Jimmy White reveals who he believes are the greatest players ever to pick up a cue. The 63-year-old “Whirlwind” has seen it all in a 40-plus-year career — and he knows greatness when he sees it. Here are his dream teams.

Jimmy White reveals who he believes are the greatest players ever to pick up a cue. The 63-year-old “Whirlwind” has seen it all in a 40-plus-year career — and he knows greatness when he sees it. Here are his dream teams.

 

 

Few players in snooker history are as qualified as Jimmy White to judge true greatness. From battling through the game’s toughest eras to sharing the table with multiple generations of champions, White’s career has spanned a period of extraordinary change and talent. A six-time World Championship finalist and one of the sport’s most beloved figures, he has played against — and learned from — almost everyone who matters.

For White, greatness isn’t just about trophy counts or statistics. It’s about touch, bottle, timing, and the ability to rise when the pressure is suffocating. That perspective shapes his dream selections, blending natural talent with competitive steel.

At the heart of any all-time conversation is Ronnie O’Sullivan. White has long been an admirer of the Rocket’s unique skill set, and it’s easy to see why. O’Sullivan’s effortless cue action, unmatched break-building, and longevity at the very top put him in a category of his own. According to White, Ronnie’s ability to dominate across multiple decades — while still playing with freedom and flair — sets him apart from everyone else.

Stephen Hendry is another automatic inclusion. White faced Hendry during the Scot’s reign of dominance in the 1990s, a period many still regard as the most ruthless era the game has known. Hendry’s mental strength, relentless scoring, and total control over matches changed what it meant to be a champion. For White, Hendry wasn’t just winning — he was redefining standards.

Then there’s Steve Davis, the man who ushered snooker into the modern age. White’s rivalry with Davis was one of the sport’s defining storylines in the 1980s, contrasting Davis’s ice-cold precision with White’s attacking flair. Davis’s consistency, professionalism, and appetite for improvement laid the groundwork for every champion who followed. In White’s eyes, you can’t talk about greatness without acknowledging the pioneer who raised the bar.

White’s dream teams also make room for pure cueing brilliance. Players like Alex Higgins and Judd Trump embody the fearless, crowd-pleasing side of snooker. Higgins brought chaos, charisma, and raw genius to the table, inspiring generations to play the game with imagination. Trump, meanwhile, represents the modern evolution of attacking snooker — combining outrageous shot-making with a championship mindset honed over time.

What makes White’s selections compelling is the balance. His dream line-ups aren’t built solely on titles or eras, but on impact. These are players who changed matches, changed mindsets, and changed the game itself.

After more than four decades at the highest level, Jimmy White’s view carries a certain weight. He’s seen greatness up close, felt it across the table, and measured himself against it. And while debates about the greatest will never truly end, when the Whirlwind speaks, the snooker world listens.