The 25 Best Athletes of 2014

Image via Complex Original

Sport: Basketball

Age: 23

Achievements: Became the youngest player in NBA history not named "Magic Johnson" to win the Finals MVP award; won NBA championship with the San Antonio Spurs; made Kevin Durant eat his words  

New Year's resolution: Bring the talk to match the walk.

Quote: Head coach Gregg Popovich, on Leonard: “On the 1 to 10 Mr. Quotable scale, I’d say he was a 1 last year. This year, I think he’s a 1.75."

The San Antonio Spurs would not have won the 2014 NBA title without Kawhi Leonard. On a team that has so many interchangeable parts and rotating roles, Leonard’s play in the last three games of the Finals was truly indispensable. Without Kawhi Leonard going toe-to-toe with LeBron James and legitimately being the best two-way player during that series, the Spurs don’t topple Bron Bron. Nu-uh.

But let’s not be remiss about those first two games. Leonard put up 9 PPG, 2 RPG, and 2 APG during the opening two games of the Finals. But after that narrow 98-96 loss in Game 3, he must’ve drank some “secret stuff” or something, because he grew up, shed his potential, and became a superstar en route to the Spurs winning three straight and the Larry O’Brien trophy. In those wins, Leonard averaged 23.6 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 2.3 APG, and threw in 12 total stocks (steals plus blocks), all while guarding LeBron for 30-plus minutes.

Your 2014 NBA Finals MVP dethroned LeBron James’ Miami Heat—a feat that Kevin Durant and the Spurs of yesteryear failed to do. That’s real, man. —Justin Block (@JBlock49)

Sport: Football

Age: 11

Achievements: Scored 15 TDs while averaging 13 yards per carry; tallied 59 tackles and three INTs; hit like a girl

New Year's resolution: Land another Wheaties box. 

Quote: "I like defense, because I'm the smallest one out there, plus I'm a girl and I'm tackling all the biggest guys."

Spike may not play with girls, but the rest of Utah’s Jordan School District has no such option. Sam “Sweet Feet” Gordon, a modern-day Ice Box and one hell of a running back, first burst onto the scene in 2012. During that season, while playing against all-male counterparts, she racked up 35 touchdowns and 1,911 yards on 232 carries. Oh,yeah, she also tallied 65 solo tackles on the other side of the ball. She was just nine years old. After her dad uploaded her highlight reel to YouTube, talk show appearances and the cover of a Wheaties box beckoned, as did a Super Bowl invitation from Roger Goodell and a hangout with the U.S. Women’s national soccer team. 

Fast forward to 2014. Standing 4 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 70 pounds, Gordon, who took last season off to focus on soccer, had a seamless return to the gridiron. In her first preseason game she had three carries for 84 yards and a score. She finished the season averaging a ridiculous 13 yards per carry, and racked up 15 touchdowns on the ground. On defense, she recorded 59 tackles, three interceptions, and one fumble recovery. We really can’t wait to see what’s next.—Adam Silvers (@silversurfer103)

Sport: F1 Racing

Age: 29

Achievements: Placed first in 11 different races; won F1 championship; surpassed Nigel Mansel as England's GOAT; designed a new car for Mercedes

New Year's resolution: Spend more time with Nicole.

Quote: "The decision to come [to Mercedes] when a lot of people said it was the wrong choice; the steps we took last year and then coming into this year, it was just unbelievable."

He drives a machine, the car does all the work, he’s not an athlete, blah, blah, blah, bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.

Mercedes-AMG absolutely dominated the F1 field this year, and Hamilton was the one leading the way, literally. He lined up seven poles and closed the season with 11 first-place finishes, absolutely crushing everybody not named Nico Rosberg (his teammate who won five races and finished right behind Lewis eight times). At 29 years old, Hamilton passed up Nigel Mansel, statistically becoming the greatest British driver of all time with 33 career wins. He earned the second World Championship of his career by ending a four-year reign from Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel. Only 15 drivers have ever won two championships, and he’s the first Brit to do it since Sir Jackie Stewart in 1971. He also continued his U.S. domination, winning his third American race in four tries.—Tony Markovich (@T_Marko)

Sport: MMA

Age: 27

Achievements: Unanimous​ victory over Glover Teixeira

New Year's resolution: More fights, same results.

