My dad always used to talk about Muhammad Ali, and the way he was the biggest thing in the world of sports. I have watched most of the fights, and recognize the social impact he had as well and I would just love to see him fight Tyson one time. He also had Jack Nicklaus to enjoy for all of those majors on Sundays and I don’t want to discount him. I just want to take a look at my two, that I’ve been so lucky to have witnessed. I have seen no greater in my existence in sports than Tiger Woods and LeBron James. Nobody has made my sports life better than these two phenoms.

I have been a golf nerd for my entire life, so I was the only grade schooler I knew watching Tiger Woods win amateur title after amateur title whenever it was on television. I knew I would never play like him, but he was mesmerizing to watch from the very beginning. Early on with the Nike sponsorship and campaigns I remember my mom saying that one of her students after significant improvement and killing a test, turned it over and wrote, ‘I am Tiger Woods’ on the back from the ads. There has never been a greater democratization of the game of golf than when Tiger made everyone want to play.

My high school went to state one of the years that LeBron and company were also involved, and I remember watching their game from the hotel in the morning before ours. He has also been there for me throughout my life, and I want to dispel something that has been a lifelong stain on our sports history as a fellow Ohioan. There was a hatred for LeBron among Ohio people that I never felt when he left, and it was totally unjustified. Jesse Owens to Jim Brown to LeBron James we should feel lucky to have had any of these legends in Ohio, and LeBron has never, and will never, owe you anything. Enjoy that title Dan Gilbert, you don’t deserve it, and you can shove that letter you wrote up your ignorant ass.

The 1997 Masters win by Tiger was indescribably inspiring, seeing a black man dominate and infuriate a stuck up white sport was that revolutionary moment that is only possible in sports. This couldn’t be more personified than by the real time reaction by fellow player Fuzzy Zoeller at the event, ‘You know what you guys do when he gets in here? You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year. Got it.’ Tiger won by 12 strokes that year and that’s the biggest middle finger you could give all the racists, Radio Raheem would be proud.

I was in Paris when I opened my laptop and saw the news of ‘The Decision.’ I couldn’t have been happier for him to go and play with his friend Wade, and ‘go to college’ as he described it. Those four years in Miami were so much fun to watch, and I don’t wanna hear about some Ray Allen bailout 3, LeBron was that team. Erik Spoelstra may have had the greatest juggling act in NBA history dealing with that group, but he deserves credit too, and is very likable. In the end I just wish they would have won all four years, but I don’t fault LeBron for a thing.

The 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines win, for me, is one of the most heroic victories in all of sport. I would put it up there with Jesse Owens sticking it to Hitler at the Olympics, or the, ‘do you believe in miracles? Yes!’ hockey victory over the Soviets. Tiger walking the long south course with a broken leg to win on arguably golf’s toughest test of the year was heroic. He birdied the final hole on Sunday to force a playoff, meaning he would have to walk another 18 holes on the broken leg to win it on Monday. This was simply a testament to his will to do anything to win, and what any athlete should strive for.

Then last night, LeBron James passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all time scoring leader with a shot that was eerily reminiscent, from the same spot, of Jordan’s game winner against the Jazz in 1998. There is an argument about all time players to be had, it’s LeBron for me, the fact that he now has the most points ever in the game when he spent most of his career not being a points chaser is astonishing. It’s been a joy to watch these two legends, and seeing them beat Steph Curry and Phil Michelson has been an absolute joy.