2020 Sportsperson of the Year Winners Join Rare Company Following Group Honors

This year marked just the fifth time that a group of athletes has won Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year award.

This year's Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year honorees—LeBron James, Breanna Stewart, Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif—marked just the fifth time that a group of athletes has won the award. 

SI announced its annual accolade Sunday morning, recognizing five athletes who, in the words of SI's editors, "were champions in every sense of the word: champions on the field, champions for others off it."

Presenting the #Sportsperson of the Year: The Activist Athlete.

Congratulations to five who inspired in 2020: @KingJames, @breannastewart, @PatrickMahomes, @naomiosaka and @LaurentDTardif https://t.co/uLEiwWyaDO pic.twitter.com/6i6DSqw0wN

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 6, 2020

The 1980 U.S. Olympic men's hockey team, 2004 Boston Red Sox and 2018 Golden State Warriors each were presented with the honor.

SI's 2020 Sportsperson of the Year: The Activist Athlete

In 1987, Bob Bourne, Judi Brown King, Kipchoge Keino, Dale Murphy, Chip Rives, Patty Sheehan, Rory Sparrow and Reggie Williams were all given the honor, having been dubbed "Athletes Who Care" for their work "[honoring] sport by helping others."

By being among this year's honoree's, James also became the first athlete to be named SI's Sportsperson of the Year three times, having previously won the award in 2012 and 2016.

Check out SI's honorees’ stories in more detail here on SI.com beginning tomorrow.