Michael Jordan has been selected as ESPN's athlete of the century, it was announced on Sunday.

Others named into ESPN's top 10 were Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Wayne Gretzky, Jesse Owens, Jim Thorpe, Willie Mays, Jack Nicklaus and Babe Didrikson Zaharias.

Only North Americans are eligible for being nominated.

ESPN's secpnd 10 had Louis, Carl Lewis, Chamberlain, Hank Aaron, Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, Martina Navratilova and Ty Cobb.

Among others named were Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Sugar Ray Robinson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Mark Spitz, Eric Heiden, Edwin Moses, Pete Sampras, O.J. Simpson and Chris Evert. (Xinhua)