The most influential athletes of 2020

While he continued to affirm his place as arguably the best basketball player in the world, via a second consecutive NBA MVP selection, Giannis’ reach went much further than just stat lines. He has become a global ambassador for basketball, due to his presence in both Greece and America. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Antetokounmpo pledged $100,000 to support displaced workers at the Milwaukee Bucks’ Fiserv Arena. He also marched during Black Lives Matter protests in Milwaukee & played a prominent role in the Bucks’ playoff boycott in August, in protest of the murder of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin.

At a time when African-American presence in Major League Baseball has reached historic lows, the presence of Mookie Betts took an additional significance. He started the year as the centerpiece of the blockbuster trade that sent him to the Los Angeles Dodgers and remained in the news when he signed a 12-year, $365 extension to stay in southern California. The crescendo for the year came in the World Series when Betts –the only African-American in the series— sealed the first Dodger World Series in 30 years with an eighth-inning home run.

When the Seattle Storm captured the WNBA title in October, Bird became the first woman (and third player overall) to win a title three different decades. On the court, it was her 11 ^th title overall, joining her three collegiate National Championships and four Olympic Gold Medals. Off the court, she remained inspiration as well, as she and soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe announced their engagement in the fall. Bird remains a strong example of endurance and being a trailblazer in all areas of life.

Brady shook up the world in March when after 20 years, he left the New England Patriots to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The move shook up the power hierarchy in the NFL, but the most impressive part about it is the continued excellence of Brady not against defenses, but against Father Time. The oldest player in the NFL, Brady became the oldest player ever to throw five touchdowns in a game in Week 4, and was later named NFC Offensive Player of the Month for October.

Brogdon was one of the most outspoken of all athletes during the many protests against police brutality that swept across the nation over the summer. The Indiana Pacers guard joined a peaceful protest in Atlanta in May, speaking to the crowd and authoring a follow-up piece afterward for USA Today. His Hoops2o non-profit has raised over $275,000 in the name of addressing the clean water crisis across the globe.

One of the most diversely engaged and attentive athletes of his generation, Brown was one of the most thoughtful and vocal voices of the Black Lives Matter movement of the summer. The Boston Celtics guard drove 15 hours from Boston back to Atlanta, just outside of his native Marietta, Georgia, to participate in marches against police brutality in the area. He chronicled much of the journey and his thoughts via his Instagram feed, stating that “Being a celebrity, being an NBA player doesn’t exclude me from no conversation at all”.

The most irreplaceable presence of the year came from one of the greatest tragedies to ever face the sports world. The sudden death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant due to a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California in January jarred the world at large and instantly changed the course of events for the year. The stunning news sparked global tributes, memorials, and dedications across the globe, but also served as an inspirational push forward for the millions that Bryant inspired both in and out of the sporting world via his ‘Mamba Mentality’ mantra.

In January, Duvernay-Tardif was on the frontlines of a Super Bowl championship for the Kansas City Chiefs. Less than half a year later, he was stepping away from the sport to move over the frontline of the fight against COVID-19. The 29-year-old medical school graduate was the first NFL player to opt-out of the 2020 season, doing so work in a long-term healthcare facility in his native Montreal. Due to his combined efforts, he was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy, as the top Canadian athlete of the year.

No athlete in the world earned more than Federer in 2020, he took home a handsome $106 million on the year. However, few gave back as much as he did either. In May, the tennis legend announced that he would give $1 million via the Roger Federer Foundation to donate meals for children in Africa, while schools were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative will reach 64,000 people in need.

The nine-time Olympic medalist continued to excel, even throughout the postponement of the Summer Games. One of Nike’s most prominent female athletes, Felix spoke out against the brand’s lack of pregnancy precautions for female athletes. Her voice pushed the company to institute changes in its offerings, including 18-months pay and bonus security around pregnancy term. In the wake of the move, additional brands offered similar updates to their policies of supporting female athletes.

