Leading Off

SPORTSMAN OF THE CENTURY
Muhammad Ali

BASEBALL ATHLETE OF THE CENTURY
Babe Ruth

FOOTBALL ATHLETE OF THE CENTURY
Jim Brown

BASKETBALL ATHLETE OF THE CENTURY
Michael Jordan

HOCKEY ATHLETE OF THE CENTURY
Wayne Gretzky

U.S. OLYMPIAN OF THE CENTURY
Carl Lewis

INDIVIDUAL SPORT, WOMEN
Babe Didrikson Zaharias

INDIVIDUAL SPORT, MEN
Jack Nicklaus

B/W PHOTO: WALTER IOOSS JR. Leading Off Comedian Billy Crystal sparred with Muhammad Ali verbally and fistically before handing him SI's Sportsman of the Century Award at a gala in Madison Square Garden [T of C]

COLOR PHOTO: WALTER IOOSS JR. BACKSTAGE, FOLLOWING Sports Illustrated's 20th Century Sports Awards show last Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, 19 of the attending athletes sat for SI photographer Walter Iooss Jr. as he took this historic picture, plus the portraits on the following pages. Last row from left: Bob Beamon, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Billie Jean King, Evander Holyfield, Chris Evert, John Elway, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods. Second row: Pete Sampras, Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali, Pele, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jack Nicklaus, Carl Lewis, Monica Seles, Wayne Gretzky. Front: Joe Montana

TEN B/W PHOTOS: WALTER IOOSS JR.