'Athlete Activists' take centerstage in Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year
MANILA, Philippines — The year 2020 saw the sports world take a back seat and stood still in the midst of a global pandemic and a myriad of social issues.
So it makes perfect sense that this year's Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year centered on those who excelled not just on the court, but more importantly off the court as well.
Dubbed "The Activist Athlete", Sports Illustrated named five sports people who extended their platforms beyond their respective arenas to others in a time of global crisis.
Among those athletes who stood out to make themselves bigger than their sports were Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, Seattle Storm's Breanna Stewart, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, three-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, and Mahomes' teammate Laurent Duvernay-Tardif.
The quintet shared the honors of being named Sportsperson of the Year by the American publication.
James, for his part, worked tirelessly to end voter suppression and ensure everyone -- especially Black people -- had equal access to the polls in the 2020 general election. All this while leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA title and clinched his fourth Finals MVP trophy.
Meanwhile, Stewart — who led the Seattle Storm to the WNBA title this season -- spoke loudly against racism and for women's quality.
Mahomes, on the other hand, used his platform as one of the NFL's biggest stars to push the league to recognize the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as recognizing the rights of its players to protest.
His teammate and fellow awardee Duvernay-Tardif shared the honors after leaving the NFL to join the battle against COVID-19 as a medical frontliner.
Osaka, on her end, used her platform in the fight against social injustice — most notably in her run during the US Open where she wore face masks bearing the names of victims of police brutality in the United States en route to her third Grand slam title.
In a year that forced sports into the sidelines, Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year award showed that there is merit beyond league trophies and MVPs, encouraging sportspeople to be "more than an athlete".
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