The Best Athlete Alive, Every Year Since 2000

2000: Tiger Woods

There’s aura, and then there’s the cosmic glow that Tiger Woods emitted at the turn of the century. At 24, the man who gave golf its swag wasn’t just winning, he was dominating the competition. In 2000, Tiger stacked nine wins in 20 starts and became the second golfer in the modern era to pull off the Triple Crown (winning three of golf’s four major tournaments). His 15-stroke win at the U.S. Open remains the largest margin of victory in any major. Sportsbooks and commentators said the quiet part out loud: Anyone teeing up with Tiger was playing for second place.

But stats can’t capture Tiger’s cultural gravity. The face of Nike Golf took a sport long reserved for businessmen and retired white dudes and flipped it on its head. Eldrick Tont Woods made every putt feel like Jordan in crunch time. Crowds didn’t follow the tournament; they followed him. —John Kennedy

Honorable Mention: Shaquille O’Neal, Derek Jeter

2001: Barry Bonds

Like it or not, Barry Bonds is baseball’s reigning home run king and 2001 was the year he was fitted for the crown. That year, Bonds became the oldest player in MLB history to lead the league in home runs. And the oldest to hit 50 in a single season. And 60. And 70. (It must be noted that sudden growth spurts in your thirties are as rare as his accomplishments.) Bonds ultimately toppled Mark McGwire’s single season home run record* and finished with 73* long balls, a record .863 slugging percentage, and won his fourth National League MVP award.

2001 Bonds was the center of attention, a lightning rod for controversy. On paper, the record-breaking home run chase should’ve been cause for celebration. Instead, Bonds’ efforts were often met with dread and scrutiny. Sportswriters found him aloof and combative, and published an endless stream of acidic columns about his rumored PED use. The climate didn’t mirror the enthusiasm of McGwire and Sammy Sosa’s home run chase. No, this was the inconvenient ascent of the athlete people loved to hate. —Timmhotep Aku

Honorable Mention: Allen Iverson, Kurt Warner

2002: Shaquille O’Neal

Midway through the second quarter of Game 4 of the 2002 NBA Finals, Shaquille O’Neal took a feed from Kobe Bryant and put the entire New Jersey Nets team on a poster. Todd MacCulloch and Kenyon Martin tried blocking him straight up to no avail. Jason Kidd attempted to swat him from behind. Keith Van Horn scurried from underneath the basket, while Lucious Harris watched helplessly from the paint as Shaq rattled the rim to put the Lakers ahead 47-45. That Guernica-like posterization of the Nets exemplified Shaq circa 2002.

In 2002, Shaq was both the unstoppable force and the immovable object. His stats during the Finals told a part of the story: 36.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game. But the best word best to describe the Shaq Attack was “dominant,” as in the “Most Dominant Ever,” or the MDE, another of his self-given nicknames. Shaq was at his most Dieselness against the Nets: a 415. lbs. soon-to-be three-time champion and Finals MVP whose skills and hoops IQ had been sharpened to a razor’s edge through a decade of experience. —TA

Honorable Mention: Serena Williams, Ronaldo

2003: Serena Williams

After her breakthrough win at the 1999 U.S. Open, Serena Williams spent the next few years upending the old tennis order with a power game the sport wasn’t ready for. By 2003, she was an unlikely lodestar. That January, she arrived in Melbourne, already holding titles from the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, and French Open, with a chance to complete a sweep no woman had pulled off since Steffi Graf in 1994.

With her performance at the Australian Open that year, Williams transcended tennis and entered an echelon of all-around superstar. After a shaky start in the semifinals, she clawed back from a 2–5 deficit in the third set against Kim Clijsters. Then came Venus. Their rivalry always felt like a chess match between Thor and Loki, a battle for both athletic prowess and bloodline rights. Serena again outperformed her big sis, claiming her fourth consecutive major and completing her first Serena Slam. In the words of their father, she really was “the younger daughter” who was “even better.” —Clover Hope

Honorable Mention: Tim Duncan, Barry Bonds

2004: Peyton Manning

Before he was yucking it up on the ManningCast and Peyton’s Places, Peyton Manning was a machine on the field. His performance in 2004 was synonymous with words like “control” and “precision.” Football looked like something he had solved. At the line of scrimmage, Manning called audibles, shifted protections, and made defenses look lost before the ball was even snapped.

