December 31st, 2019, meant more than just another New Year’s Eve – it was also the end of the 2010s, and saw us stepping into a new decade, the 2020s. This was the perfect occasion for many to draw a line and do a balance sheet for the last ten years if you like. The Associated Press, one of the biggest news agencies in the world, was one of them – at least when it comes to athletes. They did just that and named its Athletes of the Decade – LeBron James, and Serena Williams – as a recognition for their performance in the last ten years.
Each year, the AP names its “Athlete of the Year” in a traditional award ceremony that started in 1931. Let’s take a look at all the winners of this award over the last decade, and while we’re at it, let’s not forget about the many non-athletes in sports who provide invaluable services and support, making these awards possible through their tireless work – the managers, the coaches, the doctors, and, of course, the fans.
The winners of the last decade
In 2010, the “Male Athlete of the Year” title was awarded to New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, the Superbowl’s Most Valuable Player, and the Sportsman of the Year in Sports Illustrated. He was praised especially for his performance in the field and his charitable work for the reconstruction of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
The “Female Athlete of the Year” was awarded to alpine skier Lindsey Vonn who won the overall World Cup title for three consecutive years.
The 2011 “Male Athlete of the Year” was Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who led the NFL in the touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2011 (he did the same in 2012, 2014, and 2018).
Abby Wambach was named “Female Athlete of the Year” in 2011 – she was the first soccer player (male or female) to have won the title individually. She was also named the US Soccer Athlete of the Year six times, including 2011.
In 2012, swimmer Michael Phelps won the “Male Athlete of the Year” award for the second time in his career (he won his first in 2008). The “Female Athlete of the Year” was awarded to gymnast Gabby Douglas, who won two Olympic Gold medals during the year (Team and All-round).
LeBron James won his first “AP Male Athlete of the Year” title in 2013 – and repeated this feat twice more, in 2016, and 2018. Serena Williams was at her third “Female Athlete of the Year” title in the same year – she also won the title twice more, in 2015 and also in 2018.
In 2014, the title was awarded to pitcher Madison “MadBum” Bumgarner and Little League Baseball pitcher Mo’ne Davis for becoming the first girl to earn a win and to pitch a shutout in Little League World Series.
In 2015, Serena Williams was joined by Stephen Curry on the podium – in the 2014-2015 NBA season, curry scored a season-high 51 points in a game against the Dallas Mavericks, and later became the first player in league history to register six three-pointers and six steals in a game.
In 2016, Simone Biles joined LeBron on the podium for her performance at the Summer Olympics: she came home from Rio with four Gold medals (team, all-round, vault, and floor exercise) and a Bronze medal (Balance Beam).
In 2017, José Altuve was named “Male Athlete of the Year” – his efforts in leading the Astros to their first World Series title and aiding in the recovery of the Greater Houston area in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey brought him the Sports Illustrated “Sportsperson of the Year Award” as well. His female counterpart was Katie Ledecky, who set 12 NCAA records and nine American records while swimming for Stanford University.
And last year, the AP “Male Athlete of the Year” was the Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard, who led the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA Championship win and won his second Finals MVP this year. The AP “Female Athlete of the Year” was once again Simone Biles, who won five Gold medals at the 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships held in Stuttgart, Germany.