SI awarded its Sportsperson of the Year to "five men and women who in 2020 were champions in every sense of the word: champions on the field, champions for others off it," according to Sports Illustrated editors. While the issues and challenges of '20 "will no doubt still be there in 2021 and beyond," the Sportspersons of the Year "set an example of how to face and one day fix them." SI: "With principle. With passion." And with an "athlete’s optimism -- the belief that no matter the obstacles, better days are ahead." The honorees’ stories will be shared "in more detail" on SI.com beginning today. The recipients are:
- Chiefs QB 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."
- WNBA Storm F Breanna Stewart, the WNBA champion who "spoke loudly against racism and for women’s equality."
- Chiefs OL Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, who "left the NFL to join the front lines of the battle against COVID-19."
- Lakers F LeBron James, who won another NBA championship and "worked tirelessly to end voter suppression" and ensure that in '20, everyone "had equal access to the polls" (SI.com, 12/6).
CBS’ Gayle King said “you knew” James “was going to be on that list.” She added of SI's full list, “They were all very good choices.” CBS’ Anthony Mason: “That’s a really impressive list” (“CBS This Morning,” 12/7).
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