Top 20 Sports Icons

BET.com recognizes Black icons in sports.

Top 20 Sports Icons - From track to golf, tennis to boxing, BET.com honors athletes across the breadth of the sports world. Let’s recognize their personal achievement, first-class athleticism and the inspiration they’ve provided millions over the years.

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Top 20 Sports Icons - From track to golf, tennis to boxing, BET.com honors athletes across the breadth of the sports world. Let’s recognize their personal achievement, first-class athleticism and the inspiration they’ve provided millions over the years.

Respect - James wears number 23 in honor of his favorite player, former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan.

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LeBron James - King James has taken the NBA by storm since coming straight out of high school from St. Vincent-St. Mary. He won his first of many MVP Awards in 2009 and has his best chance of winning a NBA Championship this season with future hall-of-famer Shaquille O’Neal patrolling the paint.

Jim Brown - Arguably the greatest football player to play the game, Jim Brown was a three-time MVP running back for the Cleveland Browns. Brown rushed for 12,312 yards in just nine seasons before walking away from the game at the age of 31.

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Jim Brown - Arguably the greatest football player to play the game, Jim Brown was a three-time MVP running back for the Cleveland Browns. Brown rushed for 12,312 yards in just nine seasons before walking away from the game at the age of 31.

Derek Jeter - Love or hate the New York Yankees, you have to respect “The Captain,” Derek Jeter. The Yankees shortstop is well on his way to 3,000 hits and has been the heart and soul of the team since his rookie season in 1995. The five-time World Series champion is a lock for Cooperstown when he retires.

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Derek Jeter - Love or hate the New York Yankees, you have to respect “The Captain,” Derek Jeter. The Yankees shortstop is well on his way to 3,000 hits and has been the heart and soul of the team since his rookie season in 1995. The five-time World Series champion is a lock for Cooperstown when he retires.

No Rookie - Serena Williams has won the BET Award for Best Female Athlete of the Year three times.

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Serena Williams - The world’s best tennis player, Serena Williams has won more Grand Slam titles than any other active female. Williams also sits on top of the of the career prize money list, more than any woman athlete in history. Williams is going for her 12th singles Grand Slam currently at the Australian Open.

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Muhammad Ali: January 17 - The iconic boxer and activist turns 70.

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Muhammad Ali - The greatest heavyweight champion of all time, Muhammad Ali brought a swagger into the ring that the boxing world had never seen before. Fighting in legendary matches like “The Rumble in the Jungle” and “The Thrilla in Manila,” Ali defeated every top heavyweight in his era.

Wilt Chamberlain to the Los Angeles Lakers - The Los Angeles Lakers, looking for a big man to complement forward Jerry West, traded for the biggest man in the NBA at the time - - Wilt Chamberlain. The Lakers acquired Chamberlain for Darrall Imhoff (who Chamberlain abused en route to his 100-point performance), Jerry Chambers and Archie Clark. Chamberlain helped lead the Lakers to a NBA Championship in 1972 before retiring the following season.

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Wilt Chamberlain - Wilt Chamberlain put up numbers in the NBA that will never be matched. From scoring 100 points in a game to averaging 50 points in a season, Chamberlain was the most dominant player in league history.

Rising Star - Williams is currently ranked No. 3 according to the Women’s Tennis Association.

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Venus Williams - The older of the Williams sisters, Venus has 10 Grand Slam titles under her belt. At the age of 29, Williams is showing no signs of slowing down on or off the court, as she’s an entrepreneur and fashion designer in her free time.

Magic Johnson Won’t Be Buying Johnson Publishing - Businessman and former BET honoree Magic Johnson admits he was in “advanced talks” but says he did not reach a deal with Johnson Publications, Inc., to buy the Chicago-based company. He says he is still looking for Black media properties to buy.

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Magic Johnson - There will never be a more charismatic player than Earvin “Magic” Johnson. The 6-foot-9 Lakers point guard won five NBA Championships before his career was cut short because of the HIV virus. Johnson took that passion and applied it to the business world, becoming a successful businessman since retiring.

Michael Jordan - There will never be another Michael Jeffrey Jordan. A six-time NBA Champion with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan is the greatest basketball player of our generation. His legacy carries on with his Air Jordan sneaker line and his role as part-owner of the Charlotte Bobcats.

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Michael Jordan - There will never be another Michael Jeffrey Jordan. A six-time NBA Champion with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan is the greatest basketball player of our generation. His legacy carries on with his Air Jordan sneaker line and his role as part-owner of the Charlotte Bobcats.

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Arthur Ashe - Arthur Ashe was more than just a tennis player. He was an activist and civil rights supporter. The three-time Grand Slam winner’s life was tragically cut short at the age of 49 from the AIDS virus in 1993.

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Arthur Ashe - Arthur Ashe was more than just a tennis player. He was an activist and civil rights supporter. The three-time Grand Slam winner’s life was tragically cut short at the age of 49 from the AIDS virus in 1993.

Second Best - Tiger Woods has won 14 major golf championships, trailing only Jack Nicklaus for most all-time with 18.

