SI has named Colin Kaepernick as the ’17 recipient of its Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, recognizing him for his social activism and philanthropic work. Kaepernick will be honored Dec. 5 in Brooklyn during SI’s Sportsperson of the Year ceremony at Barclays Center. SI’s Legacy Award was created in ’08, and renamed in honor of Ali in ’15. “There will be never be another Ali, but few athletes have followed his example as fully as Colin Kaepernick,” said SI Exec Editor Stephen Cannella. “In this noisy political and media environment, it’s easy to forget his core message: that all people in this country deserve to be treated with dignity, respect and recognition of their civil rights. Too often that message has been lost in the debate over how it is expressed. Colin has sacrificed much in the name of that message.”
Joining Kaepernick at the SI ceremony will be 76ers C Joel Embiid, who will receive the Rising Star Award recognizing the best up-and-coming athlete; recently retired MLBer Carlos Beltran, who will be recognized with the Hope Award, which honors athletes giving back; and Lynx F Maya Moore, who will be given a newly created Performer of the Year award for her play leading the team to this year’s WNBA title. The Sportsperson of the Year Award itself will be announced early next week.
