Okay, it’s a little early for this, but as I just started a thread for Time’s Person of the Year, I thought I would start this one as well.
Normally, the choice would be obvious - one or more persons representing the New York Knicks (I would give it to the fans, who have had to wait over 50 years for a title).
However, SI gave it to an NBA player last year, and it has never given it to the same pro sport two years in a row, except when you include things like “Athletes Who Care.” In fact, the only time two consecutive years had someone from the same sport win (counting pro and college versions of a sport differently) was for track and field, with Mary Decker in 1983 and Edwin Moses in 1984.
There is also the possibility that, somehow, the Dodgers win their third World Series in a row, in which case, they’re running out of reasons not to give it to Shohei Ohtani.
Speaking of “running out of reasons,” if the Aces win another WNBA title, they have to consider A’ja Wilson.
Well, the Dodgers and Aces are both out, so my revised list is:
If Atlanta wins the WNBA title: Angel Reese and Jalen Brunson; if Golden State wins, just Brunson or the Knicks (either the team or its fans) as a whole, even if this would be the second year in a row that an NBA player won by themselves.
Somebody from the eventual World Series champions; it is now down to a team that has not won since 1954 and two teams that have never won.
okay, this is a bit of a longshot: Sabastian Sawe, for the first sub-2-hour marathon under race conditions, even though SI has a habit of not choosing non-Americans.
If the Brewers win the World Series, and SI doesn’t just name the entire team, then I would lean towards either pitcher Jacob Misiorowski, or manager Pat Murphy.