20th-century American sportsmen

Kobe Bean Bryant was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential players in the sport's history, Bryant won five NBA championships and was an 18-time All-Star, four-time All-Star MVP, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), two-time NBA Finals MVP, and two-time scoring champion. He ranks fourth in league all-time regular season and postseason scoring. Bryant was posthumously named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021 and was a two-time inductee to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, for his playing career in 2020 and as a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team in 2025.

American tennis player (born 1970)

American track and field athlete (1913–1980)

American actor (born 1948)

American basketball player

American basketball player and entrepreneur (born 1959)

American tennis player (born 1971)

American basketball player and coach (born 1956)

George Herman "Babe" Ruth was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", he began his MLB career as a star left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, but achieved his greatest fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. Ruth is regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture and is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time. In 1936, Ruth was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its "first five" members.

Kurt Vogel Russell is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor before transitioning to leading roles as an adult in various genres such as action adventures, science-fiction, westerns, romance films, comedic films, and family dramas. He is known for collaborating with filmmakers such as John Carpenter and Quentin Tarantino, and has received a Critics' Choice Super Award as well as various award nominations, including for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

American boxer (1944–2011)

American actor (born 1962)

Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. is an American actor and former professional boxer who has appeared primarily as a leading man in drama, action, and thriller films. In a film career spanning more than forty years, his accolades include a BAFTA and a Golden Globe, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and an Actor Award. Films in which he has appeared have grossed over $1.9 billion worldwide.

American exercise instructor (1914–2011)

David Michael Bautista Jr. is an American actor and retired professional wrestler. Regarded as one of the most prolific professional wrestlers of the Ruthless Aggression Era, he rose to fame for his multiple stints in WWE between 2002 and 2019.

American Olympic swimmer (born 1950)

American professional boxer (1949–2025)

American basketball player (1934–2022)

American tennis player (1943–1993)

American musician

American basketball player

American basketball player

American writer and novelist

American actor (1919–2006)

Nigerian-American basketball player

American basketball player

American soccer player

American basketball player

American soccer player (born 1979)

Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots and was a central contributor to the franchise's dynasty from 2001 to 2019. In his final three seasons, he played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady is widely regarded as the greatest quarterback of all time.

American basketball player

American baseball player (1934–2021)

American baseball player (1919–1972)

Native-Mexican American actor

American actor (1932–2008)

American basketball player and executive (1938-2024)

American track and field athlete

American pediatrician and author of Baby and Child Care (1903-1998)

American tennis player

American basketball player (born 1950)

American boxer (1921–1989)

American baseball player (1914–1999)

American basketball player

American basketball player

American basketball player

British-American actor (1886–1959)

American basketball player and coach (born 1928)

American basketball player

American basketball player

American basketball player

American tennis player

American boxer

American basketball player

American actor

American alpine ski racer

American boxer

American professional wrestler and 1996 Olympic gold medalist

American baseball player, manager, and coach (1925–2015)

American actor and football player (1948–2024)

American basketball player, coach and executive