Today on a rainy day in Las Vegas I thought it would be great to go over the best athletes of my lifetime year by year who takes the prize year by year. I started watching sports regularly when I was 8 years old. Here is my top Athletes every year from 1991 until 2023. Many of these greats won championships but some also just were miraculous individually. Hope you enjoy my list and have a great day!!
1991- Michael Jordan
His airness averaged 31.5 points per game which was his lowest total since his second year in the league. But M.J had never got to an NBA Finals before and that all changed in 1991 as Michael Jordan bulldozed over the Pistons in four games in the Eastern Conference Finals and five games in the NBA finals. It was sweet redemption for who was regarded as the best player in the NBA for several years now.
1992- Michael Jordan
Again M.J had another monster year averaging 30.1 points a game en route to his second straight NBA Championship. His famous 3 point barrage in game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Blazers with Jordan just shrugging his shoulders was the signature moment of the 1992 season.
1993- Michael Jordan
Wayne Gretzky first season with L.A Kings was close but yes M.J again held the crown just barely as the Bulls won their straight Championship. The Phoenix Suns were game in the NBA finals but Michael Jordan again led the Bulls to the title in 6 games thanks to a championship clinching three from his sharp shooting point guard John Paxton in the deciding moment of Game 6.
1994- Steve Young
Thanks to Michael Jordan retiring to go play minor league baseball Steve Young would take over the title as the best athlete in 1994. Young would have one of the best QB seasons ever (when you adjust for era), how about a 112.8 passer rating a super bowl ring and in said super bowl a Super Bowl record 6 touchdown passes. Yeah I would say the gorilla was taken of the former BYU products back.
1995- Greg Maddux
How about a 1.56 ERA for a full season (well close 144 games) in the middle of the steroid era. Greg Maddux in his prime was maybe the most surgical pitcher I have ever seen. You could have a solo cup behind home plate for a target and doctor of pitching would hit that cup in the middle 9 times out of 10. Also, the Braves would seal the deal finally getting their first world series championship.
1996- Michael Jordan
Brett Farve was pretty incredible in 1996 but Michael Jordan’s first full season back in the NBA the Bulls went 72-10, he played all 82 games (in fact Jordan in his last three seasons in Chicago did not miss a single game) and would go 15-3 in the postseason including a 4-2 series win over the Sonics (remember them) in a Finals that was never even that close.
1997- Tiger Woods
We could go with M.J, Terrell Davis, Pedro Martinez. A lot of athletes had pretty remarkable 1997’s but I am going with Tiger Woods just for his Masters domination (winning by 12 shots) and changing golf forever, from a country club sport to a sport that was cool to play and also would feature true athletes (seriously everybody hits the ball 300 plus and is chiseled like a professional athlete).
1998- Michael Jordan
Yes Michael Jordan again!! He had a for M.J pedestrian season in 1998 with a lot of internal drama during his last year in the windy city. But in the postseason the Bulls would find a way, getting past a game Indiana Pacer team in 7 games then beating the Jazz in 6 games in the Finals, clinched with the most iconic shot in NBA history (the crossover stepback jumper) to give the Bulls their sixth NBA title.
1999- Kurt Warner
Man it’s tough not to go with Pedro Martinez here (same with 2000, spoiler alert did not take Pedro) but the rags to riches story of Kurt Warner (made into a Disney movie, most predictable thing ever) is impossible to ignore here. 41 TD’s, 109.2 passer rating, regular season MVP, super bowl MVP. The once upon a time Iowa Barnstormers QB and grocery store clerk turned NFL legend overnight is the most improbable story in NFL history.
2000- Tiger Woods
Pedro Martinez had the best pitching season I’ve ever seen in 2000 yet I have to go Tiger Woods here. Tiger had I would say with 2006 Federer, 2015 Serena and 2008 Phelps (yes spoilers for later) the most individual sport season ever in 2000. Three major, 9 total tournament wins. Tiger was a cheat code in the year 2000. Just wasn’t fair on a week to week basis.
2001- Randy Johnson
This year is tough, Tiger, Barry Bonds, Shaq, so many great seasons but I am going with yes my Arizona Diamondbacks Randy Johnson. 24-5, 2.32 ERA (in a monster offensive season in the NL) 372 strikeouts (before everyone started striking out), and 3 individual wins in the World Series. Yeah Randy Johnson was barely the best athlete in 01.
2002- Tiger Woods
5 more wins for Tiger in 2002 including 2 more majors (U.S Open and the Masters). 2002 was not a huge year in sports overall but still Tiger dominated Golf again in the middle of a swing change. If we had to go with runners up, yes Barry Bonds and Shaq would be nearby.
2003- Barry Bonds
I know they flamed out in the postseason but Barry Bonds numbers are too ridiculous to ignore. His slash line was .341/.582/.799. You think that Bonds was done going to his 40s let’s check the next year…
2004- Barry Bonds
.362/.609/.812 was Bonds slash line in 04. I know he allegedly used steroids (so did many of his contemporaries). Bonds was intentionally walked 120 times (only Todd Helton even had more total walks than that for the season). pitchers would walk Bonds intentionally with nobody on base 15 times that year!!! It was the best offensive season in the history of baseball and I don’t think that will ever be touched again. How did his team do, they missed the playoffs!! Baseball is the true team sport.
