over 50, which was quite a big thing for test cricket at the time, as it was slowly losing popularity over the One Day Internationals, which were faster, and more entertaining. Or so people thought. New Zealand were left to score an improbable 550 runs to win, with a little over two whole days left.Though England took two quick wickets, Mark Richardson and Stephen Fleming motored on and New Zealand had made 190 runs when the two had departed. Nathan Astle had already scored 50 off 54 balls, making his intentions perfectly clear. With the exit of Craig Mcmillan, England had a sniff at bowling New Zealand out. Astle started swinging. England bowled wide, Astle swung, four. England bowled short, Astle swung, four. England put the spinner on, who gave it a bit of air, Astle swung, SIX. Astle brought up his hundred off 114 balls. His 150 came up in 136 balls. Yes, the last 50 runs had come in 22 balls. It was absolutely crazy stuff.England finally admitted to the fact that they had to go defensive, and put 4 men riding the boundary. Matthew Hoggard came in to bowl and was taken for 41 runs in 2 overs. Caddick was taken for 61 in 4. At one point 4 out of 7 balls Caddick bowled went for six. England looked stunned. Their bowlers were nearly in tears. And Astle showed no signs of stopping. Flintoff disappeared over cow corner, and Astle had scored his double century in 153 balls. He had gone from 101 to 200 in THIRTY-NINE deliveries.Astle was now with the last man, Chris Carins who had been demoted down the order. He hit two more sixes, as the runs required went down to 98. England supporters looked around nervously. The players stood gobsmacked, not sure what to do. Matthew Hoggard came in to bowl, pitched it wide. Astle's eyes lit up, and like the previous 167 balls he faced, he swung. He got a thick edge, which flew into the keeper Foster's gloves. A stunned silence ensued. The Englishmen's celebration looked like like a bunch of zombies walking around a deserted city in a cheap horror movie, not exactly sure what had happened but just following the script. Nathan Astle had lived and died by the sword. And the Englishmen's knees had stopped trembling.Nathan Astle had scored 222 in 168 balls, with 28 fours and 11 sixes. 178 of those runs had come in boundaries. Adam Gilchrist had a set a world record for the fastest century in 212 balls just the week before that. Now it was no longer his. With fearless batting and a never-say-die attitude, Nathan Astle had redefined power hitting, and Test Cricket had been reborn.1. VVS Laxman, 73 runs, 79 balls, 182 minutes.VVS Laxman's innings of 281 against Australia is the high point of any Indian fan's cricket-watching lifetime, with respect to individual performances. So, it would seem only fitting that Laxman's mammoth total. But I don't think so. By placing that innings here, it looks like Laxman was the only person who saved that match for India. But that's not true. Rahul Dravid's 180 was just as good, and just as important as Laxman's innings. So by putting Laxman in the spotlight, we take it away from Dravid's brilliance. And I think we'll all agree he's had a lot of spotlight taken away from him. Not that he minds.India vs Australia, 1st test at Mohali. Australia won the toss and gleefully chose to bat on what seemed like a belter. They made full use of the friendly conditions and batted their way to 428. Shane Watson opened and scored a sparkling century, and the tail wagged, helped by wicketkeeper Tim Paine who scored 92. India were not to be subdued, though. Virender Sehwag played like only he can. and made a quickfire 59 off 54, as India made 81 for the first wicket....in 13 overs. After that, it was the job of their fabled middle order to do the reconstruction as Sachin, Dravid and Raina made 50s. India's only concern was that VVS Laxman suffered from a sore back, and could only come out to bat at 8 wickets down. He could barely move about, and he lasted but 3 balls, getting out as the last man. India made 405, and were 23 behind Australia. As the players walked off, the camera panned to the pitch, which sported a crack right near the popping crease.India had a great day in the field on Day 4, as they bundled Australia out for 192. All the bowlers got wickets, as India were given a target of 216, with 4 sessions in hand. Once again, the camera panned toward the pitch, and to everyone's