The man known as “The Sheriff” shattered Dan Marino’s single-season record with 49 touchdown passes to just 10 interceptions and posted a 121.1 passer rating—a record at the time. Though his 2004 campaign didn’t culminate in a Super Bowl victory—he’d have to wait two more years for his first ring—it still set a new standard for elite quarterback play. —Aaron Mansfield

Honorable Mention: Michael Phelps, Roger Federer

2005: Roger Federer

05 Federer was such an intimidating presence it was said he stepped on the court already up a set and a break. But his dominance can best be explained through his defeats. He held a match point against Marat Safin in the Australian Open semifinals. The Swiss also failed to convert three match points against Richard Gasquet at the Monte Carlo Masters. About a month later, he lost a tight four-setter at Roland Garros to Rafael Nadal, who’d win the first of his 14 French Open titles 48 hours later. Federer then rattled off 35 consecutive wins, including titles at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, before blowing a two-set-to-one lead to David Nalbandian in the Masters Cup final, Fed’s first tournament since tearing ligaments in his ankle a month earlier. In all, he went 81-4 with eleven titles during his historic campaign. That he did so while playing a gorgeous style of tennis that charmed fans and inspired rapturous odes of literature added to his legend. —Thomas Golianopoulos

Honorable Mention: Reggie Bush, Ronaldinho

2006: Kobe Bryant

After winning his power struggle with Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant’s reign as the undisputed leader of the Los Angeles Lakers got off to a shaky start. The Purple and Gold missed the playoffs in 2005 but the poor results didn’t humble Kobe Bean Bryant. Ever stubborn, he doubled down. He upped his usage rate. He took more shots. He became a more demanding (i.e. sociopathic) teammate. He became the Black Mamba.

The events of January 22, 2006, became inevitable the moment Kobe dropped 62 in three quarters a month earlier against Dallas. The chatter was endless: Could he have dropped 70? 80? 100? He was curious too. So, of course, Kobe—your favorite gunner’s favorite gunner—had to find out, and on a Sunday night against the Raptors, Kobe went for 81 (on 46 shots from the field!) in the Lakers 122-104 home win. Kobe stayed on a heat check all season, averaging 35.4 points per game. Perhaps his greatest trick though was dragging a team that started Smush Parker, Kwame Brown, and Chris Mihm to a postseason berth. 2006 was Kobe the hooper distilled to his essence, for better or for worse. —TG

Honorable Mention: Dwyane Wade, Roger Federer

2007: Floyd Mayweather

Floyd Mayweather was already untouchable in the ring. The nickname “Pretty Boy Floyd” fit the defensive technician just fine. But in 2007, the 30-year-old undefeated champ became Floyd “Money” Mayweather. He dethroned Oscar De La Hoya in the biggest fight of the decade, drawing a then-record 2.4 million pay-per-view buys, then backed it up in December with a stunning knockout of the previously undefeated Ricky Hatton.

Money was bankable for both his skills and his swagger. He was a provocateur, the kind of insufferable troll who’d rock a sombrero to the ring against a Mexican icon, become BFFs with 50 Cent, and then compete on Dancing with the Stars. The gambit worked though. Boxing’s best fighter had become appointment viewing once again, pulling in both admirers of the sweet science and casual fans who tuned out after the Tyson era. Floyd “Money” Mayweather had arrived. —JK

Honorable Mention: Tom Brady, Randy Moss

2008: Michael Phelps

Somehow, winning six gold medals and two bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics was just an appetizer for Michael Phelps. Four years later, the 23-year-old raced 17 times in nine days, won eight gold medals, and set six —six! —world records (400m individual medley, 200m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley, 4x200m freestyle relay, and 4x100m medley relay) during the Beijing games.