Quote: Daniel Cormier: "I wish they would let me next door so I could spit in your f**king face." JJ: "You know I would absolutely kill you if you ever did something like that, right?"

Following a controversial unanimous decision victory over Alexander Gustafsson in UFC 165 on Sept. 21, 2013, Jon Jones needed to re-establish himself as one of the best fighters in the organization. In his only match of 2014, Jones did just that, taking it to Glover Teixeira in UFC 172 with the type of complete and utter dominance that we have come to expect from the 27-year-old Light Heavyweight champion.

While certain issues, including his much talked about feud with Daniel Cormier and a certain Snapchat incident, have caused people to focus on (and criticize) his life outside of the Octagon, Bones is still an ardent student of the sport who continuously looks to become a more technically sound competitor; he knows that there is always room for improvement, and new tricks that he can add to his arsenal. Whether you love the bravado or hate him with every fiber of your being, Bones is undoubtedly the best pound-for-pound fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. And he isn't wasting any time to remind you that fact with his long-awaited fight against Cormier on Jan. 3. Maybe we should just pencil him in for this list next year, or is it too soon?—Jose Martinez (@ZayMarty)

Sport: Football

Age: 26

Achievements: Set a Dallas Cowboys single-game rushing record with 253 yards; named the NFC's Offensive Player of the Month in September and October; saved Jason Garrett's ass

New Year's resolution: Win in January.

Quote: Jim Brown, on Murray: "I have to start off by giving him congratulations, because the Dallas Cowboys are winning now and his contribution is a great part of that. That's the reason for the fact that they're winning is he's having a good year. He has my respect."

Running backs in the NFL have a notoriously short shelf life that makes it difficult to ascertain who’s legit and who’s a one-year wonder before it’s too late. The moment you start to appreciate a back for the star that they are, the toll of more than 300 carries a year against defenders larger than 300 pounds washes them up well before their contemporaries. For that reason we think it’s important to recognize DeMarco Murray for the premier back that he is now while he can still stand (both literally and figuratively) as the top runner in the NFL.

 

As of this moment he’s on pace for roughly 1,900 yards this season, which would be a new Cowboys record. Oh, and to remind you, Dallas' all-time leading rusher is also the NFL's all-time leading rusher. But let’s talk again after Thursday when he (undoubtedly) pierces the abhorrent Bears defense and gets his ass back on track to becoming the eighth player in NFL history to amass 2,000 rushing yards in a single campaign. —Gavin Evans (@GavinEvans187)

Sport: Horse racing

Age: 3

Achievements: Won the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Derby; earned four Grade I wins on the season; briefly made horse racing relevant for people other than degenerate gamblers

New Year's resolution: Avoid getting turned into glue. 

Quote: When asked if he's the fastest horse on earth: *Stomps hoof twice for yes*

If you're not seeing your favorite athlete on this list right now, we know what you're probably thinking: "A horse made the list? A HORSE?!?" But hear us out, because California Chrome wasn't just any horse. He had loyal supporters called "Chromies." He had his own endorsement deals with Skechers and Breathe Right. And he had both of things because he was one of the only horses in recent memory to have a legit chance at winning the Triple Crown after coming in first place in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.

Unfortunately, he ended up finishing in fourth at the Belmont Stakes and didn't finish the job—it was due in large part to an injury that he suffered before the race started—but in making a real run at the Crown, he earned the title "America's Horse" and more than lived up to it. —Chris Yuscavage (@CYuscavage)

Sport: Soccer

Age: 35

Achievements: Played an integral part in advancing the United States through its "Group of Death" during the 2014 FIFA World Cup; became a meme

New Year's resolution: Continue role as Secretary of Defense. Possibly in Miami.

Quote: "It will take a nation of millions to hold me back."

There are few things American sports fans love more than America. And, for a few brief weeks this summer, the entire country went soccer-crazy over the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The United States improbably advanced from one of the toughest groups in the tournament and faced a difficult challenge in their knockout stage match against Belgium. Indeed, most people around the world assumed that the Americans would be soundly defeated by the technically and tactically superior Belgium side.

