Lacrosse is a sport that has a rich and ancient history, dating back to the tribal games of the indigenous peoples of North America.
The game has evolved, influenced by European settlers and modern rules, and has become one of the most popular sports in the United States and Canada.
Lacrosse is played by both men and women, at various levels of competition, from youth to professional.
Lacrosse players are known for their skill, athleticism, and passion for the game.
Among the many lacrosse players who have graced the field, some have stood out as the best of the best, leaving a lasting legacy and inspiring generations of fans and players.
Here are the top 10 best lacrosse players of all time, based on their achievements, awards, and impact on the sport.
10. Casey Powell
Casey Powell is a retired American lacrosse player who had a successful career in both college and professional lacrosse.
He was a four-time USILA All-American and two-time National Player of the Year at Syracuse University, where he won the 1995 NCAA National Championship.
Casey Powell is the only player in NCAA Division I lacrosse history to earn first-team All-American honors at more than one position.
Powell also had a notable professional career, playing in Major League Lacrosse from 2001 to 2016, ranking sixth in goals (243), second in assists (237), and third in points (484) on the MLL career totals list as of 2017.
He also tops the all-time MLL playoff point chart with 40, winning the MLL Offensive Player of the Year award in 2005 and 2014 and the MVP award in 2014 at age 38.
He represented the United States, playing as the Captain of the US team in the World Lacrosse Championship and the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship, winning a gold medal in 2006 and a silver medal in 2010 and 2014.
9. Oren Lyons
Known as a Native American Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan of the Seneca Nations, Oren Lyons is one of the recognized members of the Onondaga and the Seneca Nations.
A highly recognized college lacrosse player at Syracuse University during his undergraduate years, Lyons later became increasingly active as an advocate for the rights of indigenous peoples.
He is now working as an activist for indigenous and environmental justice and has worked with many communities across the world.
Born and raised on Onondaga and Seneca reservations, Oren Lyons joined the US Army before getting a Syracuse University scholarship.
He played lacrosse for Syracuse University, where he was awarded the Orange Key for his academic and athletic accomplishments.
After completing graduation from the university with a degree in fine arts, he played for club teams for many years.
Lacrosse is considered a traditional sport for the Iroquois. Like other Iroquois, his childhood dream was also to be a lacrosse player.
After finishing his education, this famous activist started his career in commercial art in New York City.
He has done a lot of work for indigenous and backward people throughout his life. Now Lyons is recognized all over the world as an advocate of indigenous rights.
8. Lyle Thompson
Lyle Thompson is a Haudenosaunee professional lacrosse player from the Hawk Clan of the Onondaga Confederacy of the Six Nations of the Grand River.
He is particularly known for his extraordinary stick skills, offensive prowess, and keen playmaking ability.
He is widely regarded as one of the best in the University of Albany’s history and the greatest college lacrosse player.
In his last season of college lacrosse, Thompson won the Tewaaraton Award a second consecutive time.
ESPN lacrosse analyst, Paul Carcaterra, has described Thompson as the most prolific passer in NCAA lacrosse history and being on his ‘Mount Rushmore’ of greatest lacrosse players, alongside attackman Mikey Powell, midfielder Gary Gait, and defenseman David Pietramala.
Thompson has won numerous awards and accolades throughout his career, including being a two-time Tewaaraton Award winner, the Premier Lacrosse League MVP in 2021, and the Premier Lacrosse League Championship MVP in 2022.
He has also been named to the All-World Team three times and won gold medals with the Canadian national team in 2006 and 2014.
7. Brodie Merrill
Brodie Merrill is a Canadian former professional lacrosse player who is widely regarded as one of the best lacrosse player ever, particularly in the defensive and transition positions.
He played both indoor and outdoor lacrosse and achieved many records and awards throughout his career.
Merrill won the Jack Turnbull Award as the top attackman in Division I lacrosse four times, setting a record for his career points.
He is the only player from Syracuse University who won the W.H. Brine Award twice, another record. He also represented the United States in the World Lacrosse Championship in 2002 and 2006.
Merrill achieved many milestones throughout his career, such as being a four-time All-American, a three-time NCAA All-Tournament team member, and the Most Valuable Player at the 2005 Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game.
Premier Lacrosse League recognized Merrill as having revolutionized the long-stick midfielder (LSM) position and is the namesake for the Brodie Merrill LSM of the Year Award.
He played on five Canadian national teams, twice winning gold (2006, 2014). He was also named the World Lacrosse Championships Best Defenseman twice (2006, 2010) and selected to the All-World Team three times (2006, 2010, 2014).
Merrill won three World Indoor Lacrosse Championships representing Canada (2007, 2011, 2015).
He holds the all-time lacrosse records for most career ground balls, PLL/MLL; most career loose balls, NLL (2,778); most career Defensive Player of the Year awards; most career games played, PLL/MLL; and most seasons played in a career.
Merrill was a leader and mentor for many young lacrosse players and was known for his humility, sportsmanship, and passion for the game. He won the Jimmy Regan Teammate Award in 2022, which honors the player who best exemplifies the spirit of the game.
6. Jimmy Lewis
Jimmy Lewis, full name James C. Lewis, is still regarded as a legend in lacrosse.
Lewis was an All-American lacrosse player who played for the Navy from 1964 to 1966.
Originally from Long Island, Jimmy joined the Naval Academy and helped bring change in the way he played lacrosse.
While in the Navy, Lewis led three straight USILA National Championships from 1964 to 1966.
The team was undefeated in these three seasons, and he won the Jack Turnbull Award as the best attackman in the nation.
During his days in the Navy, he also received the title “The Greatest Living Lacrosse Man” from the Baltimore Sun.
Jimmy Lewis was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1981.