horror, the crack looked more like a crevice now. Similar cracks had appeared all over the pitch, and the ball was spitting and fizzing around.India had to negotiate 17 overs in the last session of Day 4. Indian fans first hoped for a mammoth opening partnership, but it was in vain as Gambhir got out 4th ball. Hopes of the wall steadying the ship were crushed as Dravid got out for 13. "Surely, Sehwag will play it out." we said. Sehwag gone for 13. Suresh Raina had made 86 in the first innings. He made a duck in the second. Before you could blink, India were 4-48, with Tendulkar and the nightwatchman Zaheer Khan in the middle. VVS Laxman, came a message, was in considerable pain from his sore back. In any case, he hadn't taken the field for Australia's 2nd innings, so he couldn't come out to bat unless India had lost 5 wickets, or till lunch on Day 5. Whichever happened first.India lost Zaheer Khan on the fifth over of Day 5. Laxman hobbled to the crease. Raina was his runner. Ricky Ponting sensed weakness and brought Nathan Hauritza on, the logic being Laxman couldn't move his feet around, and by making use of the cracks, Hauritz would prove too much for him. Laxman hit 2 boundaries in the over and moved on to 11 from 9. Hauritz was taken out of the attack. India needed 119 runs to win.Hilfenhaus and Bollinger were brought into the attack. Laxman was peppered with bouncers. The pitch made anything pitched back of length rear up and hit the batsman's body. India lost Tendulkar a couple of overs later. Dhoni was in next. He played 14 uncomfortable deliveries, and set off for a single. Maybe he had forgotten Laxman had a runner. To the horror of a million fans. he stopped midway. Ben Hilfenhaus displayed brilliant presence of mind as he threw down the stumps, catching Dhoni miles short. Harbhajan Singh came. Two balls later, in the same over, he was gone. India were 124/8. The batsmen were VVS Laxman, who couldn't run to save his life, and Ishant Sharma, who hadn't shown any kind of batting prowess so far. India were doomed. Or so we thought.Laxman had seen enough. Johnson was brought in, he was smacked for two boundaries. Hilfenhaus bowled it short, Laxman put his supple wrists to use and sent it to the square leg boundary, all the way down the ground. Ishant Sharma took heart from Laxman's batting and hit a couple himself. Yes, there were a few scares, but it was absolutely fearless cricket. Australia tried everything and threw everything at Laxman. He played them all with elegant ease. The minutes he wasn't on strike, he kept going over to Ishant Sharma, talking to him, making him feel at ease. India needed 102 runs with two wickets in hand, and they were going at 6 runs per over. India went into tea at 162/8, still needing 44 runs to win. Ricky Ponting felt the first strings of tension.Ponting turned to his part timers, Katich and North, hoping the pitch would help them. It did. Ishant barely got any bat on the balls they bowled, half chances not grabbed by the Australians as India survived. Barely. People hardly moved in front of their TV sets. They sat still with bated breath, as the superstitions they believed told them in their heads, "Make a move, and a wicket will fall." But someone moved, and Ishant Sharma got out. India needed 12 runs more. Laxman closed his eyes. Australia opened theirs.Pragyan Ojha walked into the middle. Hilfenhaus bowled four balls. Ojha blocked two, was beaten by one, and left one alone. Johnson bowled the next, and India got two more runs. More drama in the next over, as Ojha cantered down the wicket for a non-existent single, and Laxman gave him a stern berating. India only needed to wait for three more overs, as an erratic Johnson pitched one on leg stump and it clipped Ojha's pads away for four, giving India a superb victory.They say VVS Laxman is Australia's nemesis. He proved why. India have a wall, a God, and a Bengal Tiger. That day, the had VVS Laxman. And they would never forget the time he braved a sore back, joined forces with India's number 9, and showed World Champions Australia the door.5 of the best ODI innings :5. Shahid Afridi, 102 runs, 40 balls.0610400600661166264400661411041606024100What does that look like? A bunch of phone numbers pasted end-to-end? Or the runs scored by a boy playing his first ever innings? Because that was what Shahid Afridi did in 50 minutes of mindless batting.It