Famous Black Sportspersons

The former professional basketball player, Kobe Bryant, was drafted into NBA immediately after his school and went on to become one of the most successful basketball players of his generation. During his career of two decades, the Los Angeles Lakers player created numerous new records. He authored a book and one of his poems even inspired an animated short film.

A superstar, a legend and the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan is all this and much more. Very few athletes can match up with his level of popularity and impact. And if that is not enough, he is also the richest former professional athlete in the world.

With 39 Grand Slam titles and four Olympic gold medals, Serena Williams is clearly amongst the greatest female tennis players in the history. With 23 Grand Slam singles win, she is just a win away from equalling Margaret Court’s record of 24 grand slam titles. She has bagged the top spot in WTA’s world ranking numerous times.

American professional basketball player, Stephen Curry, plays for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association and is considered to be one of the greatest shooter in NBA history. His three-point shot is said to have revolutionised the basketball game. He has many records to his credit and his team has won couple of NBA championships.

Kevin Durant is regarded as one of the best basketball players of his generation. He is known for his phenomenal scoring ability and is hailed as an excellent playmaker. He currently plays for the Brooklyn Nets of National Basketball Association (NBA). He was part of the US men’s national team which won the Olympic gold medal in 2012 and 2016.

One of the greatest athletes ever, Usain Bolt is popular by the nickname ‘Lightning Bolt’. He holds the world record for 100 metres, 200 metres and 4 × 100 metres relay and is the only sprinter to win Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012 and 2016).

Regarded as one of the best footballers of the current generation, Kylian Mbappé became only the second teenager to score a goal in the final game of a World Cup. Known for his explosive speed and dribbling skills, Mbappé made an impact at a young age. Very mature for his age, he also believes in giving back to society.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, Muhammad Ali was a major figure of the 20th century. He was an inspirational figure for African-Americans during the civil rights movement. Because of his opposition to Vietnam War and his refusal to be drafted into military, Muhammad Ali became an icon for the larger counterculture generation.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a professional basketball player and plays for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association. He’s called ‘Greek Freak’ as he hails from Greece and also due to his size, speed and ball-handling skills. He was named NBA’s Most Valuable Player twice and NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2020. He represents Greece at the international level.

Paul Pogba is a prominent football player for the English club Manchester United; in 2016 he was transferred from Juventus to Manchester United for a then-world record transfer fee of £89.3 million, which remains the highest paid fee by any English club. Also an important member of the France national team, he helped France win the 2018 World Cup.

A four-time All-Star and six-time All-Defensive Team member, Kawhi Leonard has helped two teams win NBA championships while earning the Finals Most Valuable Player award on both THE occasions. In 2015 and 2016, he was named Defensive Player of the Year. Nicknamed the Claw for his amazing ball-hawking skills, Leonard is known for his quiet demeanor off-court.

The name Lewis Hamilton has become synonymous with Formula One, and such is the greatness of Hamilton. Honoured with MBE by the Queen, Lewis Hamilton is one of the most successful Formula One Grand Prix Racing Driver. Hamilton was the first Black driver to win the Championship and has 6 World Championship titles and 90 race victories to his name.

American football player Deion Sanders is considered one of the strongest pass defenders of the game. He was an electrifying athlete and played in the National Football League for 14 seasons. He played for teams like Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens. He is now a coach and a sports analyst. He’s also a rapper.

Odell Beckham Jr. is an American football player who plays in the National Football League (NFL). With several NFL records under his belt, Beckham Jr. is widely regarded as one of the most popular and productive players of all time. His one-handed touchdown catch in a Sunday Night Football game is considered the greatest catch ever made in NFL history.

Regarded as one of the greatest women's tennis players of all time, Venus Williams is credited with introducing never seen before power and athleticism to women's tennis along with her sister Serena. She is also credited with changing the long-standing practice of paying male tennis players more than their female counterparts as she won the fight for equal prize money.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a footballer who plays as a forward and is the captain of the Gabon national team. He is known for his pace and finishing and is said to be one of the best strikers in the world. He plays for the English club team, Arsenal. He has played for other clubs as well like AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund.

American footballer, Russell Wilson, plays for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and is considered one of the best players ever. In NFL history, he is one of two quarterbacks with a career passer rating over 100. In October 2020, he was inducted in an exclusive group, the Madden 99 club of the popular ‘Madden 21’ video game.

Sadio Mané is one of the greatest Senegalese football players of all time. He is Senegal's fifth all-time top goal-scorer and was named African Footballer of the Year in 2020. One of Liverpool's key players, Sadio serves as an inspiration to youngsters as he succeeded as a footballer in spite of his father forbidding him from playing as a child.

Michael Strahan is a journalist, television personality, and former professional American football player. Strahan helped the New York Giants, where he spent his entire 15-year National Football League (NFL) career, win the Super Bowl XLII. After retiring from football, Michael Strahan co-hosted the talk show Live with Kelly and Ryan, for which he received a couple of Daytime Emmy Awards.

