Warriors Named 2018 Sports Sports Illustrated Sportsperson Of The Year

New York/Los Angeles – Sports Illustrated (SI) today announced that reigning back-to-back NBA Champions, the Golden State Warriors, have been named 2018 Sportsperson of the Year. The team will be celebrated at this year’s Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Awards Show at the Beverly Hills Hilton in Los Angeles on Tuesday, December 11. The show will be telecast on NBCSN at 9pmET on Thursday, December 13.

“There are multiple individuals whom Sports Illustrated could have selected as the 2018 Sportsperson of the Year and few would have argued,” said Chris Stone, Editor in Chief of Sports Illustrated. “But it was impossible to overlook the influence that the Warriors, as a collective group, have had on their sport and the broader culture over the last half-decade. They are a generational phenomenon, the likes of which we might not see again for decades, if at all.”

SI is honoring the entire Warriors organization for its extended run of excellence on and off the court. They have won three championships in four years, exhibiting basketball played at its highest and most entertaining level. Their front office embraces innovation and analytics but also encourages creativity and spontaneity on the court and personality and personal conviction off of it. They have a franchise-wide commitment to service, community and the importance of speaking out and taking a stand on matters beyond basketball. The Golden State Warriors function how fans wish their teams operated.

“The list of iconic individuals and teams who have won this award over the years is extremely impressive and we’re thrilled to join such an elite group,” said Warriors President of Basketball Operations/GM, Bob Myers. “Collectively, we thank Sports Illustrated for this amazing honor and for acknowledging that teamwork is an imperative ingredient to success in sports and life.”

The 2018 awards will focus on the power of sports to amaze, inspire and surprise audiences. All of the recipients of this year’s awards will be featured in the December 17 issue of Sports Illustrated, which will feature the Golden State Warriors on the cover.

In addition to the Golden State Warriors, other already-announced honorees this year include John Cena, Muhammad Ali Legacy Award; Rachael Denhollander, Inspiration of the Year; Aaron Donald, Performer of the Year; Alvin Kamara, Breakout of the Year; Leah Hayes, SportsKid of the Year. Presenters include Jerry Rice, Ike Barinholtz, Christian Yelich, James Carville and Laila Ali.

The Golden State Warriors join a list of esteemed Sportsperson of the Year athletes, including JJ Watt, Jose Altuve LeBron James, Serena Williams, Michael Phelps, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali and Wayne Gretzky. This is only the fourth time Sports Illustrated has selected a team to receive the prestigious award. Past teams have included the US Men’s Olympic Hockey Team in 1980; the US Women’s Soccer team in 1999; and the Boston Red Sox in 2004.

The 2018 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Awards are presented by Symetra, Retirement, Benefits and Life Insurance Partner; Official Sponsors include Citi, Official Credit Card and Mobile Banking partner; JBL, Official Sound partner; and Kaiser Permanente, Official Health Care partner.

The telecast is being produced by Sports Illustrated and JASH, a Group Nine company. Executive Producers of the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Awards show are Stephen Cannella, Robert Morton, Josh Oshinsky, and Ian Orefice.

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Tags: Sports Illustrated, The Hype Magazine, Warriors

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Landon Buford Washington State Graduate Past Interviews include Grammy Award Winner Kenny G, David Banner, WNBA President Lisa Borders, What's Trending's CEO Shira Lazar, Ice Cube, NBC's Chicago PD LaRoyce Hawkins, Family Matters Darius McCrary, En Vogues Maxine Jones, Team USA Track & Field Member Norris Frederick, James Kyson, WNBA Great Lauren Jackson, and more.