20 Superstars Who Changed Their Sport Forever

Some athletes have successful careers, but a select few transcend their respective sports forever.

Michael Jordan's transformation of basketball culture and business, not just on-court play, shaped the sport forever. Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Most athletes are only remembered for what they accomplish on the field. Some are remembered for breaking barriers. Some are remembered for contributions off the field. But a select few go down in history forever for doing it all, and completely reshaping their respective sport.

They become more than just athletes, but rather idols for younger generations to look up to and imitate on the field. They are superstars and icons who take their sport to the next level, change how the public views the sport, and leave the sport different from how they found it.

From redefining certain positions and gracing the cover of video games to obliterating records and transcending their respective sports off the field, these 20 superstars completely changed the game.

20. Mia Hamm, Soccer

Where would women's soccer be without Hamm? That is a valid question worth asking after she won four national titles at North Carolina before starring in the first four Women's World Cups, leading the United States to a pair of championships and a pair of gold medals in the 1996 and 2004 Summer Olympics.

Hamm retired as the all-time leading goal scorer in international soccer history (male or female) with 158 goals and inspired generations of young girls to participate in competitive sports. Hamm remains involved in the sport today, serving as co-owner of the National Women's Soccer League's (NWSL) Angel City FC and Los Angeles FC (LAFC) of Major League Soccer (MLS).

19. Tony Hawk, Skateboarding

Although Shaun White became the face of action sports when he set the since-broken record for most gold medals (15) in X Games history across multiple disciplines, there would be no skateboarding as we know it if not for Hawk.

He turned what was once just a recreational sport into the mainstream and was the pioneer behind modern vertical skateboarding, becoming the mastermind behind over 100 tricks and the first to land a "900," a trick that involves two and a half mid-air rotations.

Tony Hawk pioneered more than just the "900". / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Beyond his legacy in the sport, Hawk has been on the front cover of numerous video games, the first of which, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, was released on PlayStation in 1999. Hawk also helped establish The Skatepark Project (formerly the Tony Hawk Foundation) with the stated mission of increasing access to skateparks in underserved communities.

18. Dale Earnhardt Sr., NASCAR

When NASCAR was founded by the late Bill France Sr. back in 1948, it was a sport that had a more regional appeal and took a while before it became consumed by millions of people worldwide. Earnhardt, nicknamed the "Intimidator" due to his aggressive and fierce driving style, became one of the most recognizable names in the sport in his all-black No. 3 Chevrolet and is one of just three drivers (Richard Petty, Jimmie Johnson) to win seven titles in the sport's history.

Earnhardt tragically lost his life on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 in a head-on crash with the outside wall. His death sparked a safety overhaul and led to life-saving upgrades, ranging from the implementation of head-and-neck restraints (HANS devices) and energy-absorbing SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barriers to more crash-resistant cars.

17. Jim Brown, NFL

Brown may be remembered for his successful NFL career, but he also competed in lacrosse, basketball and track. While he only played nine seasons and retired at the age of 30, Brown led the NFL in rushing eight times and is considered by many as the greatest to ever play his position.

In addition to being a Pro Bowler each season and winning three MVP awards, Brown is still the only player to average at least 100 rushing yards per game in his career (104.3) and also led the Cleveland Browns to the 1964 NFL Championship. Amazingly, Brown played in all 118 regular-season games during his career and was known for his civil rights and social activism off the field during and after his playing career.

16. Diana Taurasi, WNBA

Taurasi revolutionized women's basketball as an elite three-point shooter with incredible longevity. She became the first and only WNBA player to score 10,000 points and holds the record as the league's all-time leading scorer (10,646) over Tina Charles (8,396).

She won three titles with the Phoenix Mercury and brought increased media attention to the sport with her physical style of play. Taurasi finally announced her retirement in 2025 after 20 seasons in the league, a career that also reached the global level with six consecutive Olympic gold medals on Team USA.

15. LeBron James, NBA

As a four-time champion, four-time NBA Finals MVP, three-time All-Star Game MVP, four-time league MVP and three-time Olympic gold medalist, there is not much that James has not accomplished in his legendary career. Combine those accolades with his status as the NBA's all-time leading scorer after passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 2023 and it is one of the great careers in all of sports.

While James revolutionized free agency and changed how rosters are constructed after forming the "Big Three" with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, he showed that he can play any position and has remained an MVP-caliber player into his 40s.