When the Big Ten Conference announced plans to cancel its football season in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, its biggest star turned into the biggest voice in support of its athletes. Fields launched an online petition to move the conference to reconsider the decision, driven by the #WeWantToPlay hashtag, which spread quickly across social media. In the first 24 hours, over 230,000 signatures were added in support, and eventually, the Big Ten opened up to conduct a shortened, conference-only schedule.

Along with her business partner and ex-husband, Dwayne Johnson, Garcia made a historic move forward in March. When Garcia purchased the XFL out of bankruptcy for $15 million, she became the first woman to own a major professional sports league. The XFL is another addition to an impressive portfolio of endeavors for the 52-year-old, who is chairwoman of The Garcia Companies. With her at the helm, the XFL is set to return to the field in 2022, after its promising 2021 relaunch was cut short due to the pandemic.

In March, Gobert became the first major professional athlete to confirm contracting COVID-19. It was a page-turning moment in the early stages of the pandemic, that quickly caused the NBA season to be halted. In the wake of his announcement, several of his teammates also caught the virus, underscoring the severity and impact it could carry on team sports. Initially flippant in his approach to the dangers of contracting COVID-19, Gobert changed his tone after the experience. He eventually donated $500,000 to support workers displaced by the virus.

As the message of the Black Lives Matter movement stretched across the globe, Hamilton played a key part in making sure it reached the peaks of the European sports world. The Formula One superstar called out figures in the sport for their silence on the matter and wore a shirt calling for the arrest of the police that killed Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. Hamilton –along with other F1 drivers— took a knee in solidarity and support before the Austrian Grand Prix in July, which reopened the Formula One season.

The road back to resuming the NBA season was not always a smooth one, as many players fought with the idea of sitting out for both health and social conscious reasons. One such player was Holiday, who after nearly deciding not to play in protest, instead made the call to donate his remaining salary during the restart towards black-owned businesses and non-profits. Holiday, who earned $20 million for the 2019-20 season, donated nearly $5 million via the effort.

James played a huge part in ensuring the voice of the NBA players was unavoidable in their season resuming Bubble in Orlando. He helped to launch the “More Than A Vote” campaign, to increase African-American presence at the polls. James also arranged for the fees to be paid for former felons in the state of Florida so they would be eligible to vote again and added a 50-unit housing hub to his I Promise School in his native Ohio. And oh, by the way, he won his fourth NBA title and first for the Lakers since 2010, an effort he dedicated to Kobe Bryant. For his many efforts, James was named TIME Magazine’s Athlete of the Year.

Although he played his last game for the Chicago Bulls 22 years ago, Jordan’s legendary career was once again on center stage in 2020. The Last Dance documentary covered his final season and the run to his sixth championship, while also chronicling the entirety of his career leading up to the point. The 10-part documentary debuted in April at a time when the sports world was barren during the early stages of pandemic shutdowns. The film was a much-needed break from the uncertain realities that surrounded the world, while also introducing new generations to defining moments of his iconic career.

The San Jose Sharks forward ensured that hockey wouldn’t be left behind amid the fight for equity on the year. Along with former NHLer Akim Aliu, he helped to found the Hockey Diversity Alliance, an organization focused on “eradicating racism and intolerance in hockey”. The sport has long been one of the least integrated games in regards to African-American involvement, but the goal of the HDA is to highlight issues and increase gains in a league that is only 3% non-white as of 2020.

The influence of Lawrence has lived between the collegiate world of football, as well as the pros, although he won’t play his first NFL game until next fall. As the presumptive first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Lawrence has been in the midst of a tug-of-war between the league’s bottom feeders, all of which are in need of turning the tide at quarterback. Meanwhile, Lawrence used his voice and profile as one of the loudest proponents of playing out the college football season and being a voice for the often-voiceless masses of collegiate athletes.

Mahomes has become unquestionably the biggest star in football and a force in the sport that is just getting started. In the last year alone, he came back from a dislocated patella in just three weeks to lead the Kansas City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl victory in 50 years. In the process, he became the youngest quarterback to ever win the Super Bowl at 24 and the third-youngest Super Bowl MVP. Mahomes was also among the NFL players who gave their voice to a video standing against police brutality and calling on the league to admit they were wrong for previously silencing Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid.