But what the world didn’t know was that American goalkeeper Tim Howard is no ordinary man.

Howard played perhaps the best game of his life against Belgium, turning away shot after shot as he kept a clearly-overmatched United States squad in the game. All told, he set a World Cup record with an astonishing 16 saves as the U.S. fought valiantly but fell 2-1 in extra time. Howard, understandably, was named Man of the Match in a losing cause.

For a time afterwards, Howard was the most talked about athlete in the entire country. He was memed. He received a ton of marriage proposals. Petitions were started to name airports after him. He was even appointed Secretary of Defense, briefly. In short, for a couple weeks in July, Howard was the guy in the U.S.—Doug Sibor (@dcsibor)

Sport: Baseball

Age: 25

Achievements: Posted 2.98 ERA and 18-10 record during 2014 regular season; led the San Francisco Giants to two wins in the World Series, while also recording a game-winning save in Game 7; put the team on his back 

New Year's resolution: Renegotiate his salary.

Quote: Teammate Matt Cain, on Bumgarner: "Sometimes you wonder if he's got a pulse."

When you want a pitcher in the regular season, you go with Clayton Kershaw. When you want a pitcher in the postseason, you go with Madison Bumgarner. And while Bumgarner is absolutely an on-the-rise ace regardless of what time of year it is (as exemplified by his second consecutive All-Star game appearance and fourth-place finish in the 2014 NL Cy Young voting), he's the premier hurler when it comes to the playoffs.

This year he transformed himself into a young legend (at just 25 years old) by winning the World Series MVP, thanks to two wins alongside an insane five inning/two-hit “save” that iced Game 7 for the Giants just two days after throwing a complete game shutout.—Gavin Evans (@GavinEvans187)

Sport: Football

Age: 26

Achievements: Won a Super Bowl championship with the Seattle Seahawks; won an ESPY for the Best Breakthrough Athlete of 2014; starred as the lead villain in the "Legion of Boom"

New Year's resolution: Win another Super Bowl and keep the pockets fat with that beef jerky money.

Quote: "Well, I'm the best corner in the game. When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that's the result you're going to get. Don't you ever talk about me."

Richard Sherman is something like an Iron Man: more than capable of doing damage with physical tools but much harsher when using his IQ. This isn't just referring to his 3.9 GPA from Sanford; those picks come from brilliant QB reads and playing it coy on coverage — going loose with the intention of giving the quarterback a false sense of turnover-ready comfort.

We use the Iron Man instead of Batman in this analogy because, like Tony Starks, the dude has a mouth. It got him into PR trouble when he infamously called out Michael Crabtree at the NFC Championship postgame interview. Suddenly, he was a thug (which is the new "N" word if we're being honest). But the argument that should always be made for Sherman is that he backs up his talk. He'd just deflected a potentially game-winning pass to ensure the Seahawks trip to the Super Bowl. This wasn't just a single game occurrence either. Sherman led that season with eight interceptions.

And when you backup that talk, people want to continuously see you step it up. Sherman isn't having the type of season he had in 2013 and got needlessly picked apart on social media for allowing a few short passes against the Chargers. He still got it, though. Sherman grabbed two interceptions in the Thanksgiving game against the 49ers. Sherman is doing fine, and he's still trolling.—Brian Josephs (@Bklyn_Rock)

Sport: Little League Baseball

Age: 13

Achievements: First girl in LLWS to pitch a winning game, first girl in LLWS to pitch a shutout, led first-ever inner-city Philadelphia team to LLWS

New Year's resolution: Get a handshake agreement from Geno Auriemma.

Quote: "More girls should join boys’ teams so it is a tradition and it won’t be so special.”​

Ninety-three miles per hour. That's the MLB equivalent of what Mo'ne Davis was throwing to boys between 11 and 13-years-old this August. That means when you take Mo'ne's 70-mph fastball from the Little League mound 46 feet away from the plate, you're looking at roughly the same speed as a 90-mph fastball thrown from the major league 60 feet 6 inches mound distance. That's GAS, folks.

