Famous Athletes a to z

American professional basketball player Dwight Howard began playing with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012. Prior to that, he was a star with the Orlando Magic.

At 16, Sarah Hughes won the 2002 Olympic women’s figure skating gold medal as the result of a thrilling long program.

Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin helped lead the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl titles in the early 1990s.

Bo Jackson came to fame in the 1980s as a multitalented athlete, who excelled in baseball, football, and track at an early age.

Joe Jackson was a top major league baseball player during the early 20th century who was ousted from the sport for his alleged role in game fixing.

LeBron James, one of the NBA's leading players, is the youngest player to win the Rookie of the Year Award, among several other distinctions. He led the Miami Heat to an NBA champion victory in 2012.

One of the most beloved athletes of the 1970s, track athlete Bruce Jenner won a gold medal and set a world record in the decathlon at the 1976 Summer Olympics. Since then, he's appeared on the popular reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

Derek Jeter is a Major League Baseball Player with the New York Yankees and was a key factor in their 1990s World Series wins.

A massive wide receiver with explosive speed and game-breaking abilities, Calvin Johnson has developed into one of the NFL's most dominant players.

Dwayne Johnson became a film actor (2001's The Mummy) after gaining fame with the World Wrestling Federation as "The Rock."

Adored for his cool, mellow style, folk singer Jack Johnson has sold millions of records since his 2001 debut release, Brushfire Fairytales.

Jack Johnson, nicknamed "the Galveston Giant," was the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion.

For 12 years, Earvin "Magic" Johnson dominated the court as one of America's best basketball players. In 1991, he announced that he had the AIDS virus.

Rafer Johnson is an American athlete who won a gold medal in the decathlon in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.

Shawn Johnson is an American gymnast who won a gold medal for the balance beam at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China when she was only 16 years old. In 2009, she was the winning contestant on Dancing with the Stars.

American football Hall of Famer David "Deacon" Jones led the Los Angeles Rams' "Fearsome Foursome" defensive line in the 1960s.

NFL wide receiver and special teams standout Jacoby Jones helped lead the Baltimore Ravens to victory at Super Bowl XLVII.

Track star Lolo Jones has won both USA and World championships in hurdle events, and is a member of the 2012 Olympic team.

Roy Jones Jr. is a record-holding boxing champion known for his matches on HBO who has also done TV commentary work.

Michael Jordan is a former American basketball player who led the Bulls to six national championships and earned the NBA Most Valuable Player Award five times.

Olympic gold medalist Florence Joyner brought style to track and field with form-fitting bodysuits, six-inch fingernails and amazing speed. She still holds the world records in the 100- and 200-meter events.

One of the greatest athletes of all time, track and field star Jackie Joyner-Kersee has won three Olympic gold medals, as well as one silver and two bronze.

National Football League quarterback Colin Kaepernick is the starting QB for the San Francisco 49ers. In 2012 he led the franchise to Super Bowl XLVII.

Professional soccer player Kaká helped São Paulo take home the World Cup title in 2002. He later lead Milan to Champions League and Club World Cup titles.

Jennifer Kessy is a beach volleyball player, who, along with teammate April Ross, won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Imran Khan is a champion cricketer and a Pakistani politician.

Basketball star Jason Kidd is known for being one of the top point guards in the sport. He helped the Dallas Mavericks win the NBA Championship in 2011.

Jean-Claude Killy is a French former champion alpine skier who won three gold medals at the 1968 Winter Olympics.

Billie Jean King is best known for her long and successful tennis career.

Jewish-American baseball pitcher Sandy Koufax starred for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers before elbow arthritis forced an early retirement.

Anna Kournikova is a Russian professional tennis player, well known for her beauty. At her peak, she was one of the best known players worldwide.

Czech tennis player Petra Kvitová won the 2011 Wimbledon Championship in women's singles event, and is currently ranked No. 4 in the world by the Women's Tennis Association.

Member of the legendary Four Musketeers of French tennis, Renee Lacoste also invented the metal tennis racket and was founder of the Lacoste line of sportswear.

The "godfather of fitness," Jack LaLanne, is known for his 1950s TV fitness program and for his endorsement of a power juicer in 2002.

American Football Hall of Famer Curly Lambeau founded the Green Bay Packers and coached the team to six NFL championships.

Scotsman Paul Lambert became a successful soccer manager after a Hall of Fame playing career with St. Mirren, Borussia Dortmund and Glasgow Celtic.

Cyclist Floyd Landis won the 2006 Tour de France. Urine tests later revealed that he was using performance-enhancing drugs, and he was banned from the sport for two years.

Tommy Lasorda is an American baseball manager best known for successfully managing the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1977 to 1996.