2020 marked the second year that Moore kept her talents off the basketball court and instead focused on justice reform. Moore’s focus has mainly resided on prosecutorial reform, which saw her focus on the release of Jonathan Irons, whom Moore married this past summer. For her continued efforts, Moore was named Sports Illustrated’s ‘Inspiration of the Year’ and also mentioned among TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of the year.

When Nurmagomedov defeated Justin Gaethje to unify the UFC Lightweight Championships in October, it was no surprise. After all, has long been considered the top Mixed Martial Artist in the world. However, he stunned the world when he broke down in tears following the bout and announced his retirement. The Russian wrestler said he made the promise he would not continue to fight without his father and long-time trainer, Abdulmanap, who died due to COVID-19 complications in July. What’s more, it was revealed following the fight that Nurmagomedov had fought the bout with a broken foot.

Osaka captured her third Grand Slam title in 2020 when she won the U.S. Open in September. While the victory was impressive, the longest-lasting mark of her presence at the tournament was how the 22-year-old used the platform. Throughout the tournament, Osaka donned masks with the names of victims of police brutality and racial injustice. Following her victory, she used the time to make it clear that those who told her to “keep politics out of sports” motivated her to the victory.

Paul has been the president of the NBA Players Association since 2013, and he made his mark in history in the role over the last year. CP3 played an integral part in both the agreement to bring players back to the game in July, but also ensuring that their voices were unavoidable. Underneath Paul’s watch, the NBA integrated Black Lives Matter logos on the court, as well as the various terms and statements that adorned the back of jerseys in-lieu of individual names.

Rapinoe’s social impact has grown far beyond even her substantial ability on the pitch. A year after leading the U.S. to a World Cup victory and capturing the Golden Ball for herself, Rapinoe’s momentum carried over to impacting a host of social rights topics in 2020. She dedicated herself to the continued fight for gender pay equity, LGBTQ rights, and voter registration activity. Her defiant tone and relentless nature have made her a fierce fighter for shifting the narrative in far more than just sports.

Rashford is one of the most active voices and humanitarian athletes in the world. In 2020 alone, he led a program in England to deliver meals for children who were unable to receive regular free school meals during pandemic lockdowns. He reached over 4 million children through the program in the first five months. The 23-year-old was also very vocal in calling out British Parliament to address child poverty throughout the UK. He also helps to lead a literacy campaign, with a goal of helping underprivileged children to have greater access to books.

The movement to drive more African-American prep athletes to not overlook historically black colleges and universities received a massive booster shot when the Hall of Fame cornerback was named the new head coach at Jackson State University. In the wake of Sanders taking the job, eight athletes from Power Five schools made the shift to JSU, while an influx of highly ranked high school stars followed suit as well. Sanders’ program will be in the spotlight as an in-community alternative and promotion for the important role that HBCUs play in the black community.

Initially, the return of Mike Tyson to the boxing ring after a 15-year retirement was seen as a sideshow attraction. However, his bout against Roy Jones Jr in November was a surprisingly well-organized, entertaining event that showed the promotion power of the former Heavyweight Champion. Also of note was the inspiring effort from Iron Mike to get back into fighting shape. Overall, the event brought in the eight-highest pay-per-view draw of all-time and set the stage for future events in the same vein.

Wallace ensured that even in the deeply conservative ranks of NASCAR racing, the Black Lives Matter movement would have a voice. He successfully called on NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag at its races. He also adorned his career in images of support for the BLM movement. In September, it was announced that Wallace would be the driver for 23XI Racing in 2021, which will see Michael Jordan become the first African-American owner in NASCAR history.

Three years into her WNBA career, Wilson has distinguished herself both on and off the court as a star. She helped to lead the Las Vegas Aces to the WNBA Finals and captured the league’s MVP award. Off the court, she has been a driving force behind the league’s Social Justice Council, which has tackled issues such as LGBTQ advocacy, voting rights, wage equality, and pregnancy benefits for female athletes. Wilson is also a staunch supporter for the voice of young African-American girls and overcoming the challenges that face them in growing up.