women’s equality. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, the
Chiefs’ lineman who became a Super Bowl cham-
pion and then left the NFL to join the front lines of
the battle against COVID-19. And James, who led the
Lakers to the NBA title, won his fourth Finals MVP
trophy and worked tirelessly to end voter suppres-
sion and ensure that in 2020 everyone—especially
Black people—had equal access to the polls.
Mahomes, Osaka, Stewart and Duvernay-Tardif
are all under 30 and early in their activist journeys.
James, 35, long ago found his social and political
voice. There is debate over whether he’s the great-
est NBA player ever. But with his efforts for racial
justice, education reform and Black community
empowerment as well as his voting rights campaign
and varied charitable work, there is no doubt thathe sets the standard for the modern socially con-
scious athlete. It is for his career-long dedication
to service that we also honor him with this year’s
Muhammad Ali Legacy Award. “He continues to
embody Muhammad’s principles and core beliefs,
using his celebrity platform to champion social
justice and political causes that uplift all people,”
says Lonnie Ali, the Greatest’s widow. “LeBron
has actively used Muhammad’s example to guide,
inform and inspire him along this path.”
The issues and challenges of 2020 will no
doubt still be there in 2021 and beyond. But our
Sportspersons of the Year set an example of how
to face and one day fix them. With principle. With
passion. And with an athlete’s optimism—the
belief that no matter the obstacles, better days are
ahead. James could have been speaking for all of
them when, three days after the election, he lauded
Black voters for helping drive record turnout. “We
just tipping off,” he tweeted. “I promise you I’m
here for y’all throughout!”As we’re all painfully aware, 2020 was a year to
try the patience of even the most positive among
us. “Man we cancelling sporting events, school,
office work, etc etc.,” LeBron James lamented to his
48 million Twitter followers on March 12, the day
after the coronavirus forced the NBA to suspend its
season. “What we really need to cancel is 2020!”
And the year got worse from there. The virus has
now claimed more than 250,000 American lives.
The Memorial Day killing of George Floyd set off
nationwide protests against police brutality and
racial inequality. An ugly presidential election
further divided a deeply partisan nation.
There’s a choice to be made at moments like this.
We can turn inward, cowering from destructive
forces that feel beyond our control, or work to bendthe arc of history. That is the more difficult option,
the braver path—and yes, even someone as driven
and accomplished as James can have moments
of frustration. But it’s clear which path he has
chosen, and he is not alone. If there is brightness
in this dark year, it’s the leadership—and sorely
needed optimism—shown by some of the nation’s
top athletes in facing down our many challenges.
And so our Sportsperson of the Year award goes
to five men and women who in 2020 were champi-
ons in every sense of the word: champions on the
field, champions for others off it. Patrick Mahomes,
the Super Bowl MVP who used his platform as
the NFL’s transcendent star to push the league
to recognize the Black Lives Matter movement
and players’ rights to protest. Naomi Osaka, the
U.S. Open tennis champion who embraced her
fame and found her voice in the fight against social
injustice. Breanna Stewart, who returned from a
devastating injury to lead her team to the WNBA
SP title and who spoke loudly against racism and for^49ORTSILLUSTRATEDDECEMBER2020FR
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