Athletes of the Year

LeBron James is the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year.  No argument here.  Before they announced it, as I was thinking of the athletes it could possibly be, LeBron was the name that always came to the forefront.  Unlike 2015, where Serena Williams was rightly presented with the honor, there was a large segment of the sports-loving population that favored American Pharoah for finally ending the Triple Crown drought.  This year, there was no such controversy.  LeBron James really was the clear choice.

But that doesn't mean LeBron is the only athlete that deserves praise for an outstanding 2016.  Let's start with the most obvious person.  She's very tiny, but she was one of the biggest stars in Rio.  Before the Olympics even started, Simone Biles was already anointed as the greatest gymnast ever.  She showed why in her Olympic debut.  Four gold medals, including the team event and all-around.  At the Closing Ceremony, where she was the U.S. flag bearer, she held up the line as the athletes entered.  Because everyone wanted a selfie with her!

Speaking Rio, Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt once again confirmed their greatness in their final Olympic appearances.  Bolt is the greatest sprinter ever.  Track & field's biggest star capped off his third straight Olympic triple, while Phelps, already the owner of the most medals in Olympic history won six more, bringing his career total to 28.  Then he retired.  Officially this time.  Let's throw Katie Ledecky in there, too.  Because Phelps passed the torch to her.  Ledecky's only 19, and she might be on her way to becoming the best ever.

Andy Murray also won a gold medal in Rio, his second straight.  He also won his second Wimbledon title.  More than that, though, he wrestled the No. 1 ranking away from Novak Djokovic.  How significant is that?  Well, Djokovic completed his "Djoker Slam" by winning the Australian and French Opens, and his lead in the rankings was so huge it seemed insurmountable.  Yet Murray caught and passed him (by the way, the gap between Djokovic and No. 3 Milos Raonic is greater than the number of points Raonic has).  Serena Williams isn't No. 1 anymore either.  Women's player of the year Angelique Kerber is.

Then there's Jimmie Johnson.  He won his seventh Sprint Cup, tying the two greatest drivers in NASCAR history--Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most ever.  I still don't put Johnson in the same league as those two (or even Jeff Gordon), but there's no denying he solidified his place in the Holy Trinity of NASCAR.  And he's won championships in three different formats now, so don't be surprised if he picks up No. 8 at some point soon.

Cristiano Ronaldo had a pretty good year, too.  Real Madrid won the Champions League, with him putting in the decisive penalty kick against rival Atletico Madrid in the final,  Then he won his first major international trophy when Portugal beat France in the final of Euro 2016 (even though he left the final due to injury and Portugal was definitely not the best team in the tournament).

In the American team sports, the Cubs were obviously the story of the year (sorry, Cleveland).  And Kris Bryant was their best player.  He was the near-unanimous MVP in the NL, and once he finally got going in the World Series, the Cubs began their comeback from 3-1 down.  It's only fitting that he fielded the final out of Chicago's first championship in 108 years.

If not for the Cavs making a 3-1 comeback of their own, we would've been talking about Steph Curry as the runaway Sportsperson of the Year.  The Warriors set a record for wins with 73 and he set a record for three-pointers en route to winning a unanimous MVP.  Except Golden State didn't win a second straight title, so the spoils went to LeBron instead.  (Curry could've added an Olympic gold medal if he wanted to, but he opted not to play in London.)

It takes something extraordinary for a college athlete to even be considered on any athlete of the year list, and "extraordinary" would definitely be a word you could use to describe Breana Stewart.  We all knew she was the best player in women's college basketball, so it's only fitting that she became the first player in NCAA history to win four consecutive titles...and she was the Final Four MVP each time!  In the long pantheon of UConn greats, she's right there near the top.  She then got picked first in the WNBA Draft and won a gold medal in Rio.

Sidney Crosby, meanwhile, won his second Stanley Cup with the Penguins before helping Canada win the World Cup of Hockey.  And we can't forget about Von Miller.  It's tough for football players to get their due because their championship efforts take place so early in the year.  But it was that Denver defense, led by MVP Miller, that won Peyton Manning his second Super Bowl ring.  He isn't the best defensive player in the NFL (or even his own division).  That's Khalil Mack.  But the Broncos don't win the Super Bowl without Von Miller.  Come to think of it, they're not in the playoff race this season without him, either.

All of these other athletes were great in 2016.  But with what LeBron James did, for his team and his city, the choice was an obvious one.  His 2016 was one to remember.  And remember it we will.