LeBron Now Out: So Who Are the Most Athletic Players to Not Win a Championship?

Arguably the most athletic person to play in the NBA over the past 25 years, LeBron James is one heck of a physical specimen. LeBron stands at 6'8'', weighs in at 260 pounds, has a 44 inch high jump and runs an unofficial 4.4 40-yard dash. 

Imagine being taller than Julius Peppers, jumping higher than Allen Iverson, and running as fast as LaDainian Tomlinson.

That is athletic. If you need any proof look right here or here or here.

Everyone knows LeBron's story and transformation from high school superstar to MVP in the NBA to world champion with the Miami Heat. Through ridiculous amounts of criticism, James finally became a champion and won his first title.

In doing so, LeBron is no longer the most athletic player without a title. This made me wonder who are the five most athletic players without a title in any of the four major sports leagues (NBA, MLB, NFL and NHL)?

The following freak athletes are current players and have not won a championship (yet).

Congrats LeBron.

Carl Crawford

Carl Crawford is all about versatility and speed. This is what makes him so athletic.

Let's start with Crawford's versatility. In high school, Carl Crawford lettered as an athlete in baseball, basketball and football. Crawford proved to be so athletic that UCLA offered him a scholarship to play point guard for their basketball team.

But if his basketball scholarship was impressive, his potential football scholarships at USC, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Florida (to name a few) are even more impressive. Offered scholarship as a mobile quarterback, Crawford signed with Nebraska to play football for the Big 12 powerhouse.

Yet as the story goes, Crawford turned down both D-1 basketball and football offers to play baseball when the Tampa Bay Rays drafted him in the second round out of high school in 1999.

Carl Crawford's versatility does not solely extend to the different sports he can play, but also to the numerous ways he helps as a baseball player. In the outfield, Crawford is a Golden Glove winner. At the plate, a Silver Slugger with a career batting average of .293.

But what sets Carl Crawford apart as an athlete is his speed. Crawford has brought back stealing like no one since Rickey Henderson. Crawford's 162-game average for stolen bases is 51—to put that into perspective, Andrew McCutchen's 162-game average is 30.  

Crawford stretches triples like no one who currently plays. This is evidenced by Crawford's 110 career triples, more than any other active player.

Speed and versatility. These make Carl Crawford one of the most athletic players that still has not won a championship.

Michael Vick

Everyone's favorite Madden player.

During his tenures with the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons, Michael Vick was a human highlight reel, rattling off huge throws and electrifying runs. Many remember Michael Vick's 47-yard touchdown run in overtime against the Vikings.

These highlights illuminate Vick's 5,219 career rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards of a quarterback, ever. Vick's career brings up images of Randall Cunningham or the old Fran Tarkenton before him, as an elusive and dangerous quarterback.

During Virginia Tech's Pro Day workout, Vick ran an official 4.33 40-yard dash. The fastest in NFL history for a quarterback, and only .03 seconds slower than what speedster wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey ran during the 2009 NFL combine.

Vick even ran an unofficial timed 4.25, only one-hundreth of a second slower than Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson.

Michael Vick's resurgence in the NFL with the Eagles has proven to the league that not only is Vick a dynamic rusher, but he is a prominent passer as well. Vick's 52 touchdowns to only 21 interceptions is evidence of that.

A huge testament to his athletic ability is where Michael Vick was drafted. Everyone knows the Falcons took Vick first overall in the NFL draft. Even more impressive, though, the Colorado Rockies drafted him a year earlier—even though Vick had not played baseball since eighth grade!

Randy Moss

Seven time Pro-Bowler, five time All-Pro, NFL's All-Decade team, Fred Bilitnekoff award winner—Randy Moss has hardware across the board...except for a championship.

Randy Moss holds the record for most receiving touchdowns in a single season with 23; most receiving touchdowns as a rookie with 17, and ranks second all-time in receiving touchdowns after only the great Jerry Rice.

The two ways that Randy Moss has been able to acquire so many touchdowns? Blistering speed and a ridiculous vertical.

At Florida State for Randy Moss' freshman football season, Moss ran a 4.25 40-yard dash. As a freshman. Moss' vertical has been reported as 51''—a staggering and seemingly unrealistic vertical jump. This insane jump would make Moss 10' 7'' at the peak of his jump.

This extreme athleticism is the reason that Moss is able to catch touchdown passes like this.

Much like Carl Crawford, Randy Moss was a phenomenal multi-sport athlete in high school. Moss lettered in track, basketball, baseball and football. Moss won state twice in the 100- and 200-meter dash in high school, and was named West Virginia's Mr. Basketball as junior and senior.

However, as excellent as Moss was in basketball, track and baseball, he was still an athlete the likes of which was never seen in football. Parade magazine ranked Moss one of the 50 best high school athletes of all time. The most stunning fact, though, is that legendary Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz called Moss "the best high school football player he's ever seen."

That is special.

Dwight Howard

6' 11'', 265 lb and the biggest deltoids I have ever seen in my entire life.

Dwight Howard epitomizes the word big. From his huge frame to his almost 40-inch vertical, Dwight Howard has dominated the NBA. Howard's 14.5 rebounds per game last season led the league—just as Howard has led the league in rebounding four times over his career and has led the lead in blocks two of his eight seasons.

Dwight Howard's athleticism was most clearly on display during the 2009 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, in which Howard dunked on a 12-and-a-half-foot hoop: the tallest NBA dunk yet.

Dwight Howard also is a monster defensively. In 2011, Howard won the Defensive Player of the Year award for the third consecutive year—becoming the first player in NBA history to do so. Howard is clearly the premier center in the NBA right now, and is currently awaiting his first NBA championship.

Calvin Johnson

Megatron.

Calvin Johnson is the epitome of an athlete. Dubbed a "can't-miss-prospect" after a stunning NFL Combine and All-American awards, Calvin Johnson was ranked the #1 overall prospect coming out of college by Sports Illustrated.

ESPN actually related him to Randy Moss, and expected Calvin Johnson to replicate Randy Moss' rookie numbers. ESPN had plenty of reason to relate Johnson to Moss: at the NFL Combine, Johnson ran a 4.33 40-yard dash, had a vertical jump of 43'', and a broad jump of 11' 7''—what NFL Network analyst Gil Brandt called "the best broad jump he can ever remember an NFL prospect having".

Calvin Johnson uses these freakish athletic abilities to haul down jump balls like this and score long touchdowns like this.

It is no wonder that Calvin Johnson is on the cover of Madden '13 and is a two time All-Pro.

If you need anymore proof of Calvin Johnson's incredible abilities, look at the opening video.