Of course, the winningest athlete in Olympic history was also the richest swimmer in history. Madison Avenue were the biggest “Phelps Phans” and Phelps’ team secured the bags, plural. Phelps parlayed the exposure into a $1.6 million book deal and new (and renewed) endorsement deals with Visa, Speedo, Subway, Omega, Pure Sport, AT&T, and Rosetta Stone, reportedly earning $7 million annually as a pitchman post-Beijing. He definitely earned the right to unwind with a few bong rips. —TA

Honorable Mention: Usain Bolt, Candace Parker

2009: Manny Pacquiao

The power of prime Pacquiao went beyond his devastating jab-hook combos. In 2009, the Filipino icon starred in the hilariously titled sitcom Show Me Da Manny, started a campaign for political office, and went viral on Jimmy Kimmel Live! with his cover of Dan Hill’s 1977 soft rock ballad “Sometimes When We Touch.” Simply put: The Pac-Man brand was strong.

But back to those punches. Those were strong, too, and Manny landed plenty. It took him less than two rounds to floor Ricky Hatton in one of the most vicious knockouts of the 2000s. Later that year, he dismantled Miguel Cotto to become boxing’s first-ever seven-division champ. Nobody else was doing what Manny was doing: climbing weight classes and folding elite fighters like origami, then aiding typhoon survivors in his homeland. Manny Pacquiao was the people’s champ, a benevolent bruiser, a cultural force you couldn’t escape. —JK

Honorable Mention: Lionel Messi, Kobe Bryant

2010: Shaun White

Shaun White had already secured gold at the Winter Olympics men’s halfpipe event when he unveiled a bold new trick, just for the hell of it. There, in Vancouver, he pulled off a maneuver never before landed in competition: the now-iconic Double McTwist 1260, a two-flip, three-and-a-half-twist jump. It was the equivalent of Vince Carter sticking his arm in the rim, a new technical bar for boarding, an exclamation point on a year packed with wins.

That snowboard supremacy boosted the star power of the world’s most marketable 23-year-old. Shaun White and his signature carrot-top curls were everywhere. The cover of Rolling Stone. His second eponymous video game. Winning two ESPYs. Ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Presenting at the Kids’ Choice Awards. Ad campaigns for Red Bull and AT&T. Early-morning TV. Late-night TV. Sundance. In 2010, White didn’t just make snowboarding cool; he made winter sports impossible to ignore. —JK

Honorable Mention: Rafael Nadal, Sidney Crosby

2011: Lionel Messi

Close your eyes and picture peak Messi. It’s him in a Barça shirt, right? Now think harder. You’re probably seeing the clean-shaven, boyish, “did I just see that?” Leo of the early-to-mid 2010s—the catalyst of a Barcelona side so dominant it made even Sir Alex Ferguson bow down. “In my time as manager,” Fergie said after the 2011 Champions League Final, “they’re the best team we’ve faced.” That year, Messi won plenty—a La Liga/Champions League double and the third of four straight FIFA Ballon d’Or trophies—and scored a boatload, 55 goals for club and country. But what truly lingers is the image: Prime Leo tap-dancing through taller defenders, bending space and time, and expanding the imagination of sports fans worldwide. He was already great, but after 2011, he was undeniable. —Donnie Kwak

Honorable Mention: Jon Jones, Aaron Rodgers

2012: Usain Bolt

The year is 2012, the place is the Olympic Games in London, and the event is the 200m men’s final. The runner is Usain Bolt, arguably the fastest man in the world. “Arguably.” That word is a thorn in his side. After setting records at the 2008 Olympics and 2009 World Athletics Championships—even winning the 100m gold just days prior—Bolt finds his dominance questioned. When he looked to his left, he saw countryman Yohan Blake, who’d defeated him in the 100m and 200m at the 2012 Jamaican Olympic trials. Bolt also had to contend with haters off the track; USA Track & Field legend turned broadcaster Carl Lewis insinuated that Jamaica’s anti-doping measures were too lenient. To put it mildly, these aspersions pissed off Bolt.