Forget the accolades and commercials and Spike Lee-directed documentaries about the young Philly baseball phenom for a second. Forget the opening pitch opportunities and the late night talk show appearances and the #ThrowLikeAGirl hashtags. Forget it all. When you take away all of the superfluous attention Mo'ne Davis has received since this summer, you're left with only one thing: An athlete.

Simply put: The girl can ball. Baseball isn't even this young lady's first sport, as Mo'ne has made her intentions of playing Division I basketball at UConn quite clear. She's throwing 20-mph faster than the average boy her age, and by all accounts has the attitude and focus to match her ambition. Much has already been made about the 5'4", 111-pound girl who struck out all the boys. We're more impressed by her will to succeed.—Maurice Peebles (@tallmaurice)

Sport: Skateboarding

Age: 20

Achievements: Won Street League competitions in Chicago, New Jersey, and Los Angeles; captured a gold medal at the X Games; loved his haters

New Year's resolution: Figure out a way to keep LAPD from shutting down his Waka Flocka-hosted bangers.

Quote: After his Street League victory in New Jersey: "That was the first time I had ever heard the crowd boo like that. It's nothing I was surprised about whatsoever because there are so many haters on Instagram and social media and just life in general. So it's definitely nothing I was surprised about and I think the best thing when you have haters is to show them you don't care so I just gave them a nice thumbs-up."

Yes, Nyjah Huston is the guy who wins all the contests—Street League, Tampa Pro, and so on. But while he’s a fixture in the arenas of the world, he also collects a ton of footage in more conventional skate settings, and it’s become routine to expect a video part from him at the end of each year.

And that, in itself, is an achievement. It was only three and a half years ago that Nyjah returned to skating in earnest, after ditching his tyrannical father and hooking back up with Element. Since then, he’s grown from a super-talented kid to one of the undisputed best skaters on the planet. And at only 20, he’s still got at least a decade to go.—Lucas Wisenthal (@lucaswisenthal)

Sport: Soccer

Age: 23

Achievements: Won the Golden Boot in the 2014 FIFA World Cup; commanded the fifth-most expensive transfer fee in the history of soccer; stayed true to his fans

New Year's resolution: Get Rihanna's number (if he doesn't already have it). 

Quote: After Colombia's World Cup defeat: "I'm crying because we gave everything we had inside of us ... Men cry too. But I can return to my country happy. A great team has been born."



The magic of the World Cup is drawn by its gravity, the sheer scale of a tournament that can make every memorable moment seem larger than life. For example, consider the story of Colombian footballer James Rodriguez, a talented young winger who led the way for the upstart Los Cafeteros during their surprising run to the quarterfinals. Netting six goals and contributing two assists in five matches, Rodriguez became an international sensation during and after the Cup, riding a wave of praise, awards, and Euros to a position with his new club, Real Madrid. 

How did it happen? From a touch on the chest, a picture-perfect volley, or a precisely-angled golazo: take your pick, Rodriguez gives you plenty of options. It's what happens when a star begins to develop its own pull; suddenly, dozens of objects are getting wrangled into its orbit, including, yes, whole worlds. —Gus Turner (@gusturner1)

Sport: Basketball

Age: 21

Achievements: Won a gold medal with Team USA in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup; earned first NBA All-Star selection; eyebrow on fleek

New Year's resolution: Become the greatest basketball player on earth.

Quote: After hitting a game-winner against the Spurs: "When Danny Green made those three free throws, I told coach, we're going to win the game. We're going to get a bucket and we're going to win this game."

When the league’s GMs predicted Anthony Davis would be Breakout POY (is that a thing?), the unibrowed Pelican got slightly more votes than he received for the same distinction before the 2013-14 season. So while AD had been a late-blooming prospect in high school (he grew seven inches before his junior year), he’s been a pro long enough for heads to salivate over his next big leap year. Here it is.