was his second match in international cricket. He was 16 years old. He didn't get to bat in his first match, so the team decided to promote him to number 3 after Saleem Elahi had given Pakistan a strong opening partnership with Saeed Anwar. They sent him out as a pinch hitter, and he redefined the word.His first six came off the second delivery he faced. He hit a four two balls later. And then came only one six in five balls. It seemed the youngster had gotten lucky so far. Turned out Sri Lanka had been the lucky ones.What followed was one of the most breathtaking displays of power you could ever hope to see. The pace bowlers bowled at 140 kmph and the ball disappeared over the stands at 200 kmph. Though the ground wasn't a particularly small one, most of the sixes Afridi hit would have been six in any ground, as they landed in the car park. Jayasuriya was brought on, he disappeared for 41 in 11 balls. Muralitharan tried to bowl his wily doosras. He went for 73 in his 10 overs.All in all, Shahid 'Boom-Boom' Afridi had smashed 11 sixes, which was a world record then. He had scored 102 out of the 126 run partnership for the second wicket. All this, in the match which was the first time he had ever batted in the international level. Sri Lanka were beyond stunned, and power hitting had reached an all-new level.4. Sachin Tendulkar, 143 runs, 131 balls.Desert Storm. Two words which haunt Steve Waugh to this day. Two words which separated the man from among the boys. An innings which is described as murderous, at best.India were playing Australia in the Coca Cola Cup. It was the last league game. Australia had already qualified for the final. New Zealand had one foot in it. In order for India to qualify, they had to get a good score - even if they lost - in order to qualify on run rate. Australia batted first. The pitch had no demons in it, and Australia sauntered to 284 for 6. Michael Bevan scored a trademark century, and it left India with an improbable 285 runs to win. Or, 254 to qualify for the finals. Everyone knew which target India was gunning for.So did Steve Waugh. He unleashed his bowlers on India. Ganguly was cramped on the off stump. He was given no width to work with. Easy singles were not given away. Tendulkar was kept quiet on the non striker's end. Damien Fleming struck first, catching Ganguly leg before wicket. Wicket keeper Nayan Mongia was promoted ahead of the captain, Azharuddin. He tried his best, and scored 35 off 56, finally falling to the medium pacer Tom Moody. Almost immediately Mohammed Azharrudin fell.But Sachin had managed to get his eye in. He had scored a brisk 50, taking particular liking to Michael Kasprowicz. A couple of pull shots stood out, one of which went for 6. But India were still behind the 8 ball. Ajay Jadeja came and went, and India needed 116 in 20 overs. And then it struck. A sandstorm. It raged upon the stadium, and caused disruption in play for about an hour, and 4 overs had been deducted from the chase, the target was also reduced using Duckworth/Lewis. Now India needed 99 in 16 overs. Tendulkar had seen enough.Nobody was spared. Shane Warne was introduced, and Tendulkar danced down the wicket and smacked him over his head. The next ball was pushed wider, and it went blazing to the cover boundary. Tony Greig cackled with delight in the commentator's box. Warne switched over the wicket, and tried to cramp Sachin for room. The ball went over long on. Warne blinked first. Game, set, match.Steve Waugh brought himself on, and helped Tendulkar add to his six tally. He sprinted like a hare between the wickets, and scored his 100 off 111 balls. India still needed 35 to qualify. Steve Waugh gambled again and bowled the next over. The first ball went over his head for another six. Damien Fleming was given the next over. A six and a four followed. In between these fabulous shots was was some brilliant running. Indeed, VVS Laxman, the non striker looked tired, but Tendulkar was far from it. His eyes were blazing, looking for more gaps to pierce.Fleming bowled an almost pinpoint yorker on off stump. It went to the cover boundary in a flash. The next ball was on the pads. A gentle push made sure India had qualified for the finals. Indian fans now sensed a chance of a win. But it was not to be. Sachin tried to pull the very next ball, and Adam Gilchrist took the edge. The little master had made 143 off 131 