Sportsman of the Year

Note: From 1968 to 2008, a different Sportsman of the Year award was presented by Sporting News magazine.

Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated 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, it being renamed as "Sportswoman" or "Sportswomen," such as 1999 when the U.S. Women's Soccer Team was named Sportswomen of the Year.

Winners

The award's trophy, a ceramic urn depicting Greek athletes, has been given to the following recipients:

Year	Winner	Sport	Achievement
1954	Roger Bannister	Track and field	First sub-four-minute mile
1955	Johnny Podres	Baseball	World Series MVP
1956	Bobby Morrow	Track and field	Triple Olympic gold medalist
1957	Stan Musial	Baseball	National League batting champion
1958	Rafer Johnson	Track and field	Decathlon world record
1959	Ingemar Johansson	Boxing	World heavyweight champion
1960	Arnold Palmer	Golf	PGA Player of the Year
1961	Jerry Lucas	College basketball	Final Four MVP
1962	Terry Baker	College football	Heisman Trophy winner
1963	Pete Rozelle	Professional football	NFL expansion
1964	Ken Venturi	Golf	U.S. Open Champion
1965	Sandy Koufax	Baseball	Cy Young Award, Strikeout record
1966	Jim Ryun	Track and field	Mile world record
1967	Carl Yastrzemski	Baseball	Triple Crown winner
1968	Bill Russell	Professional basketball	NBA champion player-coach
1969	Tom Seaver	Baseball	Cy Young Award
1970	Bobby Orr	Hockey	NHL MVP, Art Ross, Conn Smythe, Norris
1971	Lee Trevino	Golf	PGA Player of the Year
1972	Billie Jean King	Tennis	Three major titles
	John Wooden	College basketball	NCAA champion coach
1973	Jackie Stewart	Auto racing	Formula One World Champion
1974	Muhammad Ali	Boxing	World heavyweight champion
1975	Pete Rose	Baseball	World Series MVP
1976	Chris Evert	Tennis	Two major titles
1977	Steve Cauthen	Horse racing	Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey
1978	Jack Nicklaus	Golf	British Open champion
1979	Terry Bradshaw	Professional football	Super Bowl MVP
	Willie Stargell	Baseball	World Series MVP
1980	U.S. Olympic Hockey Team	Hockey	Olympic gold medalists
1981	Sugar Ray Leonard	Boxing	World welterweight champion
1982	Wayne Gretzky	Hockey	NHL MVP, Art Ross
1983	Mary Decker	Track and field	Double world champion
1984	Edwin Moses	Track and field	Olympic gold medalist
	Mary Lou Retton	Gymnastics	Olympic gold medalist
1985	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Professional basketball	Playoff MVP
1986	Joe Paterno	College football	NCAA champion coach
1987	"Athletes Who Care"
	Bob Bourne	Hockey	Helped handicapped children's school
	Judi Brown King	Track and field	Helped abused children
	Kip Keino	Track and field	Cared for orphaned children
	Dale Murphy	Baseball	Charity spokesman
	Chip Rives	College football	Helped needy children
	Patty Sheehan	Golf	Helped abused girls
	Rory Sparrow	Professional basketball	Helped school children
	Reggie Williams	Professional football	Helped high school students
1988	Orel Hershiser	Baseball	Cy Young Award, World Series MVP
1989	Greg LeMond	Cycling	Tour de France and World champion
1990	Joe Montana	Professional football	Three-time Super Bowl MVP
1991	Michael Jordan	Professional basketball	NBA MVP, NBA Finals MVP, NBA Champion, Olympic Gold Medalist
1992	Arthur Ashe	Tennis	Supported humanitarian causes
1993	Don Shula	Professional football	Winningest NFL coach
1994	Bonnie Blair	Speed skating	Double Olympic gold medalist
	Johann Olav Koss	Speed skating	Triple Olympic gold medalist
1995	Cal Ripken, Jr.	Baseball	Consecutive games record
1996	Tiger Woods	Golf	U.S. Amateur, NCAA champion
1997	Dean Smith	College basketball	Winningest college coach at the time of publication
1998	Mark McGwire	Baseball	Single-season home run record holder at the time of publication
	Sammy Sosa	Baseball	National League MVP
1999	U.S. Women's Soccer Team	Soccer	World Cup champions
2000	Tiger Woods	Golf	Three major championships
2001	Curt Schilling	Baseball	World Series Co-MVP
	Randy Johnson	Baseball	World Series Co-MVP, Cy Young Award
2002	Lance Armstrong	Cycling	Four-time Tour de France winner
2003	David Robinson	Professional basketball	Two-time NBA champion
	Tim Duncan	Professional basketball	NBA MVP, NBA Champion, NBA Finals MVP
2004	Boston Red Sox	Professional baseball team	2004 World Series champions
2005	Tom Brady	Professional football	Two-time Super Bowl MVP, Three-time Super Bowl champion
2006	Dwyane Wade	Professional basketball	NBA Champion, NBA Finals MVP
2007	Brett Favre	Professional football	"for his perseverance and his passion"
2008	Michael Phelps	Swimming	Eight Gold Medals in 2008 Summer Olympics
2009	Derek Jeter	Baseball	Five-time World Series Champion
2010	Drew Brees	Professional football	Super Bowl MVP and charitable work toward the reconstruction of New Orleans
2011	Mike Krzyzewski	College basketball coach	Most wins in NCAA Division I history
	Pat Summitt	College basketball coach	All-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball
2012	LeBron James	Professional basketball	NBA MVP, NBA Finals MVP, NBA Champion, Olympic Gold Medalist

See also

• Sports Illustrated Top 20 Female Athletes of the Decade (2009)
• Sports Illustrated Top 20 Male Athletes of the Decade (2009)
• Athlete of the Year
• Associated Press Athlete of the Year (AP)
• Best Female Athlete ESPY Award
• Best Male Athlete ESPY Award
• Sporting News Sportsman/Pro Athlete of the Year
• United Press International Athlete of the Year Award (UPI) (defunct)
• Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year (Laureus World Sports Academy)
• Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year
• BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year
• L'Équipe Champion of Champions

External links

• Sportsman of the Year. SI.com
• Photos of magazine cover for each winner of Sportsman of the Year (1954–2008) (with link to each cover story). SI.com. Retrieved 2009-12-29.