After a summer that saw him become a focal point of post-LeBron Team USA during the FIBA World Cup, Davis is putting up Kobe-like scoring numbers (25.4 PPG, second to Mamba) and swatting shots at the rim and on the perimeter (3.0 BPG) with a hybrid game that finally makes the most of his nimble power. His skill set is broad enough to carry New Orleans, which means this summer it’ll be time for the Pels to take their own leap and extend Davis’ contract.—Elena Bergeron (@ElenaBergeron)

Sport: Football

Age: 25

Achievements: Became first defensive lineman to have scored at least five TDs in a single season since 1944; inhabited your nightmares

New Year's resolution: Learn how to play quarterback.

Quote: "I don't think I could have imagined ... scoring one touchdown anywhere. Five right now is very cool."

Freakish.

That's the word almost everybody uses to describe J.J. Watt. Freakish. Freak athlete. Freak of nature. Surely the sports writing community wishes it could use better words to describe what they see when number 99 lines up on Sundays, but "better" words probably wouldn't be as honest. When you see him play, "FREAK" is what pops in your head.

J.J. Watt is a 6'5" nearly 300-pound man with the quickness of a human half his size. As a defensive end in a 3-4 defense, he shouldn't be nearly as visible as he is. Defensive ends in that type of defense are mainly there to stuff the run, set up linebackers, and—if you find one who's really special—rush the passer. J.J. Watt does all three, plus intercepts passes, knocks more balls down at the line of scrimmage than some entire teams, and catches touchdowns as a tight end.

The man doesn't just look impressive on tape like others at his position, he dominates your attention. You could pick someone who has never watched NFL football before, from anywhere in the world, and at some point in the game they're going to marvel at something 99 did. The man is an anomaly, a force, and may very well be the most talented football player on earth. A 3-4 DE recording 11.5 sacks with four games still remaining in the season? Freakish.—Maurice Peebles (@tallmaurice)

Sport: Baseball

Age: 23

Achievements: Unanimously voted as 2014 AL MVP; earned third-straight All-Star selection; finally got the Miguel Cabrera-sized monkey off his back

New Year's resolution: Win a playoff series.

Quote: Teammate C.J. Wilson, on Trout: "At this point, I just keep trying to tell people, other than some sort of Kryptonian thing going on, look for it every day. 'Cause I don't know what he's gonna do—I've seen him do so many things."

As a rookie, Mike Trout made us marvel at his versatility. In 2012, the same kid who smacked 30 home runs also stole 49 bases; he collected 83 RBIs and scored 129 runs of his own; power and speed came in one package. However, two years later, Trout is making a change to his game that suggests he'll be embracing the former more than the latter. Clobbering a career-high 36 home runs and 111 RBIs, Trout shaped himself in the mold of power hitters like Miguel Cabrera, while also taking Miggy's accolades in the process. Indeed, as a result, Trout's most impressive number in 2014 was zero: the amount of voters who didn't put him as no. 1 on their AL MVP ballot. Mind you, this achievement came in a year that many regarded to be the worst of his professional career.

Now officially recognized as the league's best player, what is Trout's next step? Aside from, that is, the obvious answer of team success. Trout doesn't possess the superstar confidence or aura of a LeBron James or Peyton Manning; outside of baseball, he is little regarded. In an era when baseball slowly sinks into further degrees of irrelevancy, it will be up to Trout to capture the imagination of a nation that once revered stars such as Ken Griffey Jr., Sammy Sosa, and the now-retired Derek Jeter. Is this sort of personality in Trout's DNA? Maybe, maybe not. However, as we've seen in just three seasons, the 23-year-old phenom is capable of becoming many things. Should Trout desire to transform into something greater than baseball's next nameless talent, who are we to say that he can't do it? —Gus Turner (@gusturner1)

Sport: Hockey

Age: 27

Achievements: Art Ross Trophy, Lester B. Pearson Award/Ted Lindsay Award, Hart memorial Trophy, NHL First All-Star Team

New Year's resolution: Continue making anyone chanting "Crosby Sucks!" look like an idiot.

Quote: Referring to his teammates and family after winning MVP: "I appreciate all the sacrifices you've made to allow me to play the game I love every day."