balls, and Australia had been blown away.According to the weather forecast that day, one sandstorm hit Sharjah. But the Australians knew better.3. Adam Gilchrist, 149 runs, 104 balls.Sri Lankan finals were worried on the morning of the final. The rain was coming in torrents. The game had already been delayed by two hours, and since there was no reserve day, if the game was washed out, the cup had to be shared. Sri Lankan fans rued the possible misssed oppurtunity of having a World Cup in their kitty after 11 years. The match finally began, though. There was a 3 hour delay, and it was reduced to 38 overs a side. Sri Lanka rejoiced. But if they had any notion of what would happen in the match, Sri Lanka would have chosen the washout, hands down.Sri Lanka went into the World Cup final facing an Australian team in the prime of its form. They had 11 match winners in their side. Sri Lanka were not to be underestimated. They had gauged the West Indies' conditions well. Their batsmen had delivered. They had found a dangerous weapon in Lasith Malinga. And the smiling assasin, Muttaiah Muralidharan was in excellent form.Vaas and Malinga opened the bowling for Sri Lanka. It was a rock hard surface. The first two overs were quiet, as Australia scored 4/0. The fun started in the third over. Vaas strayed on Gilly's pads, it was flicked for four. He bowled it straighter, the ball sailed over long on. Vaas slowed the pace down, but the line was leg stump. Gilly swivelled to pull it backward of square.Dilhara Fernando was brought on. He pitched one wide outside off. Mistake. The ball blazed away to the cover boundary. Fernando tried to make amends by trying a yorker. It came out as a full toss. Smash, four. The next one was on the pads. Flick, four. The length was shortened. A shot arm jab made the ball soar over long on. Gilchrist was in full song and had galloped to 50 off 43 balls.Spin was quickly introduced from both ends. Muralidharan and Dilshan came on. Dilshan tried a round arm action twice in one over. Both balls disappeared over his head for massive sixes. Fernando was given another chance. His over went for 14. Muralidharan's next over went for 10, including a slog sweep which landed the ball 10 rows back. Gilchrist had moved from 50 to 96 in 18 balls. Lasith Malinga was brought on, in the hopes of delivering a searing yorker. His first ball was tonked over long off, and Gilchrist had batted Sri Lanka out of the final. His century came off 72 balls, with 8 fours and 6 sixes.Vaas was tried again. Gilly smashed him for two boundaries on the leg side. Malinga was smoked for two more boundaries in his next. Jayasiruya was next. He was taken for two sixes and a four. Gilchrist's bat resembled a pendulum, each swing of which sent the ball soaring into the stands. Sri Lanka looked devastated. The captain had nobody to turn to. All of them had been ravaged by the steamroller that was Adam GIlchrist. Dilhara Fernando came back for one more, and bowled one short. Gilchrist was late on the shot, and the hook was held by Chamara Silva. Sri Lanka couldn't believe their eyes as they celebrated his fall.But it was too late. Gilchrist had propelled Australia to 222 in 30 overs. And Sri Lanka never recovered in the match. Australia lifted their third successive World Cup, and Gilchrist had cemented his role as the most dangerous wicket-keeper batsman in the business.2. Kevin O'Brien, 113 runs, 63 balls.This one's for the minnows. When Bangalore bowed to a man with pink hair.It was the World Cup in 2011, and Ireland took on England in the group match. England hadn't had a great tournament with the ball, giving away 296 to the Netherlands, though they won it. They conceded 338 against India, and tied it. They were hoping for a good show against the minnows. Ireland on the other hand, were just excited to play the World Cup, and hoped to cause a big upset like they did in 2007, when they knocked Pakistan out of the tournament.England decided to bat first, having aggregated 634 runs in their first two games, they decided to make good use of their strongest suit. The England batsmen played postive cricket from the start, and took full use of wayward Ireland bowling to stack up 327/8. It seemed like England had a match winning total on the board, and that Ireland would be swept under the rug. That notion became stronger as the Irish captain William Porterfield was