The 5 Most Groundbreaking Moments That Defined Sports Illustrated In 2016

The year 2016 was a watershed moment for the world of sports, featuring monumental victories, historic comebacks, and groundbreaking shifts in cultural representation, all meticulously chronicled by Sports Illustrated. As of December 12, 2025, a look back at the magazine's coverage reveals a pivotal year where traditional athletic excellence collided with bold social statements, forever changing the landscape of sports media.

This period saw SI make history with its most talked-about annual issue, while simultaneously celebrating one of the greatest individual achievements in basketball history, cementing 2016 as an era-defining year for the publication.

The Historic Three-Way Cover: The 2016 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

The biggest cultural earthquake of the 2016 publishing calendar came with the reveal of the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, which shattered decades of tradition by featuring not one, but three separate cover models.

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This was the first time in the issue’s 52-year history that multiple women graced the front page on individual covers, a move the magazine dubbed the "new SI Swimsuit."

The Groundbreaking Trio of 2016 Swimsuit Cover Stars

The three women selected for the coveted covers represented a deliberate and powerful push toward diversity and re-defining "beauty." The trio included a world-famous athlete, a veteran model, and a revolutionary figure in body positivity.

• Ashley Graham: Her cover was arguably the most significant, as she became the first "curvy" or plus-size model to ever grace the cover of the Swimsuit Issue. Her inclusion was hailed as a major victory for the body-positivity movement, challenging long-held industry standards.
• Ronda Rousey: The UFC superstar and Olympic medalist became the second athlete (after tennis player Anna Kournikova) to land a solo Swimsuit Issue cover. Rousey's cover was unique, featuring her in body paint, further blurring the lines between sports and fashion.
• Hailey Clauson: The veteran fashion model rounded out the trio, representing the magazine’s traditional high-fashion aesthetic. Her inclusion ensured that the issue catered to a broad range of beauty ideals.

Beyond the cover stars, the 2016 issue also featured notable models like Gigi Hadid and Chrissy Teigen, solidifying its status as a cultural touchstone that year.

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LeBron James: The Unanimous 2016 Sportsperson of the Year

While the Swimsuit Issue dominated cultural headlines, the world of competitive sports provided its own unforgettable narratives. The pinnacle of Sports Illustrated's annual recognition, the Sportsperson of the Year award, went to NBA icon LeBron James.

James earned the honor for his monumental achievement in leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first-ever NBA Championship.

The context of the victory is what made the selection unanimous and historic:

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• The 3-1 Comeback: The Cavaliers were down three games to one against the 73-win Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. No team in Finals history had ever come back from a 3-1 deficit.
• "The Block": James’s decisive, gravity-defying defensive play on Andre Iguodala in the final minutes of Game 7 is considered one of the greatest moments in NBA history.
• Ending the Drought: The victory ended a 52-year championship drought for the city of Cleveland, a deeply personal goal for the Akron, Ohio native.

The award ceremony, held on December 12, 2016, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, was a star-studded affair where James was introduced by his longtime friend, rapper Jay Z.

Honoring Giants: The Muhammad Ali Legacy Award

The year 2016 was marked by the passing of "The Greatest," Muhammad Ali, in June. Sports Illustrated dedicated a special cover to the legend, titled "THE GREATEST," acknowledging his profound impact on the world.

Later that year, the magazine used its annual awards event to honor three living legends with the newly established Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award.

This award, which recognizes athletes who use their platform to promote social change, was given to a trio of civil rights and sports icons:

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: The NBA's all-time leading scorer and a tireless advocate for social justice, known for his work on race and education.
• Jim Brown: A Hall of Fame NFL running back and civil rights activist who was a key figure in the Black Power movement.
• Bill Russell: The 11-time NBA champion and one of the most important figures in the history of racial equality in sports.

The decision to honor these three men together underscored the magazine's commitment to recognizing the intersection of sports and social responsibility, a core tenet of Ali's own life and career.

Other Defining Sports Narratives of 2016

Beyond the major awards, Sports Illustrated's weekly coverage captured the emotional highs and lows of one of the most memorable years in sports history. The magazine’s pages were filled with stories of improbable victories and major shifts in the athletic landscape, providing rich topical authority.

The Curse Breakers and NCAA Thrillers

The biggest story of the fall was the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series, ending a 108-year drought, a moment of national catharsis that dominated the sports conversation.

Earlier in the year, the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament delivered one of the most iconic finishes ever when Kris Jenkins hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give the Villanova Wildcats the national championship over the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Olympic Glory and NFL Drama

The 2016 Rio Olympics provided numerous compelling stories, including the final Olympic appearance of swimmer Michael Phelps, who was later featured on an SI cover in late December.

In the NFL, the magazine dedicated significant coverage to high-profile stories that transcended the game, including the ongoing legal and personal struggles of players like Aaron Hernandez, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Johnny Manziel, as well as the polarizing season of MVP Cam Newton.

The Lasting Legacy of Sports Illustrated in 2016

The 2016 editorial choices by Sports Illustrated—from the revolutionary Swimsuit Issue covers featuring Ashley Graham and Ronda Rousey to the selection of LeBron James as Sportsperson of the Year—signaled a media entity embracing change. The magazine recognized that the definition of a "sports figure" was expanding to include activists, cultural icons, and individuals challenging traditional norms.

By honoring legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jim Brown, and Bill Russell with the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, SI firmly positioned itself at the center of the ongoing conversation about social justice and the athlete's role in society. The publication’s coverage of the Chicago Cubs' World Series win and the Cavaliers' historic comeback ensured that the emotional core of athletic competition was never lost, making 2016 a landmark year for the magazine and its readers.