I think I'm going to go with Lebron.  Doesn't have any asterixis sniffing around his accomplishments.

On 1/27/2021 at 12:01 PM, TheDeuce said:

Man... you could go a billion different ways with this. 

You could make an argument that it's harder to do in the NFL because it really takes a full team effort to get there. Offense, defense, special teams. Whereas in the NBA, two superstars can get you to The Finals depending on the year. 

You could also make an argument that it's harder to do it in the NBA because there are more games not only in the season, but also in the post season. Two wins gets you to the Super Bowl... What is it, 12 or 16 games it takes just to get to The Finals in the NBA?

I think more games and series playoffs and finals makes it easier in the NBA. Can't have 1 bad day in the NFL playoffs.

17 minutes ago, El Diablo said:

I think more games and series playoffs and finals makes it easier in the NBA. Can't have 1 bad day in the NFL playoffs.

True, that's another way to look at it. 

2 hours ago, MJAlltheWay24 said:

I think I'm going to go with Lebron.  Doesn't have any asterixis sniffing around his accomplishments.

While some may dismiss this, it is a valid point.

What Patriot is number 2 in Super Bowl appearances and how many?

I think you have to give the nod to Brady what he has accomplished is more impressive to me for three reasons. 

One, it's been speculated by those that currently rank high school prospects that had there been a star rating system back then Brady would have only been a low to mid 4 star prospect.  He was drafted 199th overall into the NFL.  With LeBron, I can remember seeing rankings that had him listed as the nations best high school player from his sophomore year, and he was the consensus #1 pick in the NBA draft.  

Two, Brady is the only person that will have ever appeared in 10 Super Bowls.  Whereas LeBron is one of four men to have appeared in at least 10 NBA Finals.  While I think it is likely that LeBron will reach or surpass Russell's 12 appearances, currently he does not lead his sport in that regard.  

Three, Brady will be playing in this upcoming Super Bowl at 43 years old.  LeBron is 8 years younger as he was 35 at the time that the most recent NBA Finals were completed.  Whether or not he would still be able to play at the NBA's highest level remains to be seen.  

 

 

 

19 minutes ago, Voice of Reason said:

What Patriot is number 2 in Super Bowl appearances and how many?

Stephen Gostkowski played in 6 Super Bowls with the Patriots.

On 1/27/2021 at 12:40 PM, TheDeuce said:

LeBron is the best athlete of all time. I'm not sure there's really a lot of debate to be had there. 

I would agree in terms of team sports, and I guess it depends on how you define athleticism, but I think that perhaps some Olympians could be in the conversation.  

5 minutes ago, Irish Cat said:

I would agree in terms of team sports, and I guess it depends on how you define athleticism, but I think that perhaps some Olympians could be in the conversation.  

Absolutely. In regards to LeBron, I was thinking in terms of team sports. 

On 1/27/2021 at 11:56 AM, bugatti said:

Each have made 10 appearances in the final round of their respective sports. Brady has appeared in 10 Super Bowls in 19 years of starting (not counting his rookie year when he didn't play or in '08 when he was injured). LeBron has made 10 NBA Finals in 17 seasons (now in his 18th season).

I am not talking who has performed better in the Finals, but the feat of making it to the final round. Is it harder to do in the NFL or NBA?

Both are very impressive and the fact Brady is going to the Super Bowl this year, after switching teams and at his age, is just insane.  

However, I would point out that there is a person who has an even more impressive resume' than either, but let's just compare him to Brady since both are Qbs.  He went to 10 championship games and won seven in the ten years he played professional football.  That means he got his team into the championship game 100% of the seasons he played.  Brady is at 50%.  And he won the championship game 70% of the seasons he played.  Brady is at 32%.  Nobody can compare to the Cleveland Browns' Otto Graham.  I know, I know, he started out in the AAFC.  But it is demonstrable that the best team in the AAFC was better than the best team in the NFL at the time.  

I know I'll have to do my own cheering at these facts.  But his record is simply unheard of in major professional sports and it is the reason Browns fans are so rabid and so loyal.  

Back to your discussion on Lebron and Brady.  

20 hours ago, El Diablo said:

I think more games and series playoffs and finals makes it easier in the NBA. Can't have 1 bad day in the NFL playoffs.

By the same token, get hot for just 3 games and your team is in the Superbowl. 

Get hot for 3 games in the NBA and you're just making it to the second round and have to start all over again.

While the QB is very important to team success, Tom has had several pedestrian games where the rest of the got the job done more so than him. LeBron's teams don't win a game let alone a series without him basically being the best performer on the court in each win.

I'm NOT a fan of either, but I think LeBron has been more responsible for his teams success than Tom has been. I think there are 6 or 7 other QB'S that in the same circumstances could have been just as successful in New England. What player could have replaced LeBron on his teams over the last 19 years and made his team as successful?

Brady heading to 10th Super Bowl appearance. Closest NFL players are 2 players at 6, a kicker and defensive lineman. So only 3 players have made more than 5 Super Bowls.

LeBron is one of 4 players with 10 NBA finals appearances - Russell 12, Sam Cooke 11 and Kareem 10. There are 32 NBA players with more than 5 NBA finals appearances.

Using those numbers, this isn't even debatable. Brady's 10th appearance is much more impressive, especially as the QB of his team.

2 hours ago, Jumper_Dad said:

By the same token, get hot for just 3 games and your team is in the Superbowl. 

Get hot for 3 games in the NBA and you're just making it to the second round and have to start all over again.

While the QB is very important to team success, Tom has had several pedestrian playoff games where the rest of team got the job done more so than him. LeBron's teams don't win a game let alone a series without him basically being the best performer on the court in each win.

I'm NOT a fan of either, but I think LeBron has been more responsible for his teams success than Tom has been. I think there are 6 or 7 other QB'S that in the same circumstances could have been just as successful in New England. What player could have replaced LeBron on his teams over the last 19 years and made his team as successful?

 

On 1/30/2021 at 8:47 AM, Jumper_Dad said:

 What player could have replaced LeBron on his teams over the last 19 years and made his team as successful?

Jordan if he were the same age as Lebron?

 

I bring that up because last night I asked the question, who dominated their sport more, Jordan or Brady?

9 minutes ago, Bert said:

Jordan if he were the same age as Lebron?

 

I bring that up because last night I asked the question, who dominated their sport more, Jordan or Brady?

I would argue during peak Jordan nobody dominated like he did. Brady and LeBron both get the longevity award, though, for playing at as high of a level as they do. The attention to health and nutrition are next level now (as well as luck).