dismissed first ball of the chase.Ireland decided to go down fighting. Wicket-keeper Niall O'Brien and Ed Joyce steadied the ship, as Ireland went to make 102 in 20 overs. Graeme Swann was brought on and he got rid of both set batsman in his first two overs. Gary Wilson, the next man in was a renowned big hitter, so Ireland still had hope. He played 14 torturous balls, for 3 runs, and became Swann's third wicket. Niall O'Brien's younger brother, Kevin O'Brien was at the crease, along with all rounder Alex Cusack. Kevin had a reputation for being a big hitter, and his top score in ODI was 142 against Namibia. He carried Ireland's last hopes.Michael Yardy came on to bowl. He dropped it short, and was pulled for four. He flighted the next one outside off and it was sent to the cover boundary. Swann was brought back. He delivered a big, loopy one outside off. It was slog swept for six. He bowled it wider, and flighted it better. It went further behind the midwicket boundary. Andrew Strauss blinked a couple of times and shook his head. He brought pace into the attack. Stuart Broad was brought in and he was taken for two fours. Ireland had recognised the warning signs and took the batting powerplay. In my opinion, that was the best use of the batting powerplay in cricket history.Yardy was given another go. Two more boundaries. Kevin O'Brien had gone to 43 off 27 balls. England went to their spearhead James Anderson. He made the mistake of bowling it short, and was dismissed over the square leg boundary. Kevin O'Brien had scored his half century - off 30 balls. Tim Bresnan came on, and targeted wide outside off. He was slammed over point for six. Anderson tried to up the pace and bowled it full. He was taken for 4-4-6. The six had gone 102 metres. England were shell shocked. Ireland needed 106 from 90 balls. O'Brien was on 76 from 38.Bresnan went for 12 more in his next over. Paul Collingwood was given an over to bowl. He bowled 5 balls for just 3 runs. Kevin O'Brien swung at the last ball of the over, and got a thick edge. The ball swirled in the air, and came right at captain Andrew Strauss. Dropped.England had dug their own grave. A clip off the pads from a Michael Yardy skidder gave Kevin O'Brien his hundred. Off 50 balls. It was the fastest hundred in World Cup history. England had been battered by a one man army. Though he got out two overs later, Ireland only needed 35 runs from 30. The tail wagged enough to put England out of their misery, as Ireland achieved up the target with 5 balls to spare. England never really recovered from the shock, and were sent packing out of the World Cup soon after. Ireland had achieved the impossible, and Kevin O'Brien was the toast of the town.1. Kapil Dev, 175 runs, 138 balls.As you might have noticed, I'm a sucker for World Cup centuries. Captains can come and go, match winning knocks can be hit aplenty, but nothing can better this one from India's best allrounder, Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj.India went into the world cup as the dark horses. They were led by a captain who had been given the responsibility only four months ago. They had only won one League game. Confidence wasn't high in the camp. They were to face a very good Zimbabwe side, which had shocked Australia by 13 runs.It started badly. India lost both openers to ducks for only 6 runs on the board. India might have thought of building a good partnership, but it quickly dissolved as they slid to 8-4. Kapil Dev walked in. Five overs later, it was 17-5.Now, a ball-by-ball description of the match is impossible. Simply because there are no video replays of this match available. Not one. I grew up listening to the story of this match, which my father told me. When he was a kid, he'd listened to it on the radio which he had hidden beneath his bed, as TVs were a luxury he could not afford. By listening to the way my father spoke about the innings Kapil Dev played, I decided there could be no match for it.Imagine you're playing a hostile bowling attack. No one is behind you. Most people think you're not fit for being the captain. The crowd is against you. Half your team is against you. The world waits for your side to be humiliated and kicked out of the tournament. Your side is 5 down for 17 runs. If you played one bad shot, your side wouldn't make 50 runs in the match.Kapil Dev played some quiet overs. He had a good look