Naomi, Maya, Mahomes Among Time Magazine 100 Most Influential People

By Barry Janoff

September 23, 2020: Maya Moore, Naomi Osaka, Allyson Felix, Megan Rapinoe, Patrick Mahomes and Giannis Antetokounmpo are among those from the world of sports named as Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.

The 100 people are divided into five groups: Pioneers, Artists, Leaders, Titans and Icons.

“We see the Time 100 as more than a list,” Time 100 editorial director Dan Macsai said via the publication.

“It’s a community of hundreds of leaders from across the years and around the world whose visions can guide us and whose achievements can bring us hope.”

Others from the world of sports on the Time 100 List include Dwayne Wade and Lewis Hamilton.
 
Each profile is authored by someone who has also made an impact and been influential in their own right.

Formula One driver Hamilton’s piece was written by Bubba Wallace, who offers, “Lewis Hamilton is someone I’ve idolized. He’s poised to win his seventh Formula One championship this season, tying Michael Schumacher’s record.

“I’m the only Black driver in Nascar’s top level. So Lewis’ example — as the lone Black F1 driver — is particularly meaningful for me. He shows we’re out there doing it. To see him conquering the track damn near every weekend, it motivates me to try to do the same.

“His activism has also moved the world.”

Naomi Osaka’s story was authored by Maya Moore, who wrote, “At the U.S. Open, I was inspired by how beautifully she wove her dominant athletic performance into another narrative.

"Believe me: it wasn’t easy. It took incredible focus, courage and intentionality to carry herself the way she did. To use her gifts and talents, her voice and her platform, to honor the preciousness of Black and brown lives.

“If somebody like Naomi can have the courage to use what she has to call people higher, then we can too.

“You can too.”

For the piece on Moore — who stepped away from her All-Star WNBA career to devote her time to proving that Jonathan Irons was wrongfully imprisoned for burglary and assault with a weapon, and then married Irons soon after his release — Time turned to Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and author of Just Mercy.

“Moore has brought the same skill and determination that has made her one of the best basketball players in the world to her advocacy,” he wrote.

“This summer, she once again prevailed, helping to win the release of Jonathan Irons, who had spent more than 20 years in prison after being wrongly convicted. In the U.S. criminal-justice system — which treats you better if you are rich and guilty than if you are poor and innocent — that is a remarkable achievement.”

Of Rapinoe, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), wrote, “Rapinoe’s impact goes far beyond the pitch. In an era where many demand that athletes 'stick to sports,' Rapinoe — a proud feminist and an out gay advocate — refuses to be silenced."

“Moore has brought the same skill and determination that has made her one of the best basketball players in the world to her advocacy."

The profile on Mahomes, who was named MVP of Super Bowl LIV after quarterbacking the Kansas City Chiefs to the NFL title — and whose off-field efforts include 15 and the Mahomies, a foundation dedicated to improving the lives of children — was written by Derek Jeter, Baseball Hall of Fame member and CEO/part owner for the Miami Marlins. “He already has started to build a legacy as one of the most impactful athletes of his generation.”

The piece on Antetokounmpo — just named NBA MVP for the second consecutive year — was done by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a six-time NBA champion and league MVP, Hall of Fame member, author and civil rights advocate.

“A sports hero is more than records. Giannis sets an example by standing up for what he believes in,” wrote Abdul-Jabbar. “After leading the Milwaukee Bucks to the playoffs, he and his team protested the police shooting of Jacob Blake in their home state by refusing to play, sparking a wave of strikes and postponements throughout the NBA.

Christy Turlington Burn, founder of Every Mother Counts, wrote in her profile of Allyson Felix, “When athletes like her speak out about the injustices they face, they are taking a stand for us all.

“So after Allyson publicly called out her sponsor at the time, Nike, for threatening to pay her less after she gave birth to her daughter in 2018, she had my attention and my support.”

Of Dwyane Wade — who is married to actress and advocate Gabrielle Union, also on the Time 100 list — Grammy-winning musician John Legend wrote, “He has always been willing to spend his social capital on standing up for other people, using his platform and his philanthropy to move the conversation forward. He doesn’t have to do these things.

“But he sees that he has a larger purpose, and that his athletic career put him in a position to make the world a better, safer and more loving place.

“And with his support for his daughter Zaya, who is transgender, Dwyane has set a powerful example for parents and for society of how to be good allies to young people who are figuring out who they are . . . He and Gabrielle don’t love Zaya despite who she is. They love Zaya, and they celebrate who she is and they embrace her.”

Naomi Osaka Photo: Courtesy U.S. Open

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