LeBron James & Naomi Osaka Have Been Named Athletes Of The Year

The Associated Press just named LeBron James and Naomi Osaka Athletes of the Year.

They are being honored for their dedication to their craft and accomplishments in their field as well as their response to the social climate through activism.

Per NBC News:

“LeBron James told the world in 2020 that Black Lives Matter. He helped convince many who had never voted to finally head to the polls. He found more ways to continue elevating the lives of people in his hometown.
If that weren’t enough, he won another NBA championship.”

Osaka also took her throne through hard work and determination. She ranked #3 and won her third Grand Slam Title at the U.S. Women’s Open.

The tennis legend Billie Jean King recognized this too and said that Osaka:

“position(ed) herself as a leader not only in women’s tennis but in all of sports” and “(She is) a force for change in our society.”

She continued, saying:

“She successfully completed the difficult task of taking excellence in sports performance and using that platform to succeed outside of sports on a much bigger stage,” King told the AP. “She ignited a conversation on social justice, the results of which were bigger than tennis, larger than sports, and in doing so raised the bar for all those who want to leverage the gifts and talents we have to make a difference in our world.”

Source:
TheRoot