LeBron Jam and Serena Williams have been selected by the Associated Press as Athletes Of The Decade. They defeated Olympic gymnast Simone Biles (Olympic gymnast) and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (both finalists). Lindsey Vonn was third, while Katie Ledeck was fourth. Men's sports include Lionel Messi as well as Michael Phelps.
LeBron James
LeBron James may be the greatest basketball player ever. However, he's also an entrepreneur. He owns a minority stake in the Liverpool football team and has launched a production company. Uninterrupted is his digital media company. His many projects have increased his visibility. His goal is for the Los Angeles Lakers to return to their glory days.
James was named the AP Athlete of the Decade. He defeated other athletes including Usainbolt, Lionel Messi (and Michael Phelps) The award was big for James as he had been a controversial figure since 2010. After spurning the Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat, he was viewed as a villain in the league, but he soon earned acclaim. He won the MVP award and won three NBA championships in 10 years.
Serena Williams
Serena Williams, who has dominated tennis courts for the past decade and was named Female Athlete Of The Decade, has won the title. She was selected by AP's beat writers and sports editors based upon her accomplishments on the court and off. She won 12 Grand Slam singles championships, became a mother, fought against racism, and became a role-model for young women.
She has won numerous singles slams and claimed 12 Grand Slam titles since 2007. This feat has never been achieved by another woman. She also holds the record for the most consecutive top-ten weeks, tied with Steffi Graf. Serena also reached the finals in 19 majors and won 37 singles titles.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is the most famous soccer player. Not only is he the best goal scorer in the history of the sport, but he's also one of the best dribblers, passers and free-kick takers. Messi, among other things, completes more dribbles than any other player, plays more through ball and makes more passes to the penalty area. His dominance is so complete that he's earned the nickname Ruthian. Although this word isn't in every dictionary it's used as a descriptor of Messi on the sports pages.
Messi is a top-flight soccer star, but his career has also been filled with many other honors and awards. He's been named to Time's 100 most influential people in the world twice. He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2011, and he was crowned Laureus World Sportsman of the Decade in 2020. His career earnings total $1 billion. Having started out at a Barcelona youth academy at age 13, Messi has gone on to win six La Liga titles, two Champions League titles, and five Copa del Rey titles.
Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympic athlete of the decade. He has 22 Olympic medals and eight golds from the 2008 Beijing Games. This makes him one of history's most decorated athletes. He also won more National Titles and World Championships than anyone else.
His Olympic success has made his name synonymous to swimming. Despite his long absence from competition, Michael Phelps hasn't slowed down. He founded a foundation that teaches kids how to swim, and promotes the sport. His foundation funds swim training programs and teaches children the basics. He has even given more of his time to it. Friends still text him asking when he'll return to competitive swimming.