Famous Athletes and Their Top Sports Illustrated Shots

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Serena and Venus Williams, 2000

Growing up in Compton, the famous Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, honed their skills in tennis and eventually became the biggest names in the sport. Venus turned pro at 14 and defeated 59th-ranked player Shaun Stafford in 1994. Serena won her first single title in 1999 against Amélie Mauresmo at the Open Gaz de France in Paris. 

The girls showed their patriotic side when shooting for Sports Illustrated magazine in 2000 at the height of their fame. The Williams girls have a biopic about their father called “King Richard,” who was portrayed by Will Smith. It was released in November 2021.

Rob Gronkowski, 2012

Retired NFL player Rob Gronkowski was an American football tight end for the New England Patriots putting his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to an end in March 2019. The three-time Super Bowl champion played alongside his best friend and legend Tom Brady and is the record-holder for the highest number of touchdown receptions by a tight end. 

After announcing his retirement from the sport, Bronkowski teased in January 2022 that he may come back onto the field again with the Buccaneers. We reckon he wants to set more incredible records, and he holds quite a few. This 2012 portrait of Gronkowski appeared in Sports Illustrated.

Maria Sharapova, 2005

Many would recognize this Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova for her beauty, but she was also once ranked the number one best player in 2005. She won the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) five times; her profession started in 2001 before she went on to announce her retirement in February 2020. 

Her worth is estimated at $180 million, which she got from her championship wins and many endorsements, including Tag Heuer and Nike. Sharapova got engaged to English entrepreneur Alexander Gilkes in 2020, and the two holidayed in Venice in September 2021, a nice change to their usual Santa Barbara home. 

Michael Jordan, 1998

Michael Jordan is regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time since winning the NBA championship with the Bulls for the first time in 1991, then achieving his own accolades by becoming the NBA MVP six times and many more.

He has become a significant figure when it comes to endorsements, scoring brands like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Nike, where created the signature shoe ‘Air Jordan’ in 1984, and it is still popular to this day. Jordan has an incredible $1.6 billion wealth, as recorded by Forbes in February 2022.

Nadia Comăneci, 1976

The Romanian, Nadia Elena Comăneci is a retired gymnast known for becoming the first to achieve a perfect 10.0 score at the Olympic Games in 1974 at the age of 14. She then went on to win nine gold medals and four World Artistic Gymnastic Championships during her career. 

Comăneci married fellow Olympic gold medalist Bart Connor in 1996. The two founded ‘Bart Connor Gymnastics Company’ in Oklahoma in the same year. They both work on ‘International Gymnast’ magazine and still contribute to the sports world today as analysts and commentators.

Mariano Rivera, 2013

Mariano Rivera was a former baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for 19 seasons with the New York Yankees between 1995 and 2013. He was known for his precise control and smooth pitching motion, which regarded him as one of the best relievers in baseball history.

Gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated in 2013, the interview writes about his on-field brilliance and MLB record of 651 saves. The Hall of Famer joins EFI Connect in January 2022, speaking about his time in the game and the Mariano Rivera Foundation, which dedicates its work to providing help and education to children from impoverished families.

Serena and Venus Williams, 2000

Growing up in Compton, the famous Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, honed their skills in tennis and eventually became the biggest names in the sport. Venus turned pro at 14 and defeated 59th-ranked player Shaun Stafford in 1994. Serena won her first single title in 1999 against Amélie Mauresmo at the Open Gaz de France in Paris. 

The girls showed their patriotic side when shooting for Sports Illustrated magazine in 2000 at the height of their fame. The Williams girls have a biopic about their father called “King Richard,” who was portrayed by Will Smith. It was released in November 2021.

Randy Moss, 1997

Former American football player Randy Moss played in the NFL for 14 seasons, starting with Minnesota Vikings and retiring in 2012 after a one-year undisclosed deal with San Francisco 49ers. The wide receiver holds the record for most touchdown receptions in a single season in the league.

In July 2016, he joined ESPN as a sports analyst for the show’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” and ‘Monday Night Countdown.’ When he wasn’t playing, Moss’s favorite pastime was fishing. The Hall of Famer hosted the 2021 Straight Bass Classic – a charity fishing tournament in memory of sports journalist Sid Hartman. 

Vitali and Wladmir Klitschko, 2002

The Ukrainian Klitschko brothers are famed for being professional boxers during their peak years from 2004 to 2015, dubbed the “Klitschko era.” They are the record-holder for the most wins as brothers with the most heavyweight title wins, forty as of 2020. 

Older brother Vitali retired from the game in 2013 and tried his hand at politics, and became Mayor of Kiev in 2014. Wladimir has successfully defended his titles until his fight with Tommy Fury in 2015. He retired from boxing following his defeat from Anthony Joshua in April 2017.

Johnny Unitas and Don Shula, 1964

Johnny Unitas held an exceptional reputation as an American football quarterback for the Baltimore Colts from 1956 to 1973. He was often considered as one of the greatest NFL players of all time. During his 18 seasons in the game, he achieved fur championship titles and was named MVP three times.

Former defensive back Don Shula was a head coach for the Colts from 1963 to 1969. Shula and Unitas individually would secure many worldwide championships, but they somehow never managed to secure the Colts a win. Author Jack Gilden published a book about their icy relationship, “Collision of Wills,” in 2018.

Arnold Palmer, 2004

Golf legend Arnold Palmer is widely recognized as one of the greatest and most captivating players with a career spanning over 50 years. He’s won seven major championship titles, including the Masters’ Tournament four times, the U.S. Open once, and The Open Championship twice. 

In the top athlete’s most prolific years from 1960 to 1963, he won 29 PGA Tours and was named Sports Illustrated’s “Sportsman of the Year” in 1960. Palmer was the first ever to achieve $1 million in pay from playing the sport, the golfer passed away in September 2016, but his legacy is still talked about today.

Usain Bolt, 2011

Sprinter Usain Bolt is the record-holder for the 100 meters, 200 meters, and the 4 x 100 relay, recorded at 9.58 seconds, making him the fastest man globally. He’s gained worldwide fame for his talent, eight Olympic Gold wins, and his signature move, the “To Di World” pose.

The runner announced his retirement after the 2017 world championships, where he finished third in the relay race due to a tricky hamstring injury. Bolt turned his attention to his other passion: soccer, he tried out for the Australian team, the Central Coast Mariners, but it did not pan out.

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