What is greatness? If it is ability, Diego Maradona, who died Wednesday of a heart attack aged 60, had it in abundance. He had extraordinary technical ability, a majestic left foot, supreme balance and tactical awareness. He was a player who elevated others alongside him. But greatness is also narrative. Lionel Messi is probably as talented as Maradona, and he will, over the course of his career, have won more titles, scored more goals and produced more consistently at the highest level. But he has never stirred the Argentinian heart as Maradona did. Narrative demands dark to go with the light, and with Maradona there was plenty of that as well.
Measuring Maradona's Greatness, Gravity Goes Well Beyond the Trophies and Stats
