Sports Illustrated Unveils the 2024 Power List, the 50 Most Influential Figures in Sports

Sports Illustrated unveiled its second annual Power List on Wednesday, highlighting the 50 most influential figures in all of sports. The list is broken down into four categories and features some of the biggest and most important names in all of sports.

They shape sports, where they are played, how they are watched and how we talk about them. Here’s a brief preview of some of the names on SI’s Power List.

Athletes like LeBron James and Simone Biles have risen to a level that transcends their sports. They’re the best at what they do, but the way they lead, inspire and build empires sets them apart. You’ll also read about coaches and college athletics icons building dynastic programs at their respective schools or clubs and even a broadcaster just getting started.

The WNBA is strongly represented in this category with Caitlin Clark, WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and October cover star Angel Reese. All three have seen their celebrity rise this year as the W experienced its own boom. You’ll also notice that Reese is not the only LSU Tiger who has made an impact this year.

There are also young stars, like Victor Wembanyama, Paul Skenes and Travis Hunter, who have just started to make a mark in their sports, as well dominant champions, like Scottie Scheffler, Max Verstappen and Carlos Alcaraz.

This section features owners, commissioners and business titans. Rick Cordella of NBC Sports and Jay Marine of Amazon are shaping the way you watch sports and how you’ll watch them in the future. Clippers’ owner Steve Ballmer is changing the way you build a basketball team and the stadium they play in. And the Big Ten’s Tony Petitti is shaping the college sports landscape.

While athlete podcasts from the Kelce brothers, Paul George, Draymond Green and Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart have given fans unprecedented access, on-air personalities like Stephen A. Smith continue to make their mark in sports media. U.S. women’s rugby star Ilona Maher has capitalized on her platform as quickly and effectively as anyone in sports.

The issue also features power couples, rising stars and once-influential sports figures who are now losing power.