By Stanley E. Fawcett, A. Michael Knemeyer, Amydee M. Fawcett and Sebastian Brockhaus ·
July 6, 2021
GOAT! It’s a little word, but it drives passionate debate in the sports world. Ardent fans argue vehemently over who is their sport’s GOAT—Greatest of All Time. They rely on statistics, point to lifetime achievements and call out head-to-head match ups. Still, the question almost always goes unanswered. How do you compare the greats of any sport across eras—especially as technology, training and everything else (including the rules of the game) continue to change?
You can’t expect any athlete to play, and win, “against ghosts, past, present or future.”
Now, with that disclaimer front and center, we’ll make the case for two GOATs. Let’s start the debate by asking: “Who was the most outstanding player on the best team in professional sports history?” If you are a sports fanatic, you may be disappointed the question is so easy. If you are not an avid sports fan, you may have guessed the right team even if you struggled to identify the player’s name. We’ve given you a moment to think and here’s the answer: Bill Russell is the player, and his team is the Boston Celtics of the 1960s.
Russell led the Celtics to 11 National Basketball Association championships in 13 seasons, including nine of 10 championships in the 1960s. Now consider this: The last two championships came in 1968 and 1969 when Russell didn’t just play as a Celtic but also coached the Celtics—the first black head coach in any U.S. professional sports league. This unprecedented, and never repeated, run of success led Sports Illustrated to name Bill Russell as the “greatest team player on the greatest team ever.”
By Stanley E. Fawcett, A. Michael Knemeyer, Amydee M. Fawcett and Sebastian Brockhaus ·
July 6, 2021
GOAT! It’s a little word, but it drives passionate debate in the sports world. Ardent fans argue vehemently over who is their sport’s GOAT—Greatest of All Time. They rely on statistics, point to lifetime achievements and call out head-to-head match ups. Still, the question almost always goes unanswered. How do you compare the greats of any sport across eras—especially as technology, training and everything else (including the rules of the game) continue to change?
You can’t expect any athlete to play, and win, “against ghosts, past, present or future.”
Now, with that disclaimer front and center, we’ll make the case for two GOATs. Let’s start the debate by asking: “Who was the most outstanding player on the best team in professional sports history?” If you are a sports fanatic, you may be disappointed the question is so easy. If you are not an avid sports fan, you may have guessed the right team even if you struggled to identify the player’s name. We’ve given you a moment to think and here’s the answer: Bill Russell is the player, and his team is the Boston Celtics of the 1960s.
Russell led the Celtics to 11 National Basketball Association championships in 13 seasons, including nine of 10 championships in the 1960s. Now consider this: The last two championships came in 1968 and 1969 when Russell didn’t just play as a Celtic but also coached the Celtics—the first black head coach in any U.S. professional sports league. This unprecedented, and never repeated, run of success led Sports Illustrated to name Bill Russell as the “greatest team player on the greatest team ever.”
July 7, 2021
Subscribe to Supply Chain Management Review Magazine!
Subscribe today. Don’t Miss Out!
Get in-depth coverage from industry experts with proven techniques for cutting supply chain costs and case studies in supply chain best practices.
Start Your Subscription Today!