2005- Tiger Woods
In your life have you ever seen anything like that!!! Tiger Woods chip on 16 at the 2005 Masters was maybe the most iconic shot in Masters history (and there have been a lot!!!). Tiger would also win the Open in St. Andrews in a year that Woods would actually not play many tournaments but still win 4 overall to get to 47 in total.
2006- Roger Federer
How about 3 grand slam titles and a runner up in the other grand slam (in one of the best French Opens ever) for the Swiss legend. Roger Federer was never as polarizing as Djokovic, Agassi or Nadal. But it’s very difficult to argue that Federer’s peak from 2004-2009 was the best any tennis player ever had.
2007- Tom Brady
Yup Brady cracks the list in a season he did not win the Super Bowl. But 50 Td’s, a 117.2 passer rating and an 18-1 record (don’t ask about the 1) it’s hard to argue against Tommy boy’s great season in 2007.
2008- Michael Phelps
Yes Michael Phelps would win 23 gold medals in his legendary swimming career. But winning 8 at the Olympics in Beijing (or every event he participated in) including breaking 7 world records is something we will never seen done in the Olympics ever again. Michael Phelps is simple the most decorated Olympian of all time.
2009- Kobe Bryant
Kobe averaged in 2009 the least amount of points he had in six years (26.8). But he led the team with the best record in the western conference through the postseason without issue to his first championship without Shaq. It was a massive accomplishment for Kobe as the Lakers choosing Kobe over his former partner in crime was a highly scrutinized move at the time. Kobe would win his second ring in 2010.
2010- Serena Williams
2010 was a tough one, you got Buster Posey, Lebron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kobe Bryant and Aaron Rodgers. I am going with Serena though as she began to take dominance of women’s tennis during this time. Serena would win two grand slams in 2010 (Wimbledon and the Australian Open).
2011- Novak Djokovic
The Joker would begin his conquest as the best mens tennis player ever. I think it’s hard to debate at this point, even though Federer did have a better peak. 2011 was the beginning of the age of the Joker as Djokovic would win three grand slam titles in 2011 (Australian Open, Wimbledon, U.S Open).
2012- Michael Phelps
How about five more gold medals for Michael Phelps in the 2012 Olympics in London. He also had two silvers if you cared about second place as well. It truly is amazing in this day and age of nutrition and high competition across all sports world wide that one individual cold dominate as Phelps did during his 12 year run of dominance in swimming.
2013- Peyton Manning
I know Peyton’s Broncos got killed in the Super Bowl but 5477 yards 55 touchdowns and 606 points in 16 games is just absurd beyond belief. Peyton Manning had many great seasons in Indy and Denver but nothing was ever as close as this great. 5477 yards and 55 TD’s I would say is untouchable but with the NFL going to 18 games probably sometime in the next 5 years that record will be beat.
2014- Tom Brady
2014 was actually not a great year in sports. Messi and Ronaldo had a down years, was no dominant tennis or golfer. Baseball was very meh. Lebron was great but not transcendent, so the title goes to Tom Brady for a 14-2 year and a dominant playoff stretch en route to his first super bowl in 10 years. He can thank Malcolm Butler a little bit as well.
2015 Serena Williams
Three grand slam titles and held all four grand slams at one time. Simply put was the most dominant year in Women’s Tennis history.
2016- Lebron James
Wasn’t even the most efficient Lebron James year but in the playoffs Lebron was a monster (especially in the NBA finals) as Lebron would lead the Cavs to their first ever NBA title coming back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the 73 win Golden State Warriors.
2017- Alexander Ovechkin
Sure the 87 points is a great season by the lifelong Washington Capital and he didn’t even win the Hart trophy (for best player) but he was sensational in the playoffs leading his Washington Capitals to their ever Stanley Cup championship. Sorry Nick Foles you were an honorable mention.
2018- Patrick Mahomes
5097 yards and 50 tds in his first full season as a starter. How does that sound? The Chiefs would lose to the Patriots in the AFC Championship game but this still sideshow Pat’s greatest season to date. All that Pat has done since that loss though is make four out of five Super Bowls. Just truly incredible.
2019- Tiger Woods
I have to do it and go with Tiger in 2019. Did he have the best overall year, no certainly not. But winning the Masters after the back fusions, the knee injuries, the embarrassing arrest. It truly was the most powerful sports moment of my life.
2020- Lebron James
2020 with you know a worldwide pandemic shutting down the planet for several months made sports a little bit tough to judge. I will go with Lebron in 2020 who dominated the bubble in way to his fourth NBA Championship (with this third different team mind you).
2021- Novak Djokovic
Barely lost to Danill Medvedev in the U.S Open final to just miss out on winning all four grand slam titles. This is probably the most dominant year a tennis player ever has had (men’s or women’s). Just with the 24 hour news cycle these days this accomplishment truly went mostly unnoticed, not by this guy!!!
2022- Lionel Messi
Messi and Argentina would win the world cup championship in what was the best soccer match I’ve ever seen (the world cup final against France). Messi is the second most decorated soccer (or futbol) player ever (behind Pele), the man more than deserves his flowers here.
2023- Nikola Jokic
The other Joker is the best athlete of 2023 after his Denver Nuggets would win the NBA championship (63% field goal percentage from a big that does shoot outside as well is ridiculous). There really wasn’t much competition this past year against Jokic (probably Djokovic again, Corey Seager has a small argument), as it was a more than deserving crown from the big man from Serbia. 2024 is only a month is so it will be fun to see what happens. Thanks for reading and have a great day!!