Sports Illustrated announced five athletes as the winners for their annual Sportsperson of the Year award.
Part of the five '“activist athletes” to receive the honour are the two reigning Finals MVPs of the NBA and WNBA in LeBron James and Breanna Stewart respectively. They join the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka, and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif as this year’s award winners.
For James, having previously won it in 2012 and 2016, this is a record third time he is receiving this honour.
Presenting the #Sportsperson of the Year: The Activist Athlete.
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 6, 2020
Congratulations to five who inspired in 2020: @KingJames, @breannastewart, @PatrickMahomes, @naomiosaka and @LaurentDTardif https://t.co/uLEiwWyaDO pic.twitter.com/6i6DSqw0wN
En route to leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the 2020 NBA championship, he averaged 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game to be named the 2020 Finals MVP. Receiving that honour, he became the first player in league history to win the Finals MVP Award with three different franchises.
Outside of his on-court success, James was part of a leadership group consisting solely of Black athletes and artists that pushed the 'More Than A Vote' campaign, an initiative that worked to end voter suppression.
Meanwhile, Stewart, who led the Seattle Storm to the 2020 WNBA title after bouncing back from an Achilles injury, led from the front with her firm support for the Black Lives Matter movement all through the 2020 WNBA season.
✔️ @SInow #Sportsperson of the Year https://t.co/jewCoerI9y
— WNBA (@WNBA) December 6, 2020
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