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NFL Legend Excludes Michael Jordan and Tom Brady from “Sports Mt Rushmore” But Includes LeBron James, Tiger Woods

Published 04/12/2022, 12:30 PM EDT

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The history of sports is filled with great athletes and stars. So many stars have graced this planet in different sports and etched their name in history forever. There is always one topic that comes up while talking about the best sports persons of all time and that is the ‘Sports Mount Rushmore.’

Everyone has their own picks for who is the very best among the best and now a former NFL player has made his picks.

NFL Legend Shannon Sharpe revealed his choice of all-time athletes for the “Sports Mount Rushmore”. His list of athletes included Serena Williams, Michael Phelps, LeBron James, and Tiger Woods.

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The first one to be picked by Shannon Sharpe was the 23 times singles Grand Slam champion Serena Williams. She is also a four-time Olympic gold medalist and has also won numerous doubles grand slams. Next in the line was Michael Phelps who has won 28 Olympic medals, the most by any athlete. Among the 28, 23 are gold medals, the most by any athlete.

The third spot went to LeBron James who has won four NBA championships. Last but not least, Shannon Sharpe selected Tiger Woods with 15 major championships. The Hall Of Famer decided not to pick anyone from the NFL for the “Sports Mount Rushmore”.

LeBron James over Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods over Jack Nicklaus

LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan for the GOAT status is one of the most discussed topics in the NBA. Even though Michael Jordan has won more championships than LeBron James, Shannon Sharpe believes “King James” is the GOAT of the NBA, citing LeBron’s longevity.

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In a similar trend, the Hall of Fame inductee picked Tiger Woods over Jack Nicklaus, who has more major championships than anyone else in the history of golf.

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While fellow analyst Skip Bayless agreed with the selection of Tiger Woods, he disagreed with all the other selections. In his list of athletes for “Sports Mount Rushmore”, Bayless picked Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Muhammad Ali, and Tiger Woods.

Skip Bayless also expressed his disbelief in Shannon Sharpe not picking one from the NFL.

Fans disagree

While some fans showed their disagreement with some of Shannon’s picks, some argued that the whole list was a hoax. But Shannon Sharpe picking LeBron James over Michael Jordan for the “Sports Mount Rushmore” triggered the most amount of backlash from fans around the world. 

One fan commented on the video saying, “Funny how Shannon is using Tiger’s peak to justify him over Jack Nicklaus, but uses longevity to justify Lebron over MJ lol!”

Another fan couldn’t see a ‘Sports Mt. Rushmore’ without MJ and wrote, “Michael Jordan is absolutely a Mt. Rushmore Athlete. PERIOD.”

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Even though it’s unlikely, as long as LeBron James is playing, he could catch up to Michael Jordan’s six NBA championships. Likewise, Tiger Woods’ comeback begs the question: can he reach Jack Nicklaus’ record major championships?

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However, even if LeBron James and Tiger Woods surpass Michael Jordan and Jack Nicklaus in terms of championships, the GOAT argument will persist. 

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With so many incredible athletes over the years in various major sports and games, it is never easy to pick a top 4 of all time. Who is on your Sports Mount Rushmore? Share your thoughts with us.

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Written by:

Bagavathi Eswaran

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Bagavathi Eswaran is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He has been playing the game of basketball for more than 20 years now and has also been following the NBA for more than 10 years. After not being able to go pro, this college player decided to join the IT industry.
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Edited by:

Arunaditya Aima