Oprah and Sports

SI Staff | May 25, 2011

Oprah and Sports

AP

After 25 years on the air, Oprah Winfrey has said goodbye to her long-running talk show. SI.com looks back at some of her interviews with athletes, beginning with a 1994 visit by Michael Jordan.

AP

Controversial basketball star Dennis Rodman paid a visit to Oprah in April 1996. The Bulls' forward discussed his book "Bad As I Wanna Be."

AP

A then-single Tiger Woods took to Oprah's famous couch in April 1997, after winning the Masters.

AP

Michael Jordan and Oprah share a laugh during a November 1997 appearance.

Reuters

Oprah kicked off her 23rd season by hosting a homecoming at Chicago's Millennium Park for the U.S. Olympians who competed in Beijing. Among the athletic masses: swimmer Michael Phelps.

US Presswire

Lisa Leslie also partook in the Millennium Park festivities, showing off her gold medal.

AP

Rutgers player Kia Vaughn appeared on the show after suing radio show host Don Imus for comments he made about the team.

AP

In September 2009, Mike Tyson made his first appearance on Oprah. He made a second visit with Evander Holyfield in October 2009, during which he apologized for the ear-biting incident in their heavyweight title bout.

AP

In her first post-prison interview, track star Marion Jones spoke to Oprah about her decision to lie to federal prosecutors asking about her use of performance-enhancing drugs. On the show, Jones tearfully read a letter she wrote to her her two young sons while in prison.

Reuters

In 2009, Oprah joined in the effort to try to land the Olympics for Chicago. Here she gives a speech in Copenhagen.

AP

Three of televisions most notable talk show hosts joined for a Super Bowl commercial in 2007.