To master a sport is no joke. Many win once and claim their moment at the top. However, very few legends have remained at the pinnacle of a sport for more than a decade. Golf legend, Tiger Woods, is one among them. The 15-time Major winner once disclosed how hard it is to continue to peak in the sport while taking the example of LeBron James, whose epic 3-1 comeback win in 2018 impressed Tiger.

Woods made his pro debut in 1996. He immediately made his threat known to fellow golfers after winning the Masters a year later. The win at Augusta National in 1997 began the domination of Tiger in the sport of golf.

From Tiger Slam to remaining the world number for 331 constant weeks, Woods conquered the sport. However, while talking about being at the pinnacle of the sport for more than a decade, instead of considering himself, Tiger used other sporting greats to make his point.

Tiger Woods talks about how to be great

Ahead of the 2018 Players Championship, Woods asked several questions about the event in the press conference. However, the series of questions were then largely focused on LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers’ epic 3-1 final series comeback win against Golden State Warriors.

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Noting down LeBron’s massive contribution to the win, Tiger was asked about what made the NBA star great. “First of all, I think that being great is doing something that no one can do, but also what separates those people”, said Woods. He then included another NBA legend Michael Jordan and four-time Stanley Cup winner Wayne Gretzky in his discussion of greats.

The 15-time Major winner said, “Like LeBron or what I’m thinking the M.J. or Gretzky — it’s just the duration. They’re able to do it not just for one year, not just for one game, not just for a little spell. They’re able to do it for a number of years and accumulate highlights that we’ll always look at, and they’re peppered in our memories”.

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Tiger Woods further talked about the difficulty of remaining at the top for nearly a decade. “Do it for a decade-plus”, said the golfer before adding “that’s what separates greatness”. After talking about all the greats, Woods then gave LeBron James his flowers.

Tiger admires LeBron’s longevity

James’ win against the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 NBA Finals, is widely considered one of the greatest comebacks in all of the sports. LeBron’s passion and talent to bring the Larry O’Brien trophy to his city of Cleveland earned him the NBA Finals MVP.

Like many, Tiger Woods also gave his respect for the then-three-time NBA winner. “What LeBron has done for what, 15 seasons now, is just remarkable”, said the golfer. “It’s that type of longevity and to be able to be up for that long a period of time. And to be able to adjust as well because we all know as we age, we’re not going to be as athletic as we used to be”.

In the end, the Hall of Famer further pays his respect to the 38-year-old while also recalling Jordan and Gretzky. “Hats off to not just LeBron but a lot of the people I just named”, Woods ended. Without a doubt, domination in a sport for more than a decade is hard, but that’s what cements an athlete as the greatest of all time.

All four legends are considered untouchable. They not only made themselves known to the world but also paved way for the young generation by helping expand the sport. Perhaps, the sporting greats’ contributions to their respective sport can also be considered while talking about their greatness and longevity.

What according to you defines a great? Let us know in the comments section below.

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