As a result of recurring concussion issues, Sidney Crosby hadn’t played in more than 41 games in a single season since the 2009-10 campaign. That all changed in 2014. Sid the Kid came back with a vengeance, featuring in 80 regular season games for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and leading the NHL in both assists and points with 68 and 104, respectively. His Pens finished first in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division with 109 points, good enough for the second overall seed going into the postseason, but fell to the New York Rangers in the Conference Quarter Finals in a seven-game thriller. 

Regardless, in 2014 Crosby didn’t just quiet the doubters, he made them look as if they didn’t have a clue. Last June, he took the stage at the Encore Theater in Las Vegas to solidify his individual greatness by not only being crowned the NHL MVP, but also taking home the Ted Lindsay Award for the NHL’s most outstanding player in the regular season, as well as the Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in scoring. That’s how you earn a $12 million paycheck.—Adam Silvers (@silversurfer103)

Sport: Football

Age: 26

Achievements: Guided Seattle Seahawks to first Super Bowl victory in franchise history; earned second Pro Bowl selection of career; made amends with his deeply troubled past

New Year's resolution: Make nice with Marshawn Lynch. 

Quote: "Why not us?"

Call Russell Wilson what you want: swagless, an apple-polisher, "not black enough"—just don't call him a loser. Almost three full seasons into his professional career, Wilson has been a rare blend of unimpeachable talent and early success, leading Seattle to 32 regular season victories in his first 44 games, including an overwhelming Super Bowl win against Peyton Manning's Denver Broncos. 

Sure, Seattle's defense played a large part in their championship season, but don't discount the impact of Russell's steady direction and inventive playmaking. To think: at the beginning of the 2012 offseason, when Wilson was still learning the ins and outs of the professional game, Matt Flynn was supposed to be the one under center leading the Seahawks. Seattle fans, count your blessings. —Gus Turner (@gusturner1)

Sport: Soccer

Age: 27

Achievements: First non-European to win PFA Player of the Year award, Football Association Writers player of the year, Premier League Golden Boot, Premier League Player of the Season, European Golden Shoe, "Europe's most influential player"

New Years Resolution: Buy a mouthguard. 

Quote: After England coach Roy Hodgson said he wasn't world class: "I was probably only 50% fit...and I am thankful that that was enough to beat England."

Was there a more talked about footballer in 2014 than Luis Suarez? He was certainly the most meme’d player of 2014, which at Complex Sports, counts for about 99.99 percent of your value to us. (We kid, obviously.) But real talk: Suarez was relevant as hell in 2014, because he became and remains the third best player alive behind Ronaldo and Messi.

Put all that extra shit aside, and Suarez is worth every bit of the $128 million that Barcelona paid for him in the summer. He plundered 18 goals in 35 appearances for club and country, leading the line for the Premiership’s best attack in 2014, and nearly earning an league winner’s medal for it. Just don’t get on his bad side. —Justin Block (@JBlock49)

Sport: Football

Age: 38

Achievements: MVP, AFC Championship, Comeback Player of the Year, Pro Bowl, first-team All-Pro, became NFL's all-time passing 

New Year's resolution: Shut Eli up by winning another Super Bowl.

Quote: On setting the career TD record: "I certainly didn't think this would be a possibility a couple of years ago."

At this point in his career, it kind of feels like Peyton Manning sets some sort of NFL record every single time he steps on to the football field. And that's because, for the most part, he does.

Back in February, he became just the third starting quarterback in NFL history to make it to the Super Bowl with more than one team (it was a Super Bowl he'd like to forget, but we digress…). In September, after knocking off his former team, the Indianapolis Colts, he became just the second NFL quarterback ever to beat all 32 NFL teams. And in October, Manning threw the 509th touchdown pass of his career to become the NFL's all-time leader in touchdown passes. There aren't a whole lot of other records left for him to break at this point—the list of the NFL records he holds is super extensive—but if there is one that doesn't have his name on it yet, it's probably safe to say that it'll be his soon. Stay tuned. —Chris Yuscavage (@CYuscavage)

Sport: Baseball

Age:  26

Achievements: Posted a 1.77 ERA and a 21-3 record; won his third NL Cy Young award and first NL MVP; made the playoffs

New Year's resolution: Do it in October.

