The BET 100 Entertainers And Innovators Of The Year | The Sports Stars

See who superseded our expectations.

BET 100 | Sports Stars - Sports have long been a refuge from the grind of our daily lives. That is why the league shutdowns during the height of the pandemic were so devastating. It doesn’t matter how much money you make, where you live or how young or old you are, there is a natural camaraderie that builds between fans. Any Monday morning quarterback will tell you, it’s not just about the game. Our favorite athletes inspire us, teach us and show us how to be better. Here, we honor the stars who not only had an impact on the courts, fields and raceways, but also the world around them. —Written by Jarod Hector Plus, don't forget to check back each day this week to find out who else we've added to the BET 100 list...we're just getting started. (BET Digital Design/Getty)
Naomi Osaka - It's been a career-defining year for the 23-year-old tennis phenom. Naomi Osaka won a major for the third consecutive season at the 2020 U.S. Open, her second U.S. Open title, and third major title overall,  becoming the highest paid female athlete in the world. Her prowess isn’t just limited to the court. Osaka wore masks emblazoned with the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other victims of police brutality and injustice while she played. And we felt lifted when she boycotted an August match in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Lewis Hamilton - He’s called the greatest race car driver of all-time and it’s a title well-deserved. Lewis Hamilton, 35, is a seven-time Formula One world champion and has a record setting 94 wins for the most Grand Prix victories. The only Black Formula One driver in a sport many think isn’t for us, Hamilton is a diehard supporter of the BLM movement, telling The Guardian, “People talk about sport not being a place for politics but ultimately it is a human rights issue and that is something we should be pushing towards.” (Photo by TOLGA BOZOGLU/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)Patrick Mahomes - In a spectacular season, the Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback led his team to the Super Bowl LIV title and was named Super Bowl MVP, only the second Black quarterback to win that honor. Touchdowns, however, are not Patrick Mahomes' only impressive move at Arrowhead Stadium. Through his 15 and the Mahomies Foundation, he turned the venue into a voting site for the 2020 Presidential election. "I thought it was very important not only just to get as many people out to vote as possible but also to use a place (such) as Arrowhead,” Mahomes, 25, said on the Huddle and Flow podcast. “As a place where we can come together and vote and use our voice." (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)

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BET 100 | Sports Stars - Sports have long been a refuge from the grind of our daily lives. That is why the league shutdowns during the height of the pandemic were so devastating. It doesn’t matter how much money you make, where you live or how young or old you are, there is a natural camaraderie that builds between fans. Any Monday morning quarterback will tell you, it’s not just about the game. Our favorite athletes inspire us, teach us and show us how to be better. Here, we honor the stars who not only had an impact on the courts, fields and raceways, but also the world around them. —Written by Jarod Hector Plus, don't forget to check back each day this week to find out who else we've added to the BET 100 list...we're just getting started. (BET Digital Design/Getty)

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