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Tiger Woods - All jokes aside, Tiger Woods has done more to increase the popularity of golf than any other golfer before him. Woods has won 14 Major Championships and counting, on his way to breaking Jack Nicklaus' record of 18. Despite his hiatus from the sport, he’s still the game’s best player.

Jackie Robinson - Best known for breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball, Jackie Robinson was the face of the Dodgers in the ‘40s and ‘50s. He won the inaugural MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 1947 and was the first Black player to win the MVP Award in 1949.

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Jackie Robinson - Best known for breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball, Jackie Robinson was the face of the Dodgers in the ‘40s and ‘50s. He won the inaugural MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 1947 and was the first Black player to win the MVP Award in 1949.

First Of Many? - Kobe Bryant won his first Most Valuable Player Award during the 2007-08 NBA season averaging 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game.

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Kobe Bryant - The Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant, overcame legal troubles off the court to continue his dominance in the NBA. Bryant proved in 2009 that he was able to win an NBA Championship without Shaquille O’Neal, winning his fourth ring. He recently became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 25,000 points.

CNN Ranks the World’s Coolest - Cable news network CNN recently came out with a list of the “World’s Coolest Nationalities.” Making up the top 10 were the Nepalese at No. 10, the Chinese at No. 9, the Batswana at No. 8, Japanese at No. 7, Spaniards at No. 6, Americans at No. 5, Mongolians at No. 4, Jamaicans at No. 3, Singaporeans at No. 2, and, coming out on top at No. 1, Brazilians.

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Usain Bolt - Jamaica’s Usain Bolt took the world by storm at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Not only did Bolt win three gold medals in the 100M, 200M and 4X100 relay, he set Olympic records in all three events. Bolt holds the title for the fastest man in the world with a blazing 9.58 time in the 100M.

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Jarome Iginla - This 13-year NHL vet has played his entire career with the Calgary Flames. Iginla, a five-time all- star, serves as his team captain; the first Black team captain in NHL history.

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Jarome Iginla - Black hockey players not only exist but one in particular is one of the best scorers in the NHL. Calgary Flames right winger Jarome Iginla led the league in scoring in 2002 and has scored 30 or more goals in eight consecutive seasons. The half-Nigerian Iginla has opened the door for other Black hockey players in the NHL.

Shaquille O'Neal - Don’t let the 37-year-old Shaquille O’Neal fool you. When the Orlando Magic took him with the top overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft, O’Neal was a force like no other. A 15-time NBA All-Star and four-time NBA Champion, O’Neal is attempting to earn ring number five with King James and the Cleveland Cavaliers before retiring.

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Shaquille O'Neal - Don’t let the 37-year-old Shaquille O’Neal fool you. When the Orlando Magic took him with the top overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft, O’Neal was a force like no other. A 15-time NBA All-Star and four-time NBA Champion, O’Neal is attempting to earn ring number five with King James and the Cleveland Cavaliers before retiring.

Adrian Peterson - You know you’re good when your nickname is “All Day.” Adrian Peterson has been running all over NFL defenders since his first snap as a rookie for the Minnesota Vikings in 2007. This past season, Peterson racked up 1,760 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.

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Adrian Peterson - Despite his problems holding on to the football, you don’t earn the nickname “A.D. (All Day)” unless you’re a stud like Adrian Peterson. The Vikings running back has 41 rushing touchdowns in 46 regular season games and is well on his way to becoming an all-time great.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee - One of the greatest women athletes of all-time, track & field star Jackie Joyner-Kersee dominated her sport for nearly 15 years. With three gold Olympic medals in the heptathlon and the long jump, Sports Illustrated for Women voted Joyner-Kersee as the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th century.

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Jackie Joyner-Kersee - One of the greatest women athletes of all-time, track & field star Jackie Joyner-Kersee dominated her sport for nearly 15 years. With three gold Olympic medals in the heptathlon and the long jump, Sports Illustrated for Women voted Joyner-Kersee as the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th century.

Carl Lewis - Long before Usain Bolt, there was Carl Lewis. The sprinter and long jumper won a whopping 10 Olympic medals, including nine golds between 1984-1996 in the 100m, 200m, 4X100m relay and the long jump.

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Carl Lewis - Long before Usain Bolt, there was Carl Lewis. The sprinter and long jumper won a whopping 10 Olympic medals, including nine golds between 1984-1996 in the 100m, 200m, 4X100m relay and the long jump.

Hank Aaron - The former home run champ hammered his way to 755 career home runs with the Braves and Brewers organizations. Aaron made history in 1974 when he broke Babe Ruth’s home run record of 714, setting off a slew of death threats and hate mail. Aaron retired in 1976 as a 25-time All-Star and was a first-ballot hall-of-famer.

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Hank Aaron - The former home run champ hammered his way to 755 career home runs with the Braves and Brewers organizations. Aaron made history in 1974 when he broke Babe Ruth’s home run record of 714, setting off a slew of death threats and hate mail. Aaron retired in 1976 as a 25-time All-Star and was a first-ballot hall-of-famer.