If you are asking about Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year, the latest winner is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Sports Illustrated selected the Oklahoma City Thunder star as its 2025 Sportsperson of the Year, with the award announced in January 2026.
Gilgeous-Alexander earned the honor after an extraordinary 2025 season. He won the NBA Most Valuable Player award, led the Thunder to their first NBA championship, and was named NBA Finals MVP. Sports Illustrated also highlighted his leadership, development and impact on Oklahoma City.
What Is Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year?
Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year is one of the magazine’s most prestigious annual honors. It recognizes an athlete, team or other sports figure who has made an exceptional impact during the year.
The award is not simply a statistical competition. Sports Illustrated considers athletic achievement as well as the broader significance of the person or team and their impact on sports and society.
The honor dates back to 1954, and the list of winners includes some of the most famous names in sports history.
Why Did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Win?
Gilgeous-Alexander had one of the most successful individual seasons in recent NBA history.
He helped Oklahoma City finish the 2024–25 regular season with a franchise-record 68 wins before leading the Thunder through the playoffs. Oklahoma City eventually defeated the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals to win the franchise’s first NBA championship.
Individually, Gilgeous-Alexander won:
- NBA Most Valuable Player
- NBA scoring title
- NBA Finals MVP
- NBA championship
- Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year
Sports Illustrated noted that he became only the fourth player to win the NBA MVP, scoring title and Finals MVP in the same season.
His combination of individual dominance and team success made him a natural choice for the award.
What Makes the Award Different From NBA Awards?
The Sports Illustrated honor is different from an NBA award.
The NBA MVP, for example, is specifically given to the league’s most valuable player during the regular season. The Finals MVP recognizes the best player during the NBA championship series.
Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year covers the broader world of sports. The winner does not have to be an NBA player or even a team-sport athlete.
Previous winners have included athletes from basketball, football, baseball, tennis, gymnastics, swimming, golf and other sports. Teams have also received the honor.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 2025 Achievement
Gilgeous-Alexander’s rise is particularly notable because he developed into an NBA superstar after entering the league as a relatively unheralded prospect compared with some of the other stars selected around him.
Sports Illustrated’s profile described how he progressed from a player with questions surrounding his potential into the centerpiece of Oklahoma City’s championship team.
His 2025 season represented the culmination of that development.
The Thunder’s success was also significant for Oklahoma City. The franchise had spent several seasons rebuilding before becoming one of the NBA’s strongest teams.
Gilgeous-Alexander became the face of that transformation.
Is Shai the First Canadian to Win?
Yes. Sports Illustrated says Gilgeous-Alexander is the first Canadian to win the award outright since Wayne Gretzky in 1982.
Gretzky is widely regarded as one of the greatest hockey players ever, making the connection between the two Canadian stars especially notable.
Gilgeous-Alexander grew up in Ontario before becoming an NBA star in the United States.
Who Won Before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?
The previous two individual winners were also major sports stars.
Simone Biles was Sports Illustrated’s 2024 Sportsperson of the Year. The gymnastics legend was honored after another remarkable period in her career.
Before Biles, Deion Sanders received the award for 2023. Sanders was recognized after his remarkable impact as the head football coach at Colorado and his broader influence on college sports.
Stephen Curry won in 2022, while Tom Brady won in 2021.
Recent Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Winners
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander |
| 2024 | Simone Biles |
| 2023 | Deion Sanders |
| 2022 | Stephen Curry |
| 2021 | Tom Brady |
| 2020 | Naomi Osaka, LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes, Breanna Stewart and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif |
| 2019 | Megan Rapinoe |
| 2018 | Golden State Warriors |
| 2017 | José Altuve and J.J. Watt |
| 2016 | LeBron James |
Sports Illustrated’s historical list shows that the award can recognize an individual, multiple individuals or an entire team.
Has a Team Ever Won the Award?
Yes.
The Golden State Warriors were named Sportsperson of the Year in 2018. The Boston Red Sox also received the honor in 2004.
That is why calling the award simply “Player of the Year” can be slightly misleading. Its official name is Sportsperson of the Year, and it is broader than an individual-player award.
What Did Gilgeous-Alexander Accomplish for Oklahoma City?
The biggest achievement was winning the NBA championship.
The Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers in a seven-game NBA Finals series in 2025. Gilgeous-Alexander was named Finals MVP after leading Oklahoma City during the championship run.
The championship was particularly meaningful for Oklahoma City because it was the franchise’s first NBA title.
Gilgeous-Alexander therefore wasn’t simply having an excellent individual season. His performance directly connected to a historic achievement for his team and its community.
Why Is the Award Important?
Sports awards come in many forms, but Sports Illustrated’s award has a long history of recognizing athletes during especially significant moments.
Winning it places an athlete alongside some of the most recognizable figures in American and international sports.
Past recipients include:
- Michael Phelps
- Serena Williams
- LeBron James
- Peyton Manning
- Derek Jeter
- Megan Rapinoe
- Tom Brady
- Stephen Curry
- Simone Biles
- Deion Sanders
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
The historical list demonstrates how broad the award’s reach has been over the decades.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the current Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the latest winner. He was selected as Sports Illustrated’s 2025 Sportsperson of the Year, with the award presented in January 2026.
What sport does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander play?
Gilgeous-Alexander is a professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA.
Why did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander win Sportsperson of the Year?
He was recognized after winning NBA MVP, the scoring title and Finals MVP while leading Oklahoma City to its first NBA championship in 2025.
Who was Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year in 2024?
Simone Biles was the 2024 Sportsperson of the Year.
Who won the award in 2023?
Deion Sanders won Sports Illustrated’s 2023 Sportsperson of the Year award.
Is it called Sports Illustrated Player of the Year?
The official honor is called Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year, rather than Player of the Year. It can recognize an individual athlete, multiple people or, in some years, a team.
The Bottom Line
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is Sports Illustrated’s latest Sportsperson of the Year. He won the 2025 award after an extraordinary season in which he captured NBA MVP, the scoring title and Finals MVP while leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to their first NBA championship.
The award has been presented since 1954 and has honored many of the biggest names in sports. Its winners are not limited to one league or sport, making it a broader recognition of athletic achievement and influence than a typical league-specific player award.