at the pitch. It helped that one side was shorter than the other. This meant easy singles could be taken in one over and boundaries could be hit in the next. He made a plan on how to play each bowler, he assessed each bowler's strength and weakness. He ran the singles hard, and the doubles harder. Zimbabwe sensed a recovery. They brought back their spearheads, and India lost two more wickets. They were 140-8, and still had 20 overs to go. Kapil Dev then stitched a partnership with Syed Kirmani, and took India to 191 in 50 overs (matches being 60 overs a side then). He had scored a century in 72 balls.The next 10 overs were carnage as 75 runs came off them. Kapil Dev took full advantage of the small boundaries, as he carted all the bowlers all around the park. India made 266 runs, and Zimbabwe were never in the match. Kapil Dev had made 175 off 136, and the 9th wicker partnership with Syed Kirmani was 126, of which Kirmani made 24. It is still a record for the 9th wicket.It was an innings of legendary quality, slow and measured at the start, and a calculated onslaught at the end. India had arrived at the World Stage, and it was their little known captain who had taken them there. Exactly one week later, India lifted the World Cup at Lords.Zimbabwe players, it is said, were frequently reminded by spectators during their next World Cup in India - "Remember Kapil Dev."Source :1. All stats from Cricinfo and Cricketcounty.2. All pictures from Cricinfo.If you're interested in reading some of my other answers in Cricket, check them out here : The Gentleman's Catalogue

There is perhaps too much going on in World Football these days to fully appreciate just how lucky we are to be football fans in an era where one of the most statistically efficient players in the history of the sport is dominating the game in a way that it is unparalleled. Players like Ronaldo and Messi have revolutionize the game with a specific style to go along with the ever evolving game.Lionel Messi - a player that will almost assuredly be noted as the greatest ever by the time he retires - will leave his mark in an unprecedented way. But if we're talking about pure statistical efficiency, Cristiano Ronaldo is an enigma that will forever leave future football historians marveled at the numbers they've seen.Historically, the vast majority of players who achieve a great deal of success early in their careers seemingly (and subconsciously) rest on their laurels. Their level of intensity drops and they become susceptible to injuries, and by their late 20s they are in a steep decline. Even legends like Diego Maradona and Brazil’s Ronaldo found it hard to stay motivated after they had become the biggest stars in the game. Not Ronaldo.Since moving from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2009 and despite the phenomenal success he achieved at Old Trafford, Ronaldo’s game has continued to improve, season after season. Like Roger Federer in tennis and Floyd Mayweather in boxing, Ronaldo is the consummate pro who does everything right, both on and off the field. He looks after his body 24/7, and he works harder on his game than anyone else, despite his God-given talent.Years ago, a striker could net 30 goals in all competitions and it would be a rare occurrence and big reason to celebrate. Today, Ronaldo can grab that in half of a season - and nobody bats an eye. Such is the standard of Ronaldo's supremacy.Just how many players in football history have scored more goals than games played for their club? Raul, the son of Madrid and leading goal-scorer in club history, had a goal-scoring ratio of .43 for the club. Cristiano has smashed that. A goal yesterday vs Getafe took Ronaldo's tally at Real Madrid to 235 goals in 214 games, with an astonishing figure of 1.09 goals per game. Not a single football fan across the globe could predict though, that one man would be signed and get it done in six years what Raul did it in 14 years, and from a deeper position on the field.Its a never ending debate. If we look into their statistics and their performances for respective club and country, you will find it very hard to distinguish who is better. But if we talk in term of athleticism, then Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Messi miles behind. Cristinao Ronaldo never get tired, never fades in the game, He is more like a machine than a human being.Ronaldo isn’t