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20th Century Top 50
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Rank |
Profile |
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1
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Jim Brown,
Manhasset
Lettered 13 times at Manhasset High; All-America at Syracuse in football and lacrosse in 1956; ran for 12,312 yards in nine years with Browns.
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2
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
New York
Led Power Memorial Academy to 71 straight wins; three straight national titles at UCLA; six-time NBA MVP scored record 38,387 points.
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3
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Sugar Ray Robinson,
New York
Middleweight was first boxer to win a world title five times; career record of 175-19-6.
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4
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Lou Gehrig,
New York
Batted .340 with 493 home runs and 1,995 RBIs in 17 years with Yankees; played in then-record 2,130 straight games.
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5
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Julius Erving,
Hempstead
ABA sensation wound up leading 76ers to 1982-83 NBA title; league MVP in '80-81.
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6
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Sandy Koufax,
Brooklyn
From 1963 through '66 went 97-27 with 1.86 ERA and 1,228 strikeouts for Dodgers -- then retired, at 30; four no-hitters.
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7
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Vince Lombardi,
Brooklyn
Coached Packers to six conference championships, five NFL crowns and two
Super Bowl titles from
1959 to '67.
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8
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John McEnroe,
Douglaston
Finished season as No. 1 tennis player in the world three times; won four U.S. Opens (1979-81, '84) and three Wimbledons ('81, '83-84); played on five Davis Cup champions.
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9
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Pop Warner,
Springville
Coached Pitt to two national championships and a 59-12-4 mark from 1915 to '23.
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10
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Althea Gibson,
New York
Back-to-back Wimbledon and U.S. singles titles in 1957-58.
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11
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Red Auerbach,
Brooklyn
Eastern District High hoops star coached Celtics to eight straight NBA titles (1959-66); 1965 Coach of the Year
went 1,037-548 over career.
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12
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Walter Hagen,
Rochester
Winner of two U.S. Opens, four British Opens and five PGA Championships between 1914 and '29; had 40 PGA Tour wins.
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13
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Hank Greenberg,
Bronx
First baseman was AL home run king four times, including career-high 58 in 1938;
two-time league MVP.
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14
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Sid Luckman,
Brooklyn
Bears quarterback passed for seven touchdowns in one game in 1943; played in five NFL
title games in seven seasons.
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15
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Gertrude Ederle,
New York
In 1926 became first woman to swim English Channel; cut nearly two hours off men's mark.
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16
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Joe Paterno,
Brooklyn
Penn State football coach since 1966 has won more bowl games (19) than any other coach; won national championships in 1982 and '86.
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17
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Gene Tunney,
New York
Heavyweight champion from 1926 to '28 after beating Jack Dempsey in 10-round decision.
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18
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John McGraw,
Truxton
Hit .334 over 16 years in majors; managed Giants to 10 pennants and three World Series from 1902 to '32.
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19
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Bob Cousy,
St. Albans
Point guard for Holy Cross's 1946-47 NCAA championship team; led NBA in assists eight straight times with Celtics.
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20
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Eddie Collins,
Tarrytown
Won four pennants and three world championships as A's second baseman in 1910s; batted .333 in 25-year career.
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21
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David Stern,
New York
NBA commissioner since 1984; revitalized league with
TV contracts and collective bargaining agreement.
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22
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Gene Sarazen,
Harrison
One of four golfers with career Grand Slam; famous for double eagle on 15th hole of last round of 1935 Masters that forced playoff.
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23
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Al Davis,
Brooklyn
Played baseball at Syracuse; was AFL commissioner when it merged with NFL; owns Raiders.
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24
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Lenny Wilkens,
Brooklyn
In Basketball Hall of Fame as player and coach; most career wins by NBA coach.
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25
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Marvin Miller,
Brooklyn
Executive director of MLB players' union revolutionized salary system; steering players toward unrestricted free agency and arbitration.
