When Lebron James was in high school, he led his high school team to win the high school basketball tournament beating the best-rated team in the final. When Lewis Hamilton of Formula One was still a teenager, he was winning most of the racing competitions he entered in prodigious ways. Serena Williams’s teenage exploits retired many to be Tennis greats in her journey to greatness. Her game defined strength, precision, and diversity. These 3 individuals are on the cusp of becoming the greatest in their sports. To many of their followers, they are already the greatest taking into consideration what they have achieved cumulatively in and out of the field of play. To others, they cannot be compared to the greats of yesteryears because those eras had their peculiarities. Lebron James’ stats is better than Michael Jordan’s in many instances. Lewis Hamilton will be equaling and exceeding Michael Schumacher’s record number of 7 championships and other milestones this season. The records, tournaments, and grand slams Serena Williams has, including her off-court achievements and Olympic medals, makes her a better candidate as the greatest in her sport. So, why have they not been declared as the greatest already?
Most comparisons of this sort are wrought with biases and unfair metrics. Years ago, when the football world was deciding about the greatest footballer in the history of the game, the conclusions or votes were along age lines. Older voters who witnessed Pele voted him as the greatest. And younger lovers of the game voted Maradona, whom they witnessed. This is often the way voting patterns emerge. Our decisions are influenced by the set of information available to us or what we are familiar with and often personal biases. Occasionally, there are exceptions to this rule especially in politics where ethnic and religious biases skew our judgments more. It is amazing how Christians like me whitewash all the evil and unreasonable deeds of Trump and demonize Biden with the slightest malfeasance that is not slight in the perception of those who do not support him. Just as many Islamic northerners in Nigeria will support Buhari regardless of how incompetent his administration has been. Ultimately, facts are sacrosanct. In terms of goals scored, the number of world cup won, and conduct within and outside the field of play which helped Mohammed Ali to be declared the greatest in Boxing, Pele is undisturbedly the greatest footballer yet.
Coming back to Serena, Lewis, and Lebron, time will tell. Most great men and women are not appropriately appreciated when they are still active in the activity that made them great, especially if there was an earlier dominant personality who has already been declared the greatest. In another ten years, our perception will be different when they are retired from their sports and all their concluded stats and achievements are before us. The question I ask myself and I will ask you is, what differentiates these mortals from the rest of humanity? And can I also be in contention for a local or global debate on greatness in my field of expertise? My answer to myself and you is yes. I believe there is a seed of greatness in every boy or girl that becomes a man and woman. Between the space of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, you must discover, develop, and deploy your God-given abilities to bless the world in your specific calling. Your call might be in sports, entertainment, business, or academics. Your happiness, relevance, and fulfillment in life depend on your ability to discover, develop, and deploy your gift to the world. Your level of expertise or professionalism will determine how great or ordinary you become.
Ata Ukuta, Editor- www.towncryyers.com