Sports Illustrated 

Sportsperson of the
Year
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Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated American magazine has annually

presented the Sportsman of the Year award to "the athlete or team whose
performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement."
Both Americans and non-Americans are eligible, though in the past the vast majority of
winners have been from the United States. Both men and women have won the award,
originally called "Sportsman of the Year" and renamed "Sportswoman of the Year" or
"Sportswomen of the Year" when applicable.
Tiger Woods and LeBron James are the only individuals who have received the award
more than once. Woods received his first award in 1996 as an amateur golfer, and in
2000 as a professional golfer.[1] James received his first award in 2012, his second in
2016, and a third in 2020.[2][3]
The trophy is a ceramic replica of an ancient Greek amphora (circa 510 BCE) which
depicts nude male Hellenistic athletes engaged in a variety of athletic activities—
running, discus, and javelin. It measures 8" in diameter and stands 18.5" high (20.32 x
47 cm). The original amphora was acquired by Sports Illustrated magazine in 1954 and
was donated to the "Sports" collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of
American History in 1979.[4] Winners of the award are now presented with a copy of the
amphora made in silver by Tiffany & Co.[5]

Winners[edit]
The award's trophy, a ceramic urn depicting great athletes, has been given to the
following recipients:

 Note: non-athlete individuals in Italics

Yea
Winner Nationality Sport Achievement
r

Roger  Great
1954 Track and field First sub-four-minute mile
Bannister Britain

 United
1955 Johnny Podres Baseball World Series MVP
States
Yea
Winner Nationality Sport Achievement
r

Bobby  United
1956 Track and field Triple Olympic gold medalist
Morrow States

 United
1957 Stan Musial Baseball National League batting champion
States

 United
1958 Rafer Johnson Track and field Decathlon world record
States

Ingemar
1959  Sweden Boxing World heavyweight champion
Johansson

 United
1960 Arnold Palmer Golf PGA Player of the Year
States

 United
1961 Jerry Lucas College basketball Final Four MVP
States

 United
1962 Terry Baker College football Heisman Trophy winner
States

NFL Commissioner; credited for

 United
1963 Pete Rozelle Professional football expansion and the suspension of
States
athletes for gambling

 United
1964 Ken Venturi Golf U.S. Open champion
States

 United
1965 Sandy Koufax Baseball Cy Young Award, strikeout record
States
Yea
Winner Nationality Sport Achievement
r

 United
1966 Jim Ryun Track and field Mile world record
States

Carl  United
1967 Baseball Triple Crown winner, AL MVP
Yastrzemski States

 United Professional
1968 Bill Russell NBA champion player-coach
States basketball

 United Cy Young Award, World

1969 Tom Seaver Baseball
States Series champion

NHL MVP, Art Ross, Conn
1970 Bobby Orr  Canada Hockey
Smythe, Norris

 United
1971 Lee Trevino Golf PGA Player of the Year
States

 United
Billie Jean King Tennis Three major titles
States

1972

 United
John Wooden College basketball NCAA champion coach
States

 Great
1973 Jackie Stewart Auto racing Formula One World Champion
Britain

Muhammad  United
1974 Boxing World heavyweight champion
Ali States
Yea
Winner Nationality Sport Achievement
r

 United
1975 Pete Rose Baseball World Series MVP
States

 United
1976 Chris Evert Tennis Two major titles
States

 United Eclipse Award for Outstanding

1977 Steve Cauthen Horse racing
States Jockey

 United
1978 Jack Nicklaus Golf British Open champion
States

Terry  United
Professional football Super Bowl MVP
Bradshaw States

1979

 United NL MVP, NLCS MVP, World Series

Willie Stargell Baseball
States MVP

U.S. Olympic  United

1980 Hockey Olympic gold medalists
hockey team States

Sugar Ray  United

1981 Boxing World welterweight champion
Leonard States

Wayne
1982  Canada Hockey NHL MVP, Art Ross
Gretzky

 United
1983 Mary Decker Track and field Double world champion
States
Yea
Winner Nationality Sport Achievement
r

 United
Edwin Moses Track and field Olympic gold medalist
States

1984

Mary Lou  United

Gymnastics Olympic gold medalist
Retton States

Kareem  United Professional

1985 Playoff MVP
Abdul-Jabbar States basketball

 United
1986 Joe Paterno College football NCAA champion coach
States

1987 Helped handicapped children's

Bob Bourne  Canada Hockey
school

Judi Brown  United

Track and field Helped abused children
King States

Kipchoge
 Kenya Track and field Cared for orphaned children
Keino

 United
Dale Murphy Baseball Charity spokesman
States

 United
Chip Rives College football Helped needy children
States

Patty Sheehan  United Golf Helped abused girls

States
Yea
Winner Nationality Sport Achievement
r

 United Professional
Rory Sparrow Helped school children
States basketball

Reggie  United
Professional football Helped high school students
Williams States

 United Cy Young Award, NLCS MVP, World

1988 Orel Hershiser Baseball
States Series MVP

 United Tour de France and World

1989 Greg LeMond Cycling
States champion

 United
1990 Joe Montana Professional football Three-time Super Bowl MVP
States

Michael  United Professional NBA MVP, NBA Finals MVP, NBA

1991
Jordan States basketball Champion

 United
1992 Arthur Ashe Tennis Supported humanitarian causes
States

 United
1993 Don Shula Professional football Winningest NFL coach
States

 United
Bonnie Blair Speed skating Double Olympic gold medalist
States
1994

Johann Olav
 Norway Speed skating Triple Olympic gold medalist
Koss
Yea
Winner Nationality Sport Achievement
r

 United
1995 Cal Ripken, Jr. Baseball Consecutive games record
States

 United
1996 Tiger Woods Golf U.S. Amateur, NCAA champion
States

 United Winningest college coach at the

1997 Dean Smith College basketball
States time of publication

Mark  United Single-season home run record

Baseball
McGwire States holder at the time of publication

1998

 Dominican
Sammy Sosa Baseball National League MVP
Republic

U.S. women's  United

1999 Soccer World Cup champions
soccer team States

 United
2000 Tiger Woods Golf Three major championships
States

 United
Curt Schilling Baseball World Series Co-MVP
States

2001

Randy  United World Series Co-MVP, Cy Young

Baseball
Johnson States Award

Lance  United Four-time Tour de France winner

2002 Cycling
Armstrong States (wins later disqualified in 2012)
Yea
Winner Nationality Sport Achievement
r

David  United Professional

Two-time NBA champion
Robinson States basketball
2003