It ain’t easy being the G.O.A.T.
Over the course of a career, people start referring to you as the Greatest Of All Time, a sign that you’re living large and all your dreams have come true.
But soon you realize it’s an impossible standard to live up to, and not everything you touch will turn to gold. Even G.O.A.T.s have bad days, or a bad season, or even a bad end to their career.
Michael Jordan wound up a Washington Wizard. Babe Ruth ended his career with the Boston Braves. Tiger Woods is now just another golfer trying to make a cut on those rare occasions he’s physically able to compete.
Seldom have we seen so many G.O.A.T.s go through such hard times as we’ve seen in 2024, even as their legacies remained mostly intact. Here are eight alleged G.O.A.T.s and their latest challenges:
Tiger Woods: The 48-year-old golfing legend made only five starts on the tour in 2024, withdrawing from the Genesis Invitational, finishing 60th at the Masters and missing the cut at the PGA Championship, the U.S, Open and the British Open. Woods announced in September he underwent back surgery again and has pain in his legs. He returns to action this weekend with his son, Charlie, at the PNC Championship, after skipping the Hero World Challenge last week. “I’m not physically ready to compete at this level,” Woods admitted.
Bill Belichick: The head coach with the most Super Bowl titles (6) and worst sideline wardrobe was fired by New England in January after 24 seasons, only 15 wins shy of surpassing Don Shula for most career wins (347), including the playoffs. It seemed like a no-brainer that some team would hire Belichick in ’24, but only the Atlanta Falcons showed any interest, and not enough to give him the power he craves. Before Belichick could test the market this offseason, he opted to take the head coaching vacancy at North Carolina, a school that hasn’t won a conference title since 1980. According to an ESPN report, Belichick and his advisors looked at possible NFL openings and “deemed the Chicago Bears were probably the most attractive job, but that team brass was unlikely to consider Belichick.” It can’t get much more depressing for a G.O.A.T. than believing a franchise as inept as the Bears wouldn’t consider you for its head coaching vacancy.
Michael Jordan: “His Airness” has been proclaimed the G.O.A.T. in basketball since his prime with the Bulls, and even though LeBron James became the all-time NBA scoring leader in 2023, many still consider Jordan the greatest ever. But being the G.O.A.T. doesn’t increase the value of your property, as Jordan discovered while trying to sell his Highland Park mansion. He originally priced it at $29 million in 2012 and subsequently reduced the asking price to as low as $14.855 million. The digits added up to his uniform number of 23, which also is emblazoned on the mansion’s front gate. Jordan’s obvious mistake was that only a few No. 23s in Chicago sports could afford to buy it — and Robin Ventura, Devin Hester and Ryne Sandberg apparently were not in the market for a Highland Park mansion. So Jordan eventually sold it this month for $9.4 million, taking the “L.” He’s still a billionaire, so the only real damage was to his ego.
LeBron James: For months before and after the NBA draft we read about LeBron and his son, Bronny, making history playing together on the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers picked Bronny in the second round to make it happen, but he played in only seven games, averaging 2.6 minutes and making only one of eight field goal attempts before being sent to the G League. LeBron, meanwhile, is averaging 22.8 points per game, his lowest since his rookie season in 2003-04. It’s still impressive for a 39-year-old, but age is taking a toll. James missed action last week with left foot soreness and admitted: “It’s not behind me. It’s an everyday thing.”
Wayne Gretzky: The greatest player in NHL history is in danger of seeing his mark of 895 career goals falling, though he got a brief reprieve last month when Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin suffered a fractured fibula. Ovechkin is only 27 goals from breaking the record and was back skating in practice this week. Gretzky will always be known as “The Great One,” but Ovechkin could break his record by the end of the season if he scores at his normal pace. He won’t replace Gretzky in the minds of most hockey fans, but he can claim the title of G.O.A.T.
Justin Tucker: The Baltimore Ravens veteran is a probable Hall of Famer and acclaimed as the greatest NFL kicker of all time. But will that still save his job? Tucker, 35, has missed six of 27 field goal attempts this season, a 70.4 percentage that’s second-worst among kickers with 20 or more attempts. He’s also missed two extra points. After Tucker missed two field goals and an extra point in a 24-19 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, coach John Harbaugh said he was not planning a change in kickers. How long will that last?
Tom Brady: Being referred to as the greatest quarterback in NFL history helped Brady command a 10-year, $375 million contract from Fox Sports to be its No. 1 analyst. But in his first year, Brady has yet to stand out or show why he deserved to replace the former No. 1, Greg Olsen, one of the best in the game.
Mike Tyson: Getting knocked out by 42-1 underdog Buster Douglas in 1990 ended Tyson’s real claim at being the G.O.A.T, but he was still the most dominant heavyweight of his era and the last boxer with worldwide name recognition. Tyson, 58, said before his much-hyped, eight-round fight with 27-year-old Jake Paul that he didn’t care about his legacy, then proved it with a lackluster effort in a loss to the YouTube star that reportedly drew around 100 million viewers on Netflix. Tyson said he was confused and blacked out during the fight. “The day after (the fight) I woke up and said to my wife, ‘Why did I do that?’” he said on a podcast. “I just don’t know what the hell was going on.” Neither did the viewers, as the streaming service kept buffering all night.
