By Bryce Kelly
Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time. End of discussion.
As a Bills fan, it pains me to say this. Brady dominated the Buffalo Bills during his time in New England. However, he has dominated everybody. Brady has a record of 230-69 – a winning rate of 74%. Brady has won seven Super Bowls, more than any player or franchise in NFL history. He is also a 14-time Pro Bowler. By the time Brady retires, he will hold almost all passing records in NFL history.
Yet, Brady is not the greatest champion in team sport’s history.
Many people my age who are reading this will think my answer is Michael Jordan. Nope. Jordan only won six NBA championships, while Brady has won seven titles. Brady has been to the Super Bowl 10 times, while Jordan won all six of his NBA Finals’ trips.
So, it’s not Brady. Not MJ. Instead, the best team sports champion is Bill Russell.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Boston Celtics dominated the NBA because of Russell. He was no Robert Horry. Russell was the centerpiece for a team that won 11 championships – four more than Brady. Russell was a different player than Brady, who is arguably the most prolific offensive player in NFL history. Russell is the best defensive player in NBA history as he rebounded unlike anyone other than Wilt Chamberlain.
Russell was a better champion than Brady for two reasons.
One is their respective records in championship games. Brady has an outstanding 7-3 record in Super Bowls. However, Russell has a record in the championship series that will likely never be broken. He went 11-1 in the NBA championship series. The second reason Russell was a better champion than Brady was Russell’s championships compared to seasons played. Brady has won seven championships in 21 seasons in the NFL. That means Brady has won an NFL championship 33% of the time. Russell won 11 championships in 13 seasons played. Russell won an NBA championship 85% of the seasons he played. Russell’s championship percentage is way higher.
One of the arguments for Brady’s greatness is his longevity. Brady has won a championship at 43 years old. Russell won his last championship at age 34. Russell’s number of titles in fewer years than Brady has played is why Russell is a better champion. Another argument against Russell is his competition. The players in the 1950s and 1960s NBA weren’t the greatest athletes, with some even carrying other jobs. Brady is playing in the most competitive, most advanced style of football ever.
However, there is nothing Russell can do about the generation gap. He couldn’t time-travel to the modern-day and play the best form of basketball. Russell played against who he could and dominated.
Another argument against Brady is he isn’t the second-best team champion ever. Yogi Berra won 10 championships with the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s New York Yankees. Joe DiMaggio won nine championships with the Yankees and Henri Richard won 11 Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens.
Brady’s career isn’t finished. He still has time to win even more championships, which could make this debate more of an argument. However, with his total championships and outstanding record in the NBA Finals, Bill Russell is the greatest team champion.