just a superb footballer, he is a complete athlete, the perfect example of a 21st century sportsman. Some of his recorded analysis:1) Ronaldo can reach height of 44cm in the air during his jump and thats all because he produced almost 5times more G-force than a cheetah during take off to his jump. (pretty amazing)That Goal:2) His average freekick speed is around 130kmph. We are talking about his trademark freekicks from a certain distance, not the ones which he has to curl or bend. The ones which he unleashed with brute force. And, surprisingly - that's The fastest recorded freekick in the world3) Powerful thigh and upper body muscles are essential for this kind of leap and so Ronaldo spends hours in the gym training his muscles to maintain his power - the circumference of his thighs is 62cm. In fact, during a full weight training session, the Portugal star will lift the equivalent of over 16 new Toyota Prius cars.4) Another side effect of this strenuous fitness regime is that Ronaldo has less body fat than a supermodel. This is just the beginning of the impressive features of a footballing machine, however.5) Ronaldo's reaction times when on the pitch are so quick they would circumnavigate the world over 31 hours faster than the quickest bullet train.6) Ronaldo can reach a height of 44cm from a standing jump.7) With a run-up, Ronaldo can attain a height of 78cm.This amazing speed enables him to reach the heights of 44 cm in the air from a standing start and with a run-up it is 78 cm , which is more than the average NBA player.8) A Ronaldo free-kick accelerates four times faster than the Apollo space rocket at lift-off.9) Ronaldo makes 3.000 abs per day. He won against Angel David Rodriguez, who is a professional sprinter, and who is the Spanish champion for 100 meters in zigzag course. Yes, he is faster than the professional sprinter.10) Fun Fact:It would take Cristiano just 6 days, 9 hours, 17 minutes and only 5 seconds to earn what The American President Barack Obama earns in one year! Cristiano Ronaldo is currently earing £274,000 per week, making him the highest paid footballer in the World.Castrol EDGE's Test on Ronaldo:Body Strength:Mental Ability:Technique:Skills:Some insane facts:Ronaldo is the only player in history to have completed the “Super Slam” of all eight major trophies available to him at club level (Champions League, league, domestic cup, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, team’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), Golden Boot (now Shoe) and the Ballon d’Or) with two separate teams, Manchester United and Real Madrid.Hasn't he left everyone behind?To refer specifically about the interview -Ronaldo to the reporter: "...... All this happen because of a reason, the reason is : I am unbelievable inside the pitch, this is why people are so much interested on me! " : Isn't his infield statistics unbelievable?Q : Are you the best footballer in the world right now?Ronaldo: In my mind, I am always the best. I don't care what people think, what they say, in my mind - not just this year, I am always the best.Q : Is there anything that Lionel Messi is better than you?Ronaldo: It's just their opinon. I respect their opinions, maybe in your opinion - Messi is better than Me, but in my mind - I am better than him.Ronaldo : I don't need to say anything, 'The numbers speaks all'Here's the total interview:Each and every thing that Ronaldo does on the field, there is a SCIENCE behind it. Talking about his sprint speed, to his [long-gone] freekick abilities, running down to his power shot, his headers, everything - they all manipulate the laws of physics,And, the outcome??The best outcome to everything are the goals, the best proof on every questions - Has there been any space left from where Ronaldo hasn't score goals?There is nothing wrong in Ronaldo's word! He is the very BEST! Anyone in his position, would have reported same.Statistics doesn't lie.P.S : I don't want to mention his records, the list are so long, mouthwatering!Lastly, to the conclusion - on personal level, You just can't compare Ronaldo and Messi on any aspect. Both of them have totally different approaches to football. We, still, are luck to watch them breaking RECORDS on almost every match days! Such a rivalry will never been seen in World Football anytime sooner.Source: YouTube , dailymotion , GoogleEdit:- Anonymity \U0001f648