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Lakers' LeBron James lands behind 3 superstar athletes on ESPN's Top 100 of 21st century


LeBron James is easily one of the greatest athletes of all time. The star forward has been dominating the league for 21 seasons and counting, and he's shown no signs of slowing down to this point. Everyone knows that he's the greatest basketball player to take the court since the turn of the century, but is he the greatest athlete since the turn of the century?

A list was put out by ESPN recently that ranked the top 100 athletes of the 21st century, and everyone figured that LeBron would come in towards the top of the list. While he was easily the highest ranked basketball player, he ended up settling in at fourth on the list. The three athletes who came in ahead of him (from 1-3) were Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, tennis star Serena Williams, and soccer legend Lionel Messi.

NBA star LeBron James coaches from the bench during the Strive for Greatness and Mokan Elite basketball game at the fourth day of the Nike Peach Jam at Riverview Park Activities Center.Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale-USA TODAY Network

Coming in behind these three superstars is nothing to be ashamed about. Phelps is easily the greatest swimmer of all time, as he's won 23 Olympic gold medals, including a record-setting eight at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His consistent greatness on arguably the biggest global stage sports has to offer helped him earn the top spot on this list.

Behind him is Williams, who is a 23-time major champion, which is the second most of any tennis player of all-time. And then in third was Messi, who has been at the top of the soccer world for as long as James has been in the basketball world. It's clear all of these athletes are legends, and it's incredibly tough to choose between them.

Basketball fans will obviously be biased, but it's fair to wonder whether James should be higher. He still has time to add to his legacy, and another championship with the Lakers certainly wouldn't hurt. But considering all he's accomplished, and all the records he already holds, should he be in one of the top three spots?

Truthfully, it's tough to tell, as you can't really go wrong with any of these star athletes once you get to the top. Heck, Tom Brady, who is widely considered the greatest player in NFL history, came in behind James on this list at number five, so maybe coming in at four isn't all that bad.

Regardless, James should be thrilled to earn a spot this high on the list, as it goes to show how secure his legacy is in not just the world of basketball, but the world of sports as a whole. And as he prepares for his mind-boggling 22nd season in the NBA, it will be worth keeping an eye on his performance to see if he can somehow continue to add to his already well-established legacy.

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