NBA Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Is Sports Illustrated's 2025 Sportsperson Of The Year
It's that time of year again when we honor the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year. This award honors a sports figure who most defined the year in sports through excellence, influence, and cultural impact. The annual award goes beyond just wins and stat lines, recognizing those who shaped the conversation, elevated their sport, and left a lasting mark over the past year.
The Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year award event is being held on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, at Wynn Las Vegas, the same spot it was celebrated last year. A variety of awards will be given out in addition to Sportsperson of the Year, including Breakout Star of the Year, Innovators of the Year, and the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award.
The Sports Illustrated 2025 Sportsperson Of The Year Award Goes To NBA Star SGA!
This year's coveted Sportsperson of the Year award goes to Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
SGA had one of the most amazing seasons in basketball history in 2025. He emerged as one of the NBA's most dominant players but also as an influential athlete, which earned him the title of Sports Illustrated's 2025 Sportsperson of the Year.
His journey to NBA stardom has been defined by steady growth and resilience. He was the 11th overall draft pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets and was immediately traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. As a rookie, he earned a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In 2019, he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of a deal that sent Paul George to the Clippers.
Each year in in the league, his role has expanded, as did his production. He developed into an All-NBA talent, leading the Thunder through a rapid rebuild and back into playoff contention in the early 2020s.
"The king of OKC," one fan wrote in the comment section of SI's IG post announcing the Sportsperson of the Year.
Napheesa Collier And Breanna Stewart Are The Innovators Of The Year
The award for Innovators of the Year goes to WNBA stars and Co-Founders of Unrivaled, Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.
Collier, the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, 5x All-Star, and 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, co-founded the professional women's basketball league Unrivaled with 3x WNBA Champion, 2x WNBA MVP, and Olympic Gold Medalist Breanna Stewart in January 2025. The league, played during the WNBA offseason, hit the ground running and took off immediately, attracting big sponsors, talent, and tons of fans. The second season of the league begins next week and includes more teams, more sponsors, and likely, more fans.
"This year represents meaningful change that will impact generations of basketball players and fans to come, and I'm honored Sports Illustrated is recognizing this work," Stewart said, according to a press release. "It's a special honor to be awarded alongside Napheesa, and I'm looking forward to celebrating the inspiring innovation and excellence of our fellow awardees in January."
Collier added, "Being named Sports Illustrated's Innovators of the Year with Breanna is an incredible honor. I've always believed that athletes have the power to shape the future of our sport, and I'm grateful to be recognized, along with my co-founder, for pushing those boundaries. This moment motivates me to keep building, keep advocating, and keep creating opportunities for the next generation."
Michael Phelps Honored With Muhammad Ali Legacy Award
Michael Phelps, the Most Decorated Olympian of All-Time, Global Mental Health Advocate, and Founder of the Michael Phelps Foundation, is the winner of the coveted Muhammad Ali Legacy Award for 2025.
Phelps, with 28 total medals, including 23 golds, is being honored for his relentless work over the past decade advocating for mental health awareness and access to treatment. His mission is personal. He's spoken openly about his own struggles with depression and anxiety, making him a global symbol of hope and support.
"Simply the greatest athlete to ever walk this planet," one fan wrote in the comment section of Sports Illustrated's Instagram announcement of Phelps' award. Another added, "Congrats!! You’re a great role model to Baltimore and beyond!!"
Breakout Star Of The Year - Cal Raleigh
The Breakout Start of the Year Award goes to MLB All-Star, Platinum and Gold Glove Winner, MLBPA Player of the Year, Silver Slugger Winner and Sporting News MLB Player of the Year, Cal Raleigh.
The Breakout Star of the Year Award honors an athlete who rose from standout performer to national sensation. In his fifth MLB season, Seattle Mariners slugger Raleigh made history with 60 home runs. He was a first-time All-Star in 2025 and carried his momentum into the postseason during a dramatic Game 7 in the American League Championship Series.
Fans left positive words for Raleigh on Sports Illustrated's Instagram post announcing his award.
"All our love for you, Cal! Thanks for an unforgettable season!," one person wrote. Another said, "The People’s MVP! What a season."
Simone Biles Was Named Sports Illustrated 2024 Sportsperson Of The Year
Last year's event, also held at Wynn Las Vegas, honored 11-time Olympic gymnast Simone Biles as the 2024 Sportsperson of the Year.
According to Sports Illustrated, "Simone Biles is Sports Illustrated’s 2024 Sportsperson of the Year because she won gold, and then another gold, and then another; because she changed the face of her sport and the conversations around athletes in general; because she continues to speak out about issues that matter to her. And perhaps most of all because after she wondered aloud to Chiles whether she was about to relive the darkest period of her career, she took a deep breath, she saluted the judges and she broke into a run.”
Biles recognized that 2024 "was a big year for women's sports" during her acceptance speech. The message she shared with The Blast for the younger generations of athletes was to "never give up."
"Whatever you put your mind to, you can accomplish it," she told The Blast exclusively during the award ceremony. "Because whenever I started, I just wanted to maybe do college gymnastics and look at where we are now."
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