Before the race, Bolt put a shushing index finger to his lips. The crowd had roared when his name was announced but this “silence, please” gesture seemed intended for his detractors and the pretenders to his throne. Bolt cracked a smile. He positioned himself on the blocks. Once the starter pistol fired, he sprinted to the front of the pack, finishing the race in 19.32 and making him the first man to repeat in the 200m in Olympic history. For Usain Bolt, silence was golden and so were his medals. —TA

Honorable Mention: LeBron James, Johnny Manziel

2013: LeBron James

By 2013, LeBron James had shed the Chosen One baggage and become a monolith. After years of brilliant exhibitions undercut by a series of playoff collapses—the Heat’s Finals loss to Dallas—Miami was still his crucible. The fallout from The Decision made him both villain and spectacle, and while the Heat’s 2012 title lifted the weight, it only hinted at redemption. What followed was LeBron unleashed. He steamrolled through the 2012-2013 season, averaging 26.8 points while shooting an absurd 56.5 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from three.

Until then, Bron’s jumper had been the only soft spot in his arsenal. Suddenly, he was sinking everything from mid-range step-backs to deep threes. He was capable of guarding everyone, from Duncan in the post to perimeter snipers, and finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. Bron overcame professional and social media suffering to secure his second NBA title, reclaiming a narrative and the right to call himself king. —CH

Honorable Mention: Peyton Manning, Miguel Cabrera

2014: Cristiano Ronaldo

Prior to the 2014 World Cup, it was reported that Cristiano Ronaldo was suffering from left-leg patellar tendinosis, a.k.a. jumper’s knee. Even though he still played in that World Cup (and has scored over 500 goals since), real ball-watchers know that CR7 was a different beast before that injury. In the calendar year of 2014, Ronaldo scored 61 goals in 60 matches for club and country, and watching them is like seeing a lab-built soccer machine: right foot, left foot, head; penalties and free kicks; mazy runs, tap-ins, and wonderstrikes; speed, power, and finesse. He led Real Madrid to La Décima—their 10th Champions League title—scoring a record-breaking 17 goals in 11 matches and later claimed FIFA Ballon d’Or and UEFA Men’s Player of the Year honors. After burying the final goal of the Champions League season, Ronaldo ripped off his shirt and flexed to the crowd. Man or machine? Still unclear. —DK

Honorable Mention: Ronda Rousey, Clayton Kershaw

2015: Stephen Curry

We were living in a peak-Bron era. With James having successfully orbited his way back to Cleveland, though, the lane was wide open for Steph Curry to stake his claim. That season, he averaged 23.8 points, with a then-record 286 threes, leading Golden State to 67 wins and elevating the Warriors from mere upstarts to postseason favorites. Curry was Speedy Gonzalez on the court, with a lightning-fast release and a handle that left defenders stumbling into highlight reels.

Still, nobody thought a team could win by living beyond the arc. But the Warriors shattered that narrative, forever changing the style of play in a league that was still built around size, muscle, and post-up games. They won their first championship in 40 years, positioning Curry as an apparent shoo-in for Finals MVP. Even as Andre Iguodala hoisted the trophy, everyone knew whose fingerprints were all over it. —CH

Honorable Mention: Serena Williams, Conor McGregor

2016: LeBron James

By 2016, LeBron James had done it all —he’d won four MVPs, two Olympic gold medals, and two NBA titles. But his résumé was missing one key item: bringing a title to Cleveland. It looked like he’d fall short yet again after the Golden State Warriors jumped out to a 3-1 lead, yet King James was not to be denied. He marshalled Cleveland to three straight wins and the city’s first professional sports championship in 52 years. LeBron had two straight 41-point games in Games 5 and 6, then closed out Game 7 with a triple-double and a block of Andre Iguodala that will forever in sports highlight montages. At long last, the prophecy had been fulfilled. The chosen one had brought a title to The Land. —AM

Honorable Mention: Novak Djokovic, Mike Trout

2017: Tom Brady

Though he played in 335 regular season games and 48 playoff games (including ten Super Bowls), Tom Brady’s career can be summarized with a single scoreline: 28-3. Brady’s comeback in Super Bowl LI against the Falcons remains the gold standard for greatness in a big moment, which is, after all, the Brady brand. With the Pats down—wait for it—28-3 late in the third quarter, Brady showed no signs of panic. On the sidelines, he encouraged his teammates. On the field, he methodically carved up Atlanta’s wilting defense.

