Five Greatest Athletes of the Past Decade

The past decade was an excellent one for sports fans, with lots of entertaining moments throughout.
Obviously, a handful of athletes stood out from the pack, so here are the top five athletes of the last decade.

5. Michael Phelps
Phelps deserves recognition for his impressive performances at the 2008 summer Olympics, snagging up eight gold medals. He proved to be significantly better than his competition, often winning with comfortable margins. Phelps added four more gold medals to his collection at the 2012 Olympics, bringing his total collection of gold medals to 18.

4. LeBron James Given the unprecedented amount of hype he received heading into the NBA, many expected LeBron to falter under the pressure. After failing to win an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron took his talents to South Beach where he has won two titles and Finals MVP awards with the Miami Heat.

3. Tom Brady
The leader of the New England Patriots, Brady remains the most consistent quarterback in the NFL. His presence has been invaluable for the Patriots, leading to three Super Bowl rings, while Brady snagged two Super Bowl MVP awards for himself. Currently, Brady and the legendary John Elway are the only two quarterbacks to carry their teams to five Super Bowl appearances in NFL history.

2. Kobe Bryant Without a doubt, Kobe remains the best player to grace an NBA court since the Michael Jordan era. He is an excellent leader on the court, and his ability to perform under pressure is second to none. With five NBA championships, including two Finals MVP awards, Kobe's spot in the NBA's Hall of Fame is guaranteed.

1. Floyd Mayweather Mayweather isn't just one of the best athletes of the last decade, he's also one of the greatest athletes of all time. His dominance is unparalleled, with 45 consecutive victories as a professional boxer and no losses or draws.
Mayweather's greatness isn't limited to the boxing ring, he's also gifted outside the squared circle. His "Money" persona and shrewd negotiating skills have transformed him into the highest paid athlete in history, consistently selling more pay-per-views than any other boxer alive.