James Harden is a basketball player, widely regarded as the best shooting guard in the history of the NBA. His prolific ability to score from difficult situations and positions has helped his team win many games. He was part of the United States national team that won the gold medal at the London 2012 Summer Olympics.

Chris Paul is a professional basketball player and one of the highest-paid sportspersons in the world. Apart from earning from his career as a basketball player, he also earns by signing endorsement deals with companies like State Farm and Air Jordan. A religious person, Chris Paul attends church whenever possible.

Tiger Woods is considered as one of the greatest golfers of all time. He had a great run throughout the first decade of the 21st century. Later he had to deal with infidelity issues, marital problems and divorce and injuries, but was able to make a comeback. He holds numerous golf records and has won many World Golf Championship.

Magic Johnson, the now retired American basketball player was one of the most powerful players of the 1980s and led NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers to five championships during his thirteen years career. His real name is Earvin Johnson and he earned his nickname Magic during his high school days. He retired after testing positive for HIV and currently heads Magic Johnson Enterprises.

Former professional basketball player, Allen Iverson, is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential basketball players of all time. He retired after playing 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for various teams. At the time of his retirement, he was an 11-time NBA All-Star. A popular star, he has made a few cameo appearances in films.

A former professional boxer who reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion for three years, Mike Tyson is considered a colossal figure in boxing. Claiming his first heavyweight title at the young age of 20, he went on to become one of the best heavyweights of all time. Also a controversial person, he was once imprisoned on rape charges.

A star basketball player currently with Portland Trail Blazers, Carmelo Anthony was first drafted by Denver Nuggets and played eight seasons with them. Amongst the most prolific scorer in NBA history, he played another seven season with New York Knicks. At the Olympics, Anthony was part of the teams that won bronze medal in 2004 and gold-medal in 2008, 2012, and 2016.

Russell Westbrook is a professional basketball player. A nine-time NBA All-Star, Russell is only one of two players in the history of the NBA to average a triple-double for an entire season. An eight-time All-NBA Team member, Russell is one of the most athletic NBA players of all time. He also frequently appears in commercials for brands like Air Jordan.

Zion Williamson is an American basketball player who plays in the power forward position for the New Orleans Pelicans of the NBA. Also a humanitarian, Zion Williamson promised to pay for the salaries of the Smoothie King Center employees for 30 days as the 2019–20 NBA season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Retired artistic gymnast Gabby Douglas became an all-around Olympic champion in 2012, becoming the first African-American to achieve the feat. She is also the first American to win gold in both the individual and team competitions at the same Olympic event. She inspired the biopic The Gabby Douglas Story.

Tim Duncan is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the NBA and the best power forward of all time. A five-time NBA champion, Duncan also helped his national team win Olympic bronze medal in 2004. Also a humanitarian, Duncan established the Tim Duncan Foundation to fund youth sports programs and education.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest track and field athletes of all time, Jesse Owens' three world records in less than an hour in 1935 came to be known as the greatest 45 minutes ever in sports. He was credited with destroying Adolf Hitler's myth of Aryan supremacy when he won four gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics.

Lamar Odom is an American basketball player who helped Los Angeles Lakers win two NBA championships. He also played an important role in helping the US national team win a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Lamar Odom is also a music enthusiast and owns a film and music production company called Rich Soil Entertainment. 

Kimbo Slice, dubbed The King of the Web Brawlers by Rolling Stone, gained fame for his mutual combat street fights. He dabbled in MMA, boxing, and wrestling, eventually signing with EliteXC and competing in UFC. A little over a year after signing with Bellator MMA, he died of heart failure.

Sugar Ray Leonard is a former boxer and motivational speaker. Having won world titles in five different weight divisions during his boxing career, Leonard is widely considered one of the greatest boxers ever. Leonard was part of a group of boxers dubbed The Fabulous Four, which is credited with popularizing the lower weight classes in the post-Muhammad Ali era.

Bill Russell is a former professional basketball player. Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players ever, Russell led the US national basketball team to victory and helped his team win Olympic gold at the 1956 Summer Olympics. Also known for his accomplishments in the civil rights movement, Russell was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.

David Ortiz is a Dominican-American former baseball player who played primarily for the Boston Red Sox in Major League Baseball. Nicknamed Big Papi for his strength, Ortiz is considered one of the greatest clutch hitters ever. Also regarded as one of the greatest designated hitters for Boston Red Sox, Ortiz helped the team end its 86-year World Series championship drought.

American football player Julio Jones has been an important member of the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL since 2011. Renowned for his leaping and catching ability, Jones is considered one of the greatest receivers ever and the best wide receiver of the current generation. He became the fastest to reach 10,000 receiving yards in the history of NFL in 2018.

Though his childhood was rough, Jimmy Butler III’s talent as a basketball player eventually led to his selection by the Chicago Bulls in the 2011 draft. He played six seasons with the Bulls and became the first player in its history to bag the NBA Most Improved Player award. He played for Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers before joining Miami Heat.