Floyd Mayweather Says He Was Athlete Of The Decade, Not LeBron James

Floyd Mayweather disagrees with the Associated Press’ choice for Athlete of the Decade. During a recent appearance on Drink Champs, the undefeated fighter explained to N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN that LeBron James was the wrong choice for the award, as reported by Complex. 

“I love LeBron James, but when we talking about Athlete of the Decade, that’s me,” Floyd said. “That’s me. Hands down.

“We talking about from 1996 to 2020 and I’ve never received Athlete of the Decade,” Floyd continued. “At the top of Forbes and I’m my own boss.” 

Mayweather believes the decision not to choose him came down to sponsorships: “No Gatorade behind me, no Sprite behind me, no Nike behind me,” Floyd explained. “You got to realize, these are billion-dollar companies. And we like to call it ‘placement.’ So if they paying—you get what you want if you paying enough. But if we going off just honestly, I’m the Athlete of the Decade. Of the last two decades actually.”

Mayweather boasts an unprecedented 50-0 record as a boxer; however, LeBron James appeared in eight straight NBA Finals, won three MVP awards, and was arguably the most influential athlete of the last decade. James was also named the AP’s Athlete of the Year three times.