Sports Illustrated named five athletes as Sportsperson of the Year award for 2020, tapping the men and women who “were champions in every sense of the word: Champions on the field, champions for others off it.”
The weekly sports magazine honored Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes II, WNBA star Breanna Stewart, women’s tennis champion Naomi Osaka and Chiefs offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif.
James, 35, became the first athlete to be named the magazine;s top sportsperson three times, adding to his solo selections in 2012 and 2016.
Presenting the #Sportsperson of the Year: The Activist Athlete.
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 6, 2020
Congratulations to five who inspired in 2020: @KingJames, @breannastewart, @PatrickMahomes, @naomiosaka and @LaurentDTardif https://t.co/uLEiwWyaDO pic.twitter.com/6i6DSqw0wN
“It is SI’s honor to recognize five men and women who created much-needed moments of joy and exhilaration in a year that was so trying for so many,” Stephen Cannella, Sports Illustrated’s co-editor-in-chief, said in a statement. “Their leadership in using the platform of sports to make the world better, safer, and more equitable is a reflection of everything the Sportsperson of the Year award represents.”
James helped the Lakers win their 17th NBA title, and it was the fourth time he had hoisted the championship trophy. Off the court, James used his platform as the NBA’s marquee player to speak out against police brutality and inequality while encouraging people to vote, Sports Illustrated reported.
Osaka, 23, who won the 2020 U.S. Open women’s singles title, spoke out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Before each U.S. Open match she played this year, Osaka wore a mask bearing the name of a Black victim killed by police. She also comments frequently on social issues in her social media posts.
Mahomes, 25, who led the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl title in 50 seasons, spoke out in favor of the BLM movement and the players’ right to peacefully protest.
Stewart, 26, rebounded from an Achilles’ injury to lead the Seattle Storm to the 2020 WNBA championship. Taylor also served as a vocal supporter for equal pay in the NBA and spoke out for gay rights, voter turnout and the BLM cause. She also spoke in favor of survivors of sexual abuse.
Duvernay-Tardif, 29, also won a Super Bowl ring with the Chiefs but decided to sit out the 2020 season. The Canadian native, the first medical doctor to win a Super Bowl title. Duvernay-Tardif joined the fight against COVID-19 and is serving at a medical facility in his home province of Quebec.
All five recipients will be honored on Dec. 19 in Las Vegas, according to Sports Illustrated. Viewers can stream the primetime broadcast live via Sports Illustrated’s Facebook page beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
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