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26
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Nancy Lieberman-Cline,
Far Rockaway
Three-time All-America point guard at Old Dominion; youngest member of 1976 silver medal U.S. women's Olympic team.
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27
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Al Oerter,
New Hyde Park
First Olympian to win four gold medals in the same event -- the discus -- from 1956 through '68; set world record four times.
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28
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Benny Leonard,
New York
Knocked out Freddie Welsh for lightweight title in 1917; held belt for eight years; 85-5-1 career mark.
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29
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Roone Arledge,
Merrick
ABC Sports president created Wide World of Sports and Monday Night Football.
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30
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Floyd Patterson,
Brooklyn
Two-time national Golden Gloves champ won Olympic middleweight gold in 1952; became two-time heavyweight champion of the world.
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31
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Warren Spahn,
Buffalo
Most wins by a lefty (363); won 20 or more 13 times with Braves; 1957 Cy Young winner; threw 63 shutouts; tossed two no-hitters after turning 39.
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32
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Carl Yastrzemski,
Bridgehampton
Red Sox leftfielder finished
with 3,419 hits and 1,844 RBIs; won 1967 Triple Crown (.326, 44 homers and 121 RBIs).
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33
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Bob Beamon,
Jamaica
Won 1968 Olympic long jump with leap of 29' 2 1/2" beating world record by nearly two feet.
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34
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Whitey Ford,
Astoria
Yankees lefthander was
Cy Young winner in 1961; alltime World Series win leader, with 10.
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35
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Mike Tyson,
Brooklyn
Youngest heavyweight champion won title at 20 in 1986; jailed for rape in '92; regained belt in '96.
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36
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John Davis,
Brooklyn
Won heavyweight weightlifting gold medal at 1948 and '52 Olympics; set 19 world records in career.
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37
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Rick Carey,
Mount Kisco
Won three straight NCAA 200-meter backstroke titles; 1984 Olympic gold medalist in 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke and 4x100 medley relay.
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38
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John Mackey,
Hempstead
Revolutionized tight end play by making 331 catches for 5,238 yards over 10-year NFL career.
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39
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Pat Riley,
Schenectady
All-America at Kentucky in 1966; drafted by NBA and NFL; played nine NBA seasons, then coached Lakers to four titles.
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40
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Billy Cunningham,
Brooklyn
Led Erasmus Hall High to 1961 New York City basketball title; won '67 NBA title with 76ers; three times All-NBA.
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41
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Joe Durso,
Brooklyn
One-wall handball player won 15 National Outdoor titles (nine singles and six doubles) from 1982 to '94.
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42
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Red Holzman,
Brooklyn
Pro guard for 1945-46 and '50-51 league champion Rochester Royals; coached Knicks to two NBA titles.
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43
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Ralph DePalma,
Brooklyn
Won Indianapolis 500 in 1915; won 2,557 of 2,889 races over 27-year career.
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44
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Connie Hawkins,
Brooklyn
Playground basketball legend; ABA MVP 1967-'68; four-time NBA All-Star in seven seasons.
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45
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Dolph Schayes,
Bronx
Basketball star averaged 18.5 points and 11.3 rebounds for Nationals and 76ers from 1948 to '64; played in 764 consecutive games.
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46
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Frankie Frisch,
Bronx
Infielder helped Giants win four straight pennants and two
World Series; 1931 NL MVP.
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47
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Chamique Holdsclaw,
Astoria
Won four state basketball titles at Christ the King; four-time All-America led Tennessee to three NCAA championships.
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48
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Abie Grossfeld,
New York
Won four NCAA titles at Illinois; world gymnastics champ twice; coached men's U.S. Olympic team in 1972,
'84 and '88.
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49
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Frank McGuire,
New York
Had 100 wins each at three colleges -- St. John's, North Carolina and South Carolina.
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50
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Rocky Graziano,
New York
World middleweight champion (1947-48) known for three brutal brawls with Tony Zale; 67-10-6 (52 KOs) for career.
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