Sports is one of the cornerstones of modern entertainment. With the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games approaching, along with regional competitions like the Euro 2024, the world is coming together yet again to celebrate the accomplishments of global athletes. Regardless of your favorite sport, there’s perpetually a new season or exhibition game to look forward to.
Along with watching games live, many fans are gearing up to back their favorites with bets. Most sportsbooks cover leagues, teams, and players that span the globe. For example, sportsbooks like DraftKings in sites like OddsChecker, including no-sweat first bets, can be used for a myriad of sports—from Formula One to table tennis to eSports. One of the most common bets is a player prop.
Player props cover outcomes specific to certain players. How many three-pointers will a basketball player sink? Will a high-profile pitcher manage to strike out a heavy hitter in the MLB? Player props allow bettors to zero in on the most competitive athletes to forecast just how impactful their game will be. Unsurprisingly, the more prolific a player, the more props are available at bookies.
These wagers build on the hype of super-fans who follow the world’s most elite athletes. But which ones come out on top in terms of accomplishments and coverage so far this century? Let’s take a closer look at some of the most prolific athletes to compete since the turn of the millennia.
Tom Brady (American football)
When it comes to the NFL, the position of quarterback is easily the most important. As playmakers, quarterbacks are responsible for leading the offensive team and keeping their head on straight during high-profile postseason games, including the Super Bowl.
Tom Brady is a master of the QB position. During his time in the league, he took home seven Super Bowl titles, three NFL MVP nods, two commendations as the offensive player of the year, three first-team All-Pro nominations, and plenty more. Brady also holds the record for ten NFL offensive records.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Football)
The debate continues to rage on whether Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi takes the cake as the world’s best football player of the 21st century.
We’re going to make the case for both. Ronaldo is one of the most elite strikers to ever play the game, holding records for the all-time goal-scorer at Real Madrid, along with records for top goal scorer in the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A.
He also holds the record for the most national caps for the Portuguese national team, and the most goals ever scored in national competitions.
Lionel Messi (Football)
Ronaldo excels at goal-scoring, while Messi has often been hailed as a playmaker. Still, Messi has a penchant for finding the back of the net. He holds the record for the most goals in La Liga history at 474, along with the most hat-tricks ever scored in the Spanish League.
However, Messi holds one huge accomplishment over his competitor: a World Cup title for his national team.
Michael Phelps (Swimming)
Meet the world’s most decorated Olympic competitor, with 28 medals to his name, including 23 gold medals. Most of these medals are from individual events, 13 to be precise.
Michael Phelps excels in the water in a variety of events, but his specialties are the butterfly and medley.
Later, he excelled in freestyle competitions. He won his medals during four different prolific Olympic appearances, starting in Athens in 2004 and culminating in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Usain Bolt (Athletics)
Out of the water, the world’s most decorated track star is Usain Bolt. He excelled in sprinting and currently holds the record for the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 4×100-meter relay. Similar to Phelps, he has plenty of silverware (or goldware) to his name, including eight Olympic gold medals.
But what makes Bolt interesting is that during his prime years, he continued to best his own records. He has broken the 200-meter record twice, along with his 100-meter record.
Tiger Woods (Golf)
Tiger Woods may have appeared in quite a few headlines throughout his career, but there’s no debating that he’s one of the most prolific and accomplished golfers to ever compete. In fact, Woods’ performance was followed from a young age by golf analysts. During his first year as a pro, he took home a Masters victory… with a record-breaking performance that saw
him win by 12 strokes. From 1999 to 2004, Woods took home 13 Majors, instilling him as one of the first truly accomplished athletes of the 21st century.
Serena Williams (Tennis)
Serena Williams is one of the most accomplished athletes of the 21st century. While many would point to other star tennis players, from Rafael Nadal to the recently retired Roger Federer, Williams had a unique hold on the tennis world thanks to her range of talent.
Williams excelled in singles and doubles competitions, along with displaying her ability to compete on hard ground, clay, and grass courts throughout her career. Williams retired with three Career Golden Slams, along with an Olympic gold medal. In total, she finished with 73 career titles.
LeBron James (Basketball)
‘King James’ is a fitting nickname for basketball’s most prolific star. Debates rage over whether LeBron James could outpace Michael Jordan in terms of stats, records, and fame. Alone, James is the all-time top scorer in NBA history. During his time on multiple
NBA franchises, he’s led teams to Finals appearances, nabbing four titles while appearing in eight consecutive championships from 2011 to 2018. James doesn’t look interested in stopping, either. At age 39, he’s the oldest player in the NBA.
Shohei Ohtani (Baseball)
Given the MLB uses a copious amount of stats, the debate never ends about which players are the most accomplished. Shohei Ohtani is in a unique position because he’s a very talented hitter and pitcher—two of the most important positions on any MLB roster.
In 2021, Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to log over ten home runs, over 20 stolen bases, and over 100 strikeouts. The very next year, he was appearing on MLB leaderboards for both pitching and hitting, earning him comparisons to late and great Babe Ruth.
Last year, he signed a ten-year contract worth $700 million, which is the most lucrative and long-term sports contract in history.