His remarkable achievements in the sport were further recognized when he received the Tewaaraton Legends Award from the Tewaaraton Foundation in 2014
5. John Grant Jr.
John Grant Jr. is a Hall of Fame professional lacrosse player who has played in Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the National Lacrosse League (NLL), and the Ontario Lacrosse Association.
He is the son of John Grant Sr., a former star in the Ontario Lacrosse Association and the original Philadelphia Wings.
Grant Jr., also known as “Junior,” faced his former team in the Denver Outlaws, who had rattled off seven straight victories.
He is a Hall of Fame professional lacrosse player who has had remarkable success while playing for Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the National Lacrosse League (NLL), and the Ontario Lacrosse Association.
Grant was named the USILA National Collegiate Player of the Year and was awarded the Jack Turnbull Award as National Attackman of the Year.
He has received numerous awards and accolades, including being a four-time All-Star in both the NLL and MLL, Rookie of the Year in 1999, and Offensive Player of the Year.
Grant has won six NLL Championships with three different teams and has set various records in the sport.
His ability to adapt and excel in both field and indoor lacrosse has solidified his place among the all-time greats in the world of lacrosse.
4. Michael Powell
Mikey Powell, also known as Michael Powell, is widely regarded as one of the greatest lacrosse players of all time and has won numerous awards and accolades throughout his career.
He won the Jack Turnbull Award as the top attackman in Division I lacrosse four times, setting a record for his career points.
He is the only player from Syracuse University who won the W.H. Brine Award twice, another record.
He also represented the United States in the World Lacrosse Championship in 2002 and 2006.
Powell was a four-time All-American, selected for the NCAA All-Tournament team three times, and was named Most Valuable Player at the 2005 Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game.
He was a four-time finalist for the famous Tewaaraton Trophy and is one of two male players across the globe who won the Heisman Trophy twice.
Despite coming from a mediocre family, Powell is recognized as a dream maker in the field of lacrosse.
He is now a singer/songwriter and tours as a solo artist.
3. Paul Rabil
Paul Rabil is one of the most famous lacrosse players in the world, who has been playing the sport since he was 12 years old.
He started his career at DeMatha High School in Maryland, where he led his team to three Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) championships and was named a two-time All-American and a two-time All-State selection.
He also won the 2004 WCAC Player of the Year award.
After graduating from high school, Rabil joined the Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) in 2004. He played for the Cannons until 2008 when he was traded to the New York Lizards.
He helped the Lizards win two MLL championships in 2011 and 2015 and was named a two-time MLL MVP and a two-time MLL All-Star.
In 2008, Rabil also made his debut in the MLL Steinfeld Cup Championship game, where he scored three goals and assisted one on August 8 against the Rochester Rattlers.
The Lizards won the game by a score of 15-12, with Rabil earning the Coca-Cola Player of the Game MVP award for his performance.
Rabil is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders and shooters in lacrosse history. He has also been involved in various charitable and community initiatives, such as co-founding the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) with his brother Mike Rabil in 2020.
The PLL is a professional men’s field lacrosse league that features some of the top players from around the world.
2. Jim Brown
Jim Brown was a former All-American athlete who played for the Cleveland Browns as a star running back, setting records and earning election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
He is also widely considered one of the best lacrosse players ever, and the Premier Lacrosse League MVP Award is named in his honor.
He was a two-time lacrosse All-American and led Syracuse to three consecutive national championships from 1957 to 1959.
Brown’s incredible performances earned him the esteemed title of First Team All-American in 1956, 1957, and 1959.
He was also inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1983, as the first African American to be inducted.
Brown’s impact on the game of lacrosse was significant, as he broke its color barrier and became the first African-American superstar in the game.
He earned unanimous All-America honors in football in 1956 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995.
He is also a member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and the Lacrosse Magazine All-Century Team.
1. Gary Gait
Gary Gait is widely considered as the best lacrosse player of all time.
He is a Canadian retired Hall of Fame professional lacrosse player and currently the head coach of the Syracuse University men’s lacrosse team, a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference men’s lacrosse conference.
He is a three-time winner of NCAA titles as a player for Syracuse (1988-90) and was a 10-time NCAA champion.
Gait also worked as an assistant coach of the women’s lacrosse team at Maryland from 1995-01.
Gait is well-known all over the world for his athletic spirit, he enjoyed success at every level of the game.
No matter how challenging the game was, he never gave up hope.
While on the team at Syracuse, he earned three times first-team All-America honors and helped the Orange team to win three NCAA titles.
In those years, he also won the award named “Player of the Year” twice, and in 2004 and 2005, he received the NLL Sportsmanship Award twice. During his career, he achieved many NLL scoring records.
The Orangemen defeated Cornell Big Red 13-8 for the first of their three straight NCAA titles in the 1988 NCAA men’s lacrosse championship played at Syracuse University.
This Syracuse team is notorious for being undefeated and featuring the Gait brothers, Paul Gait and Gary Gait, as well as lacrosse Hall-of-Famer Tom Marechek.
The NCAA tournament where Gary Gait took his famous “Air Gait” shot at the University of Pennsylvania in a tight semi-final game is also significant.
The “Air Gait” is a move where Gait jumped from behind the goal and dunked the ball over the crossbar while in mid-air.
This move was later outlawed in the NCAA, but it remains one of the most iconic moments in lacrosse history.
The athletes listed above are the top 10 lacrosse players of all time.
Their talent, dedication, and love for the game have won them an honored place in history and the emotions of lacrosse fans around the world.
These players have made an indelible impact on the sport of lacrosse, from establishing benchmarks to winning multiple championships.
While many other talented players could have made this list, these ten stick out for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the game.
They serve as an inspiration to aspiring lacrosse players, as well as a reflection of the amazing skill and athleticism found in this interestingly different sport.