Bruce Lee was an actor, film producer and director, and the martial arts expert who founded the Jeet Kune Doe martial arts system.

Suzanne Lenglen was a French tennis player who won 31 championship titles between 1914 and 1926. She is largely credited as the first female tennis star.

Sugar Ray Leonard was a champion Olympic and professional welterweight boxer. He retired from the sport in 1997 and was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame.

Lisa Leslie was an All-Star basketball player, Olympic gold medalist and WNBA league MVP.

Lennox Lewis was the first British boxer to hold the undisputed world heavyweight title since Bob Fitzsimmons (who won the title in 1899). Lewis won Olympic gold in 1988.

NFL linebacker Ray Lewis is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Super Bowl MVP and played his entire 17-year career with the Baltimore Ravens.

American gymnast Danell Leyva is best known for being the first Cuban-American and Miami resident to make it to the United States Olympic men's gymnastics team, and for winning a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Jet Li is an actor and martial artist who has starred in a number of Chinese and English-language action films.

British runner Eric Lidell won a gold medal in the 1924 Olympic Games. The movie Chariots of Fire (1981) tells the story of his triumph.

With a string of wins in early 2012, New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin has become one of basketball's most famous players.

Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing while serving time in a Missouri State penitentiary. He became a professional fighter in 1953.

Anastasia Valeryevna Liukin, better known as Nastia Liukin, is a world-renowned gymnast and Olympian who was named the Olympic individual all-around Champion in 2008.

Ryan Lochte is an American swimmer who has won 11 Olympic medals in the sport, including five golds.

Professional golfer Nancy Lopez was named Player of the Year four times during her career. She was the first woman to be awarded the Frances Ouimet Award.

Cuban Mijain Lopez won a gold medal for wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics, where he served as Cuba's opening-ceremony flagbearer.

American diving champion Greg Louganis won 13 world championships and made history at the 1982 Olympics as the first diver ever awarded a perfect score.

The world heavyweight boxing champion from June 22, 1937, until March 1, 1949, Joe Louis held the title longer than anyone else in history.

Quarterback Andrew Luck was a two-time Heisman finalist at Stanford University. The Indianapolis Colts selected him with the number one pick in the 2012 NFL draft.

Arthur Leslie Lydiard is a former marathon runner from from New Zealand and a coach of Olympic gold medalists. He popularized jogging in the 1960s.

A former ABA star and three-time NBA Most Valuable Player, Hall of Fame center Moses Malone was the first basketball player to skip college and go pro.

Eli Manning is the Super Bowl–winning quarterback for the New York Giants, the brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning, and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning.

One of the most dominant quarterbacks in NFL history, Peyton Manning has won multiple MVP awards and led the Indianapolis Colts to victory in Super Bowl XLI.

Mickey Mantle played for the New York Yankees from 1951 to 1968, and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

Soccer great Diego Maradona led Argentina to victory in the 1986 World Cup, though his accomplishments were later overshadowed by his battles with drug abuse.

Alice Marble was a women's tennis champion, winner of 12 U.S. Open and 5 Wimbledon titles. She also served as U.S spy in Switzerland during WWII.

American professional boxer and world heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano beat Jersey Joe Walcott for the title and won an unrivaled 49 straight fights.

Dan Marino was a Hall of Fame quarterback for the Miami Dolphins from 1984-2000.

American baseball player Roger Maris hit 61 home runs in 1961 to break the single-season record held by the legendary Babe Ruth.

American gymnast McKayla Maroney won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympics gymnastics team and a silver medal for the vault at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Misty May-Treanor is a professional beach volleyball player and three-time Olympic gold medalist. She is the longtime competitive partner of Kerri Walsh-Jennings.

Willie Mays played professional baseball for the Giants and the Mets. He was one of the best batters and fielders at the time.

American boxer Floyd Mayweather is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of his generation. HBO's documentary about him, 24/7, increased his popularity.

John McEnroe is a world champion tennis player famous for his temperamental outbursts. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999.

One of the most powerful hitters in baseball history, Mark McGwire briefly held the record for most home runs in a single season.

Rory McIlroy is an Irish golfer best known for winning the 2011 U.S Open and the 2012 PGA Championship, becoming the youngest player to win a PGA Tour playoff.

Argentina native Lionel Messi has established records for goals scored and won individual awards en route to worldwide recognition as the best player in soccer.

American athlete Phil Mickelson began golfing as soon as he could walk, and is now one of the foremost successful golfers in the world.

Basketball player George Mikan won five NBA championships with Minneapolis. He was one of the tallest players and increased modern height expectations.

American gymnast Dominique Moceanu was a member of the "Magnificent Seven," the U.S. women's gymnastics team that won Olympic gold in 1996.