14. Billie Jean King, Tennis

King's many contributions to the sport of tennis include the fight for equal prize money when she threatened to boycott the U.S. Open following the 1972 edition if men and women did not receive the same pay. Additionally, she established the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and became the first female athlete to earn over $100,000 in a season in 1971.

However, she completely changed the game in the 1973 "Battle of the Sexes" when she defeated former men's champion Bobby Riggs in straight sets and in front of an estimated 90 million viewers, bringing change to the sport because she "wanted all of it to be as good for everyone as the parts that were already so good for me."

13. Lionel Messi, Soccer

Despite his 5-foot-7 frame, Messi has redefined what it means to play the sport with his complete skill set and his ability to remain competitive with his knowledge of the game as he has aged. From perfecting the "False 9" role and dropping deep to act as both his team's primary playmaker and most lethal scorer to his financial and cultural impact on the sport, Messi has cemented his legacy both on and off the field.

Lionel Messi's impact on modern soccer can't be overstated. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports / USA TODAY Sports

Messi is a two-time Copa America champion with Argentina and took his country to each of the last two World Cup finals, winning in 2022. His move to MLS club Inter Miami CF helped put even more eyes on the league, proving that his impact is still strong even as his career winds down.

12. Jackie Robinson, MLB

Robinson won the inaugural Rookie of the Year award in 1947 before following that up with the National League MVP in 1949, but his talent was not the only thing that defined his career. Robinson changed the sport forever by breaking the color barrier and ending roughly 60 years of racial segregation in the sport when he debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers to show athletes of any color and ethnicity could enter the league as well.

Despite receiving countless taunts from fans, Robinson chose to let his play do the talking for him on the field as someone who could play multiple positions and who became famous for stealing home plate. Robinson's No. 42 remains the only number to be retired in the entire league, while players, managers and umpires each wear his number on April 15 to pay tribute to the legacy he leaves behind on Jackie Robinson Day.

11. Pelé, Soccer

Pelé was also a barrier-breaker and is the only male player to ever win three World Cups, doing so with his creative play that wowed fans and helped him break onto the scene when he won his first World Cup at just 17 in 1958.

While Pelé broke racial barriers and left a huge mark on the game in his home country of Brazil, he introduced a soccer revolution when he came out of retirement in 1975 to sign with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League (NASL) and showed how successful the sport could be in America. As Manchester City's Erling Haaland said best, "Everything you see any player doing, Pelé did it first."

10. Michael Phelps, Swimming

The "Phelps Effect" was front and center as the swimming legend's historic success inspired younger generations to participate in the sport worldwide, a sport that he transformed into more than just something that was just popular every four years during the Olympics.

Phelps had such an impact that broadcast partners were forced to air Olympic trials and some of the biggest events in prime time. While many swimmers specialize in a particular discipline, Phelps found success in the butterfly, freestyle, individual medley and relay events, winning an Olympic-record eight gold medals in 2008 and setting Olympic records in total gold medals (23) and overall medals (28).

9. Babe Ruth, MLB

"The Great Bambino" was the inventor of the long ball after becoming the first player to 60 home runs in a season in 1927, a record that stood until Roger Maris surpassed him with 61 in 1961. Although Ruth struck out his fair share due to the power swings he introduced to the game, he helped restore popularity after the infamous 1919 Black Sox game-fixing scandal and had such an impact that fans would arrive early to Yankee Stadium to watch him in batting practice.

Ruth was a seven-time World Series champion, winning three with the Boston Red Sox and four with the New York Yankees, and was the all-time home run leader (714) when he walked away from the game before getting surpassed by Hank Aaron (755) and Barry Bonds (762).

8. Usain Bolt, Track & Field

At 6-foot-5, Bolt defied the notion that his larger stature would present a disadvantage and went on to shatter multiple records, all while increasing the sport's popularity in the process. Bolt set records in the 100-meter sprint, 200-meter sprint and 4x100-meter relay events, utilizing his top-end speed to make up for occasional slow starts out of the gate and keep his momentum until the finish line.

Usain Bolt changed what modern audiences know about sprinting. / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Bolt's energy level was unmatched, while his success came at a crucial time when doping scandals overshadowed several of the sport's top sprinters. Bolt is also an eight-time Olympic gold medalist and the first person to win the 100-meter and 200-meter in three straight Olympics (2008, 2012 and 2016), also winning the 4x100 in all three, though having his 2008 gold stripped following a teammate's doping violation.

