How TIME Chose the 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026

We now know the answer. James is still on the cover of magazines, including TIME; now, as a member of our inaugural TIME100 Sports list, he is making his third appearance there. We call him the athlete of the century not solely because of his on-court achievements, but also because over his career, he has redefined what it means to be a professional athlete in public life. Through his political engagement and business efforts, James has set a new standard for the generations that follow, and for those who join him on the list, edited by Lori Fradkin, Cate Matthews, and Mark Selig.

That rising influence is why we have now brought the TIME100 to sports. In our increasingly fragmented media environment, sports remains one of the last realms in which massive global audiences gather together in real time. As a result, many industries have drawn closer to live sports, and athletes have continued to seize larger and larger platforms. That has never been more evident than this year, as the Olympics and the World Cup have brought the competitions to center stage and events like the Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show and the UFC fight at the White House have shown how sports can dominate the cultural conversation unlike anything else.