After Beating the Likes of LeBron James, Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant Once Hold the Top Position in a Prestigious American Poll

The American world of sports is blessed with n number of greats. For many decades the land of the free has given birth to legends from different sporting domains. However back in 2010, a study revealed how Tiger Woods and the late Kobe Bryant shared the top seat in a room full of notable athletes. Check out how both legends stood out from the rest.

Woods is widely considered the greatest golfer of all time. His 82 professional wins which also include his 15 Major titles, helped him popularize the sport to international audiences. As Tiger grew his realm in the 18-hole game in the late 90s, a young LA Laker named Kobe Bryant also kept his eye on dominating the NBA for the coming decades.

He won 5 NBA titles and two NBA Finals MVPs to be regarded as one of the greatest basketballers. Albeit both men have an end number of accolades in their respective sports, which other feat did both men achieve 13 years ago?

Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant share the podium at the number one position

In 2010, Bryant won his fifth and final Larry O’Brien trophy after defeating Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. His prominent performance in the series earned him the Finals MVP honor. As the Laker was flying high with success, Woods was undergoing troubles in his personal life.

The legendary golfer’s infidelity scandal became public and was under massive public scrutiny for it. Deeming to the allegations, Tiger was undergoing a divorce from his wife of six years, Elin Nordegren. Nonetheless, his legacy in the sport of golf overpowered his off-course controversy, earning him the title of America’s Favorite Sports Stars.

The poll was conducted by research firm Harris Interactive among 2,227 adults online from June 14th to 21st of 2010. Tiger Woods peaked the list at the number one position with no disturbance, initially. Later on 17th June, as Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to defeat the Celtics, there was a sudden shift in his popularity, eventually making him share the number-one position with Woods.

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As both legends stood tall and away from the rest, which other athletes were there on the list?

Which legends are below Woods and Bryant in the list?

The list of sporting greats was then followed by MLB Hall of Famer and former New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter at the number three position. Legendary Quarterbacks Brett Favre and Peyton Manning followed the Yankee star with 4th and 5th positions respectively.

The NBA All time top scorer, LeBron James, slipped from third to sixth position in the final list. Another list of America’s Favorite Female Sports Stars was released by the same researchers who revealed Serena Williams led the poll. She was followed by her sister Venus, who finished second on the list.

It’s been 13 years since the list was released, and a lot has changed. Most players on the list have retired, while some are in the final phase of their legendary careers. Nonetheless, if another list is released in the coming years, who will top it? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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