By the time New England closed out its 34-28 victory in OT, Brady had thrown for 466 yards, orchestrated the largest comeback in Super Bowl history, and earned his fourth Super Bowl MVP. That night in Houston he became the GOAT. Years later, the phrase “28-3” still says it all. —AM

Honorable Mention: Kevin Durant, Vasily Lomachenko

2018: Simone Biles

After taking home five gold medals at the Rio Olympics, Simone Biles took a year-long sabbatical and returned to gymnastics like she’d been preserved in a cryochamber. The 4’8” Texan swept every event at the 2018 World Championships in Doha—the first such feat since Dominique Dawes in 1994—and became the first woman to win four all-around world championship titles. At this point, she had analysts and physicists alike scrambling to explain her mastery of form, technique, and control. Already renowned for pulling off high-risk, high reward moves, she lived by the old Garnett adage that anything is possiblllleeee. (Biles would soon debut her signature double-double beam dismount.) Just as thrilling as her exhibitions on the mat was the excitement—and ratings—she brought to gymnastics. Audiences tuned in to see just how much Biles would push beyond what the human body could feasibly achieve, and more often than not, she entered the quantum realm. —CH

Honorable Mention: Patrick Mahomes, Alexander Ovechkin

2019: Kawhi Leonard

The Kawhi of 2018-2019 was the ultimate mercenary. Raptors president Masai Ujiri traded for Leonard in July 2018, knowing there was a slim chance the league’s famously stoic fun guy would resign in free agency the following summer. Toronto decided to risk it all anyway and ended up winning the first championship for a Canadian professional sports team since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens. Whenever teams contemplate “going all in” — trading, say, five number ones for the missing piece — they look at Kawhi and the 2019 Raptors as proof of concept.

During the regular season, Leonard alternated between shepherding Toronto’s offense and sitting out games to rest his knee. But he saved his best for the postseason, dropping 732 playoff points, hitting a game-winning buzzer-beater against the Sixers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, and cementing his place among the NBA’s all-time elite. After becoming only the third player to win finals MVP with multiple teams (behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James), Leonard predictably, chose free agency and dipped to the Clippers, having completed his mission. Only Ethan Hunt has that type of ruthless efficiency. —CH

Honorable Mention: Simone Biles, Megan Rapinoe

2020: Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes had already collected an MVP but 2020 was when he truly earned his reputation as a cold-blooded killer. The 25-year-old quarterback led the Kansas City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl win in 50 years and earned Super Bowl MVP honors after erasing a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit against the San Francisco 49ers. The game showcased the traits that have come to define Mahomes’ career—composure in key moments, quick reads, and ridiculous, did-he-seriously-just-do-that throws.

Coming from behind was a constant for Kansas City in that postseason. The Chiefs trailed by double digits in all three playoff wins, and yet it never seemed like they were in serious jeopardy—because they had the best player in football, so there was no reason to panic. Shortly after the Super Bowl, Mahomes put pen to paper to what was then the largest contract in professional sports history, a deal worth more than $500 million. The money was a formality. By that point, Mahomes had already proven his worth. —AM

Honorable Mention: LeBron James, Tyson Fury

2021: Tom Brady

The question always lingered over who deserved credit for the Patriots’ historic success: Bill Belichick or Tom Brady. In 2021, Brady settled the debate. Brady wasn’t some lucky beneficiary of Belichick’s genius or a “system QB.” Tom Brady was the system. At a spry 43 years of age, Brady took his talents to Tampa. Everything changed, yet he still dominated. In his first year with the Buccaneers, Brady tossed 40 touchdown passes and led them to a Super Bowl win over Patrick Mahomes and the defending champs.

