The 10 Best Athletes of the Millennium

There is one debate that rages on and on without any clear answer.

Who are the 10 best athletes in the world?

Certainly, there are names that are undoutedly up there, but everyone's list will definitely line up differently.

There are also many greats of different era's, so that would have to be considered also.

In light of that, I have compiled a list of the 10 best athletes of this millennium, not in any particular order.

Only No. 1 is in order. Any guesses on who No. 1 would be?

Who is your No. 1?

10. Serena and Venus Williams

These two sisters have emerged to be the biggest forces in women's tennis since Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert.

The Williams sisters have been dominant in the sport. Capturing 72 total singles titles, 25 total doubles titles, while posting a 928-208 combined record.

They have grossed over 45 million dollars in earnings, without endorsements, and are both Olympic gold medalists.

With Serena's recent Australian Open win, the Williams sisters are not quite done yet.

9. Dwyane Wade

Say what you want about Dwyane Wade, but this guy is as electric and athletic as NBA players come.

If it was not for his season-ending shoulder and knee injuries, he would be on the top of many radars still. Some people thought he was done, until they witnessed Wade dominate the world in the Beijing Olympics.

He was the most dynamic player on the Redeem Team, capturing Gold for the first time in what seemed like 20 years.

Wade has an NBA Championship under his belt, which he was overwhelming MVP, averaging over 33 ppg.

He is a perennial all-star, with career averages of 24.5 ppg, 6.5 apg and five rpg.

Who is doubting him now?

8. Peyton Manning

If I had to choose one quarterback to lead my franchise, I am picking like this:
3. Brett Favre
2. Tom Brady
1. Peyton Manning

My favorite NFL player of all time, Manning has reached the pinnacle of the position as the most intelligent, cerebral quarterback in the game.

Not to mention he is tough as nails. He has never missed an NFL game, starting all 16 since his arrival in 1998.

Peyton is a Super Bowl champion, three time league MVP, which is tied for the most in NFL history. He has passed for over 45,000 yards and 333 TDs in his illustrious career.

With a career passer rating of 94.7, Manning is also deadly accurate. He is not done changing calls at the line of scrimmage yet, and will add to his already Hall-of-Fame credentials.

7. LaDainian Tomlinson

LaDainian Tomlinson has easily been the most consistent, complete running back of the 2000s.

While other players in that position like Shaun Alexander have come and gone, Tomlinson remains in the elite of the RB fraternity.

When having 1100 yards is considered a down season for you, we probably have really high expectations.

The All-Pro RB has rushed for 11,760 yards and 141 total touchdowns. Tomlinson set a record scoring 186 points in his 2006 MVP season. He also was the first player in history to rush for 1000 yards with 100 receptions.

The Chargers are trying to part ways seemingly with their legend, but Tonlinson has more left in him. You'll see.

6. Roger Federer

Roger Federer's recent struggles with Nadal and his body have made some forget how dominant this man was in the game of tennis.

The best player since Pete Sampras, Federer's killer forehand beat many players into submission. His impeccable footwork allowed him to look ever so graceful on court.

Roger has racked up 57 singles titles, 13 Grand Slams, which is second to Sampras all-time, an Olympic Gold medalist, and over 45 million dollars in earnings from the sport.

Not to mention, Federer is 626-151 for his career.

He may have aged a bit, but he still is one of the most formidable, talented tennis players in the world. If it was not for the Spaniard from Mallorca, he would be No. 1 still.

5. Shaquille O'Neal

This legend may be out of his prime. One must not forget how great of a player Shaquille O'Neal was, and still actually is.

O'Neal ruled the early 2000s with his running mate, Kobe Bryant. In addition to winning three titles in a row with the Los Angeles Lakers, he picked up Dwyane Wade, and won another in Miami.

One of the most charismatic athletes of all-time, O'Neal has so many credentials, it is hard to name them all in this small space.

He is a four-time NBA champion, 15-time All-Star, three-time NBA Finals MVP, eight-time first team All-NBA, three-time All-Star MVP and NBA MVP.

Wow. Did I mention that "Shaq-Fu" has career averages of 25.2 ppg, 11.5 rpg shooting 58 percent.

Best center of the millenium; top five ever.

Argue with me.

4. Rafael Nadal

The current world No. 1 has had a run that deserves to be on this list, and the guy is not even 25-years-old yet.

Single-handedly taking down Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal's brazen approach to the game has been too much for many opponents to handle.

Nadal's sheer strength and velocity with the way he hits balls, punishing his opponents every time they chase down and return his fore and backhands.

The precise placement of his balls on tough shots also complement his game, and he usually only loses when he is hurt.

In his short tenure in tennis, Nadal has compiled 32 singles titles, five doubles, an Olympic gold medal, and maintained a 344-78 record. In addition, he has stacked up wins over Federer in the French, Wimbledon, and Aussie Open Finals.

And at age 22, he is just beginning and may be the greatest when he hangs them up.

3. Thierry Henry

I must be honest. I am not the hugest soccer fan, but I know a good player when I see them.

When I saw the goals Henry has scored and how tenacious he is as a player, I did not need a futbol enthusiast to tell me he was an all-time great.

After seeing Henry on the Gillette commercial with Tiger and Federer, I wondered what he did to be next to those guys so I YouTubed him. Man, he is good.

Arguably, the best striker of all time, Henry has scored a total of 269 goals in his senior and National team career.

He is a four-time Premier League top scorer, FIFA World Cup All-Star, and an incredible athlete.

If you do not know, you better ask somebody.

2. Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods has so many accomplishments and is so unbelievable at what he does. I almost want to leave this space blank and let his name speak for itself.

Probably the most widely known, recognizable athlete of our generation besides Michael Jordan, Woods has taken golf and made it a top-tier sport in regards to notoriety.

Not to be ridiculous, but when black people start golfing in the summer, you know something is up.

Just joking. Kinda.

I will not spew out all kinds of numbers, but I will just leave it at this. 65 PGA Tour wins, 89 total professional wins, and 14 major championships, so far.

Lets just put it this way, if your name is not Jack Nicklaus, you have nothing on Woods.

At age 33, he may not have much on Eldrick when it is said and done, either.

1. Kobe Bryant

I know many people love to hate Kobe Bryant, but that only shows his greatness more.

People unfairly label this guy as a "fake Jordan" and continuously compare him to His Airness. What they do not realize is all of that is a testament to this guy's greatness.

Long considered the best player in the NBA, Bryant has risen over his competition for quite some time, and has been the NBA's savior in the post-Jordan era.

His athletic ability is second to none, as his 81-point game and recent 61-point game showed. His intensity and killer instinct has made him the best clutch player in the game, also.

In addition to his three NBA titles and NBA MVP award last season which was long overdue, Bryant is an 11-time NBA All-Star and three-time All-Star game MVP including sharing it this year with former teammate Shaquille O'Neal.

Disagree and hate Bryant if you want, that's fine. One thing you will have to do is respect what he has done for the game of basketball.

This list can be debated and is supposed to be.

We all have different ideas of who are the absolute best, but you have to respect everyone on this list.

Guys like LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Tom Brady, and Ronaldinho barely missed this list. But maybe that will change.

That is the beauty of sports.

It's the gift that just keeps on giving. Unless the league's best players admit to steroid use.

Sorry, A-Rod.