Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year

Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated has annually presented the Sportsman of the Year award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement." Both Americans and non-Americans are eligible, though in the past the vast majority of winners have been from the United States. Both men and women have won the award, originally called "Sportsman of the Year" and renamed "Sportswoman of the Year" or "Sportswomen of the Year" when applicable. Since 2015, the official title of the award has been Sportsperson of the Year.

Tiger Woods, Tom Brady and LeBron James are the only individuals who have received the award more than once. Woods received his first award in 1996 as an amateur golfer, and in 2000 as a professional golfer. Brady received his first award in 2005, and his second in 2021. James received his first award in 2012, his second in 2016, and a third in 2020. Curt Schilling and Stephen Curry have won the award both individually and as part of a team.

The trophy is a ceramic replica of an ancient Greek amphora (c. 510 BC) which depicts nude male Hellenistic athletes engaged in a variety of athletic activities—running, discus, and javelin. It measures 8" in diameter and stands 18.5" high (20.32 x 47 cm). The original amphora was acquired by Sports Illustrated magazine in 1954 and was donated to the "Sports" collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in 1979. Winners of the award are now presented with a copy of the amphora made in silver by Tiffany & Co.

Winners

The award's trophy, a ceramic urn depicting great athletes, has been given to the following recipients: Note: non-athlete individuals in Italics Year Winner Nationality Sport Achievement 1954 Track and field First sub-four-minute mile 1955 Baseball World Series MVP 1956 Track and field Triple Olympic gold medalist 1957 Baseball National League batting champion 1958 Track and field Decathlon world record 1959 Boxing World Heavyweight Champion 1960 Golf PGA Player of the Year 1961 College basketball Final Four MVP 1962 College football Heisman Trophy winner 1963 Professional football NFL Commissioner; credited for expansion and the suspension of athletes for gambling 1964 Golf U.S. Open champion 1965 Baseball World Series Champion, Cy Young Award, Triple Crown winner, World Series MVP 1966 Track and field Mile world record 1967 Baseball Triple Crown winner, AL MVP 1968 Professional basketball NBA champion player-coach 1969 Baseball Cy Young Award, World Series champion 1970 Ice hockey NHL MVP, Art Ross, Conn Smythe, Norris 1971 Golf PGA Player of the Year 1972 Tennis Three major titles College basketball NCAA champion coach 1973 Auto racing Formula One World Champion 1974 Boxing World heavyweight champion 1975 Baseball World Series MVP 1976 Tennis Two major titles 1977 Horse racing Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey 1978 Golf British Open champion 1979 Professional football Super Bowl MVP Baseball NL MVP, NLCS MVP, World Series MVP 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team Ice Hockey Olympic gold medalists 1981 Boxing World welterweight champion 1982 Ice Hockey NHL MVP, Art Ross 1983 Track and field Double world champion 1984 Track and field Olympic gold medalist Gymnastics Olympic gold medalist 1985 Professional basketball Playoff MVP 1986 College football NCAA champion coach1987 Ice Hockey Helped handicapped children's school Track and field Helped abused children Track and field Cared for orphaned children Baseball Charity spokesman College football Helped needy children Golf Helped abused girls Professional basketball Helped school children Professional football Helped high school students 1988 Baseball World Series Champion, Cy Young Award, NLCS MVP, World Series MVP 1989 Road cycling Tour de France and World champion 1990 Professional football Three-time Super Bowl MVP 1991 Professional basketball NBA MVP, NBA Finals MVP, NBA Champion 1992 Tennis Supported humanitarian causes 1993 Professional football Winningest NFL coach 1994 Speed skating Double Olympic gold medalist Speed skating Triple Olympic gold medalist 1995 Baseball Consecutive games record 1996 Golf U.S. Amateur, NCAA champion 1997 College basketball Winningest college coach at the time of publication 1998 Baseball Single-season home run record holder at the time of publication Baseball National League MVP 1999 U.S. women's soccer team Soccer World Cup champions 2000 (2) Golf Three major championships 2001 Baseball World Series Co-MVP Baseball World Series Co-MVP, Cy Young Award 2002 Cycling Four-time Tour de France winner (wins later disqualified in 2012) 2003 Professional basketball Two-time NBA champion Professional basketball NBA MVP, NBA Champion, NBA Finals MVP 2004 Boston Red Sox Baseball 2004 World Series champions 2005 Professional football Two-time Super Bowl MVP, Three-time Super Bowl champion 2006 Professional basketball NBA Champion, NBA Finals MVP 2007 Professional football "For his perseverance and his passion" 2008 Swimming Eight gold medals in 2008 Summer Olympics 2009 Baseball World Series Champion 2010 Professional football Super Bowl MVP and charitable work toward the reconstruction of New Orleans2011 College basketball Most wins as coach in NCAA men's Division I history College basketball All-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball 2012 Professional basketball NBA MVP, NBA Finals MVP, NBA Champion, Olympic gold medalist 2013 Professional football Five-Time NFL MVP, single-season touchdown record, AFC Champion 2014 Baseball Three-time World Series Champion, NLCS MVP, World Series MVP 2015 Tennis Won three majors, oldest player to be ranked no. 1 during the Open Era 2016 (2) Professional basketball NBA Finals MVP, led Cleveland Cavaliers to first title in franchise history2017 Baseball American League MVP, World Series Champion, Helped lead the Houston Astros to their first ever title and the city's first major championship since 1995. Professional football Raised more than $37 million in relief aid for the city of Houston, Texas less than a month after the impact of Hurricane Harvey. 2018 Golden State Warriors Professional basketball 2018 NBA champions, third title in last four years. 2019 Soccer legend Megan Rapinoe has been named Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year Alaa Elassar, CNN, Dec 10, 2019 Soccer FIFA Women's World Cup champion, won Golden Ball and Golden Boot. 2020 Professional football Super Bowl LIV champion, sat out the 2020 season to serve as an orderly during the COVID-19 pandemic.LeBron James (3) Professional basketball NBA Finals MVP, worked to end voter suppression. First three-time winner.Patrick Mahomes Professional football Super Bowl MVP, pushed the NFL to recognize the Black Lives Matter movement, pushed to encourage voter registration across the country, as well as among his teammatesNaomi Osaka Tennis U.S. Open champion and advocate for social justice.Breanna Stewart Professional basketball WNBA Finals MVP, spoke out against racism and for women's equality. 2021 (2) Professional football Super Bowl LV MVP, 7-time Super Bowl champion 2022 Professional basketball NBA Finals MVP, led the Golden State Warriors to their fourth title in eight years. 2023 College football For revitalizing the Colorado Buffaloes Football program, despite a 4–8 record. 2024 Artistic gymnastics 3x 2024 Olympic gold medalist, transformed gymnastics in the US and conversations around athletes in general. 2025 Basketball Led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a franchise-record 68 wins and their first NBA championship; named NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP.

Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year

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