Celebrate American Spirit With These 10 Sports Icons!

We’ll start with a tennis legend. Serena Williams is definitively one of the biggest names in this sport’s history. Alongside Venus, her sister and doubles partner, Serena managed to set record after record in her 27-year professional career.

In 1999, an 18-year-old Serena won her very first major title in the U.S. Open. Of course, that was only the beginning: She managed to achieve a feat we now know as a "Serena Slam", winning both a Career Grand Slam and a non-calendar year Grand Slam between 2002 and 2003.

Image: Josephine Gasser

It's not an unusual sight to spot a red shirt hanging around the final round of a major golf tournament. After all, Tiger Woods always wears this color whenever he’s competing in the most important round of a tournament, which happens quite frequently.

Few names inspire as much admiration among golf players as Tiger Woods does: With 82 PGA Tours wins and 15 majors, he is widely considered one of the greatest golfers in history. Not only that, at 48 years of age he still manages to be a force to be reckoned with.

Image: Steven Shircliff

You’ll find many "Kings", "Queens" and "Legends" in this article, but only one "Sultan of Swat": Babe Ruth. He is not only one of the greatest baseball players of all time, but he is also an icon in American culture and one of the five inaugural players to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Babe Ruth also holds the dubious distinction of being the source of a jynx. After the Boston Red Sox sold Ruth to the Yankees in 1918, the Red Sox suffered an 86-year championship drought that many fans blamed as karma for the sale. Naturally, this cautionary tale has henceforth been known as "The Curse of the Bambino".

Image: Diana Polekhina

The title of the most decorated Olympian of all time goes to none other than Michael Phelps, "the Baltimore Bullet". This iconic swimmer made a splash (no pun intended) in every Olympic game he competed in, earning a record amount of 28 medals during his career.

It is fairly hard to choose the most iconic Phelps performance, but we probably lean towards the 2008 Beijing Olympics: Michael won 8 gold medals, breaking the all-time record for most first-place finishes.

Image: Gentrit Sylejmani

Michael Jordan might be the biggest legend in NBA history. He is widely regarded as the best player of all time, having won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and a myriad of other competitions including an Olympic gold medal.

Not only that, Jordan became a cultural icon and one of the most recognizable figures of the 90s, appearing in movies, video games, and in the logo of his iconic Nike shoes, the Air Jordans.

Image: Taylor Smith

Simone Biles’ debut at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics is one fitting for someone considered to be one of the greatest gymnasts of all time: She won four individual gold medals, as well as gold as part of the United States team.

Nowadays, Biles holds the distinction of being the most decorated gymnast in history, becoming a six-times all-around World champion in the process. Although she was forced to withdraw from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to an injury, the future still seems to hold great things for this amazing athlete.

Image: Eduardo Cano Photo Co.

In the 1992 presidential primary, then-candidate Bill Clinton earned the nickname "The Comeback Kid" after securing a last-minute second place in New Hampshire. We’re pretty sure that President Clinton must have been particularly proud of this nickname: After all, it is legendary quarterback Joe Montana's most famous moniker.

Joe Montana earned this nickname through his iconic, last-minute touchdown plays. While he played for the San Francisco 49ers, Joe won four Super Bowls and became the first player to be named Super Bowl MVP on three separate occasions.

Image: Dave Adamson

On April 15, every player, coach, and manager of all MLB teams wears the number 42 on their jerseys. This tradition, which started in 2004, is known as "Jackie Robinson Day", a day dedicated to celebrating and remembering one of the most remarkable baseball players in history.

April 15th is a memorable date in baseball as it commemorates the day Jackie Robinson made his MLB debut. Celebrating his monumental career (winning a World Series and six All-Star games), Robinson was the very first African American player to play in the MLB, and his 1947 debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers marked the end of racial segregation in professional baseball.

Image: Mick Haupt

Billie Jean King is considered one of the best tennis players in history: She won an impressive total of 39 Grand Slam titles, as well as seven Federation Cups and nine Wightman Cups. However, she is also remembered as a long-standing advocate and pioneer for equality for female players, famously winning a historic match known as "the Battle of the Sexes".

In this 1973 match, while she was the No. 1 ranked female player in the world, King faced former American champion Bobby Riggs, who famously stated that even a retired male player such as himself could defeat the current female champion. King’s victory not only showcased her considerable skills but also marked a milestone in the road for female equality in the sport.

Image: Valentin Balan

We’ll end this article with the most celebrated boxer of all time. We could fill this entire article with incredible moments from Muhammad Ali’s life: His achievements are literally too many to count. From his groundbreaking fighting style to his flawless technique, Ali truly earned the title of "the Greatest".

However, this nickname also perfectly describes this boxer’s boundless determination both inside and outside the ring. Perhaps the best example of this can be described by a single, incredibly moving image: Despite his failing health, 54-year-old Ali took the stage at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games to light the Olympic flame.

Image: Johann Walter Bantz