When someone hears “elite athlete” who do they think of. Kobe Bryant? Messi? Tom Brady? LeBron James? Each of these athletes are symbols of excellence, work ethic, and competitiveness. They have brought championships and titles to their cities and countries, becoming legends in the process. How did they do it though? Was it their mentality, their skill, their consistency?
Mentality is the driving reason why you see greatness. Many have the skill, but don’t have the mentality to keep working hard. Kobe Bryant was never satisfied with “that’s good enough.” He worked hard all hours of the day. His famous term “Mamba Mentality” is linked with relentless effort, mental toughness, and constant drive. Kobe was always obsessed with getting better. Even if he put up 40 in a game he would watch game film and look at his mistakes.
On April 12, 2013, in a late-season game against the Golden State Warriors, Kobe Bryant suffered one of the most devastating injuries an athlete can face. While making a drive to the basket, something he had done many times before, everything went wrong. A pop in the back of his ankle was enough to tell him and everyone else in the crowd that something was wrong. Kobe Bryant experienced an Achilles tear that would bring anyone to tears of pain. Kobe didn’t let this stop him though. He limped to the free-throw line and made two clutch shots before walking back to the locker room. Stories like this separate him from the average players of the NBA. Not everybody can do what he did and his story continues to show people the type of mentality he had. He wasn’t just an athlete, he was the best athlete in basketball.
From a young age Lionel Messi had doubts surrounding him. Being diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency caused him to be smaller than most kids. He didn’t let this stop him though and his name has become familiar to many ears.
As a child Messi showed that he was a talented player. Coaches noticed how easily he could dribble past older kids and control the ball like it was tied to his foot. Messi’s talent also caught the attention of scouts and Spain. One club that took interest in young Messi was FC Barcelona who invited him to have a try-out. He impressed them immediately and this was obvious because the sporting director, Carles Rexach, took Messi’s father and his agent out to lunch. He sensed that Messi and his company might take their talents somewhere else and grabbed a napkin to write a contract. This turned out to be a good choice because Messi brought nothing but championships to the city of Barcelona. 10 La Liga titles, 7 Copa del Rey titles, 8 Supercopa de España titles, and 4 UEFA Champions League titles. Not only did he bring his team success, but he also won many awards for his skill. While at Barcelona he won 6 Ballon d’Or (World Player of the Year), European Golden Shoe (Top Scorer in Europe), and Pichichi Trophy (Top Scorer in La Liga). With all these accolades he continues to prove to people that even with small size they just have to have a big heart.
These two athletes are really good. Hall of Famers in both of their sports and have had a lasting effect on the world. But they don’t come close to LeBron James and Tom Brady. When you ask someone “who is the best athlete of all time?” they will likely say Brady or James. If not they will definitely say Brady and James are in the top three conversation. What sets them apart isn’t their awards or accolades. They both have plenty of those. It isn’t their mentality within their sports either. It’s something entirely different. Longevity, career length, and greatness over long periods of time. These terms describe the two athletes. Tom Brady played until he was 45 retiring in 2023. That is unheard of in any sports world. Athletes’ bodies deteriorate over time. The average career length in the NFL is only 3.3 years. That is incredibly short which just makes Tom Brady ever more impressive.
LeBron James is the same story, different sport. The average career length in the NBA is 4.5 years. LeBron James has played 22 years which is 17.5 years more than most NBA players. Both athletes have invested so much time and effort into their bodies and careers. They both have averaged all-star level stats through their career. They are different because they weren’t just good for a few years, they have been good every year. Brady was a 7× Super Bowl Champion, 5× Super Bowl MVP, 3× NFL MVP, and held the award for Most Career Wins, Touchdowns, and Yards by a QB. James holds the award for NBA All-Time Leading Scorer, 4× NBA MVP, 4× NBA Champion + 4× Finals MVP. He also holds the record for most amount of times playing in the All-Star Games with 20. Both athletes have shown that greatness isn’t just talent, but leadership, dominance, and consistency.
Kobe Bryant, Tom Brady, Lionel Messi and LeBron James are more than just champions, they are icons of their sports. Each of them dominated in different ways: Kobe through relentless work ethic and a killer mentality, Brady through leadership and unmatched football IQ, Messi with pure natural genius and consistency, and LeBron with all-around dominance and incredible longevity. All of these athletes dedicated themselves to be the best they could be.