It was Brady’s seventh ring, and maybe his most impressive. He had new teammates, had to learn a new offense, get acclimated to new surroundings, and navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, all before the season started. As fans watched Brady hoist the Lombardi it became apparent that he’d outlasted his peers. Someday, the young guns could say they’d overtaken the No. 199 overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. But not yet. The GOAT wasn’t merely running stride-for-stride with them, he was still in front. —AM

Honorable Mention: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Novak Djokovic

2022: Lionel Messi

Table the endless Ronaldo vs. Messi arguments for a second—before 2022, Lionel Messi wasn’t even winning the GOAT Argentinian Player debate. Why? Because Diego Maradona won a World Cup for Argentina, and Messi didn’t. Until 2022, that is. And nobody will soon forget Messi’s magical run in Qatar, where the 34-year-old delivered a Golden Ball-winning performance, scoring seven goals—including two in the final—to captain his nation to its first World Cup triumph since Diego lifted the trophy in ’86. Even non-Argentinians were elated for Leo, as evidenced by the reaction to his postgame Instagram post, which within 48 hours became the most-liked IG post of all time. The People’s GOAT, for real. —DK

Honorable Mention: Stephen Curry, Aaron Judge

2023: Novak Djokovic

The GOAT debate had consumed men’s tennis until Novak Djokovic ended the argument in 2023. Djokovic began the year in Australia, winning his 22nd major singles title, equaling Rafael Nadal’s all-time record. He surpassed Rafa in June after capturing the French Open, and then extended his record to 24 at the U.S. Open. If not for Carlos Alcaraz going God-mode in the Wimbledon final, Djokovic, at 36 years old, would’ve become the first man to win tennis’ Grand Slam since 1969.

No one predicted this when Djokovic arrived as the third wheel to the Federer-Nadal duopoly. At the time, he was the eager outsider, desperate to please, and he tried winning over fans with goofy impressions. But it didn’t hold and Djokovic hardened; he seemed to feed off the cheers for his much more beloved rivals. Djokovic didn’t possess Federer’s flair and panache and couldn’t match Rafa’s wicked topspin and vamos-powered showmanship. His was a ruthlessly efficient brand of tennis, almost joyless at times. Djokovic was never the most endearing player in the sport, just its best. —TG

Honorable Mention: Nikola Jokic, Connor McDavid

2024: Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark’s 2024 wasn’t just about her exploits on the court but what her presence did for the WNBA and women’s sports as a whole. The Caitlin Clark Effect had been building momentum through her four years at the University of Iowa, where she scored 3,951 points (the most in NCAA history, male or female) and won back-to-back National Player of the Year awards. Her final game as a Hawkeye, a loss to South Carolina in the 2024 National Championship game, averaged 18.7 million viewers, making it the most watched women’s basketball game ever and the most watched basketball game—male or female, collegiate or pro—since 2019.

A few weeks later, she suited up for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever and proved the hype was justified. Clark averaged 19.2 points a game, led the league in three-pointers, and set a WNBA single-season record assist record. More important to the overall health of the league, the WNBA signed a $2.2 billion media rights agreement in July 2024. Fans kept watching because Clark was playing. 2024 Rookie of the Year without a doubt. —TA

Honorable Mention: Simone Biles, Shohei Ohtani

2025: Shohei Ohtani

If there was one performance that proved Shohei Ohtani was the best athlete alive in 2025—that he was a baseball demigod walking (and home-run trotting) amongst mortals—it was Game 4 of the National League Championship Series. That night was the culmination of his unmatched two-way talents, the masterpiece he’d been waiting to unveil—three home runs (one of which traveled 469 feet, out of Dodger Stadium), six-plus scoreless innings, and 10 strikeouts. With a chance to reach the World Series, he put everything together, breaking records and earning superlatives in a sport that rarely gives them out. The punctuation to his fourth unanimous (and third consecutive) MVP.

It’s easy to rattle off his 2025 accomplishments, the annual, ho-hum signifiers of his greatness: 55 home runs; league-leading runs scored, OPS, and total bases; a 2.87 ERA with 62 strikeouts over 47 innings. It’s much harder to quantify the way his dominance on the mound, presence in the box, and looming threat on-deck influenced a variety of outcomes that helped the Dodgers win back-to-back World Series titles. Baseball isn’t supposed to be this easy. It’s a game of slumps, setbacks, and failure. That is, unless you’re Ohtani. —Jake Kring-Schreifels

Honorable Mention: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, A’ja Wilson