7. Simone Biles, Gymnastics

Biles is the most decorated gymnast in the sport's history, possessing 11 Olympic medals (seven gold) and 30 World Championship medals (23 gold), taking the physical limits of the sport to new heights with skills so difficult that she forced the governing body to tweak the scoring difficulty in the Code of Points.

She became a vocal leader by empowering others and using her platform to advocate for systemic accountability in the sport. Biles was also a catalyst behind mental health awareness when she withdrew from multiple events at the 2020 Olympics to protect herself, showing the millions watching that prioritizing someone's well-being should come first above anything else.

6. Tom Brady, NFL

Brady was proof that the NFL Draft is not indicative of a player's success until they are actually in game situations. He proved that age was just a number, playing until age 45 and winning seven Super Bowls in his career, one that set a new standard on offense with his pass-happy approach.

Even during a time when the salary cap system was designed to keep teams fairly equal, Brady had a career for the ages and handed a lot of teams some heartbreak with his year-to-year consistency. The three-time league MVP also holds numerous records, including the most combined regular-season and playoff wins (286) by a player all-time.

5. Wayne Gretzky, Hockey

Nicknamed "The Great One," Gretzky transcended the sport of hockey by showing that there was more to it than just physicality and helping it gain popularity in non-traditional American markets. He routinely excelled behind an opponent's net and strategically set up scoring opportunities by doing so in what became known as "Gretzky's Office."

Not only did Gretzky inspire growth in youth hockey participation across the United States, but his shocking trade to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988 showed the sport could succeed in warmer markets and accelerated the league's expansion efforts.

Gretzky finished his career as a four-time Stanley Cup champion, had his No. 99 jersey retired and was the sport's all-time leader in goals scored (894) until Alexander Ovechkin surpassed him in 2025.

4. Tiger Woods, Golf

Woods caused an explosion in the popularity of golf among broader audiences bringing a physical prowess and incredible shot distance that had rarely been seen on the course before. From hole distances to tournament purses, Woods changed the structure of professional golf.

He became the first athlete to surpass $1 billion in career earnings, the first player of African American and Asian descent to win a major and became synonymous with wearing red on Sundays. Woods won 15 major titles and is tied with Sam Snead for the most wins in PGA Tour history (82).

3. Serena Williams, Tennis

Along with her sister Venus, Serena Williams broke onto the scene as a teenager with her powerful serve, athleticism and intensity that helped the sport reach another level. She was a huge advocate for fitness and did not hide her emotions on the court, showing that players of all colors could succeed in the game after becoming the first African American woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since Althea Gibson won the last of her five in 1958.

In addition to being a vocal leader for equal pay, Williams showed that female athletes do not need to retire before starting a family when she returned to the court at an elite level following a life-threatening childbirth. Williams also has the most Grand Slam singles titles (23) by a woman in the Open Era and won four Olympic gold medals in her illustrious career.

2. Muhammad Ali, Boxing

From his speed and lightning-quick reflexes to fighting while moving backwards and his infamous "Rope-a-Dope" when he leaned against the ropes and let his opponents wear themselves out, Ali changed boxing and the sports landscape forever. He used trash talk to his advantage and was outspoken in his activism as he transformed how heavyweight boxers were viewed and left a cultural and social impact on the sport.

Muhammad Ali changed boxing in the ring, but his impact outside the ring is what set him apart. Mandatory Credit: Charles Pence-USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY Sports

Ali won 56 fights, 37 of which were by knockout, and only lost five times during his 21-year career as a professional. He also became the first fighter to win the heavyweight championship on three separate occasions and was inducted into the inaugural class of the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.

1. Michael Jordan, NBA

Jordan's legendary career left an indelible mark on the sport and transcended the NBA, taking basketball into the global mainstream with his athleticism and high-flying play style. Jordan won six NBA championships, five regular-season MVPs, six Finals MVPs, 10 scoring titles and was named a 14-time All-Star, also adding a Defensive Player of the Year award in 1988 and showcasing that his elite play was not exclusively on offense.

From the 1992 Dream Team era to the six championships he won with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan brought a whole other level of global viewership to the sport. His economic impact was also felt with Nike and Jordan Brand as his personal brand took off and completely changed how athletes could market themselves and make an impact off the court.