YOU’RE THE GREATEST

Who is the greatest athlete of the 1900s? The answer might be different in New York or London than in Los Angeles, the city that twice hosted the Olympic Games, that cherished Jackie Robinson not only as a giant in race relations but as a four-sport star at UCLA, that marveled at the wizardry of Gretzky and Koufax, Magic and Kareem.

The Times assembled a panel of distinguished Southern California sports figures and asked them to provide a local perspective. Times staffers compiled a list of more than 200 of the finest athletes of the 1900s, from football to figure skating and track and field to tennis. Voters were then asked to rank their top 50 athletes, using the criteria of impact on his or her sport, championships and titles, longevity, pure skills, worldwide recognition and character. Voters could weigh each factor as they saw fit, so the definition of greatness varied with each voter.

Each first-place vote was worth 50 points, each second-place vote 49 points, each third-place vote 48 points, and so on until each 50th-place vote, worth one point.

PANELISTS WITH THEIR TOP THREE CHOICES

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Anita DeFrantz, vice president of the International Olympic Committee.

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Pele

3. Babe Didrikson

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Al Franken, longtime Southern California track promoter.

1. Carl Lewis

2. Michael Jordan

3. Jack Nicklaus

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Mike Garrett, USC athletic director and Heisman Trophy winner.

1. Babe Ruth

2. Muhammad Ali

3. Pele

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Don Klosterman, former general manager, Los Angeles Rams.

1. Jim Thorpe

2. Babe Ruth

3. Michael Jordan

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Al Michaels, ABC broadcaster.

1. Jim Thorpe

2. Babe Ruth

3. Michael Jordan

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Ann Meyers Drysdale, broadcaster and four-time All-American basketball player at UCLA.

1. Jackie Robinson

2. Jesse Owens

3. Muhammad Ali

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Jim Rome, nationally syndicated sports talk show host.

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Michael Jordan

3. Babe Ruth

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Sigi Schmid, Galaxy coach, won three NCAA champion-ships as men’s soccer coach at UCLA.

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Michael Jordan

3. Pele

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Leigh Steinberg, prominent football agent.

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Babe Ruth

3. Michael Jordan

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Dave Taylor, King general manager and former player on the Kings’ famous “Triple Crown Line.”

1. Michael Jordan

2. Wayne Gretzky

3. Muhammad Ali

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Bill Walton, broadcaster, three-time All-American basketball player at UCLA, member of 1977 NBA champion Portland Trail Blazers.

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Bill Russell

3. Michael Jordan

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John Wooden, coached UCLA men’s basketball team to an unmatched 10 national championships.

1. Jackie Robinson

2. Babe Ruth

3. Michael Jordan

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Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times Sports Editor

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Babe Ruth

3. Michael Jordan

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Mal Florence, Times Staff Writer

1. Jackie Robinson

2. Jim Thorpe

3. Michael Jordan