Quote:​ "I feel like I'm doing this for a reason. It's the platform I've been given. With that, you kind of show what you stand for. Maybe I'm not as vocal as some guys, like Tim Tebow, but I feel like my actions speak to that."

Ahh, Clayton Kershaw, the man Madison Bumgarner made everybody completely forget about during the 2014 MLB playoffs and World Series. Let’s get it out of the way: Yes, Kersh pitched terribly in the postseason this year. He gave up 11 runs in 12.2 innings of work, and he let his city and team down in the playoffs for the second year in a row. He also had one of the greatest regular seasons any player has ever pitched. EVER.

In 27 starts, Kershaw threw six complete games. He finished with a 21-3 record built on 239 strikeouts, a mind-melting 0.86 WHIP, and a 1.77 ERA. He’s led the NL in ERA for fours straight years now (last person to do that was Sandy Koufax from 1962-1967). He only walked 31 batters and completed two shutouts. During the summer, he went 41 straight innings without allowing a run, and he didn’t allow a left-handed RBI until September.

Possibly the most insane stat is this: Kershaw averaged 3.7 batters faced per inning this season.

He’s the first NL pitcher to win MVP since Bob Gibson in 1968, and he also earned the honor of NL Cy Young (his third career and second straight). Don’t let that slip your mind all because you got caught up in a little postseason magic.—Tony Markovich (@T_Marko)

Sport: Soccer

Age: 29

Achievements: Led Real Madrid to a Champions League title; won FIFA's Ballon d'Or

New Years Resolution: Prove "Motherf---er" isn't in his class. 

Quote: "I am really proud of my second CR7 Underwear collection."

Sorry Lionel Messi stans—ya boy Rony is still the best player in the world. Cristiano Ronaldo, after years of continuously being incredible but always being pegged at “world player 1A” next to Messi, fully took advantage of his situation in 2014. Not that much had changed for Ronaldo at Real Madrid since 2013 (since moving from Manchester to Madrid, he’s never not been surrounded by superstars at every position)—it’s just that in 2014, Lionel Messi got a little hurt, and Barcelona legitimately had patches of struggle for the first time in basically forever. Messi, for the first time in his career, exposed a sliver of mortality to the world.

Ronaldo, sensing the needle-sized void in Messi’s No. 1 status, brought his best ever form to the table in 2014. He’s a killer like that. A European Cup and 55 goals and 19 assists for club and country this year is how you’d quantify that form, but really, just watch the dude if you have a minute. There isn’t a better footballer alive right now. —Justin Block (@JBlock49)

Sport: Basketball

Age: 29

Achievements: Fourth-straight NBA Finals appearance; earned 10th All-Star selection, eighth All-NBA first team nod; got Dan Gilbert to apologize for being a douchebag

New Year's resolution: Hit the gym.   

Quote: "I'm coming home." 

With three simple words, LeBron James turned the world of basketball upside down, bringing hope (and Kevin Love) to the previously hopeless Cleveland Cavaliers. In an instant, LeBron had everyone back on his side. The once-scorned Cleveland fan base brought their old, no. 23 jerseys out the closet (that is, if they hadn't burned them already); Dan Gilbert recanted what he had said in his now-infamous letter; the Akron, Ohio native was able to return home after four years away in South Beach, bringing with him the knowledge of what it takes to secure a championship.  

Of course, 2014 hasn't been perfect for LeBron, either. The Miami Heat were unable to obtain the three-peat, denying LeBron the immortality achieved by former greats like Michael Jordan and Bill Russell; Kevin Durant beat him out for the MVP award; a month and change into the 2014-15 season, the Cavaliers appear mortal.  There are reasons why James isn't no. 1 on our ranking. 

However, at the end of the day, LeBron still remains one of the game's greatest, if not the greatest. In 2015, who knows? Anthony Davis may come on even faster than we expect; Kevin Durant, back from injury, could maintain his individual greatness; perhaps the well-oiled Spurs will march toward another title. However, if there's one thing we do know, it's that LeBron will fight to keep his team in contention with the league's best and to sustain his hardwood dominance. A daunting task? With a team as green as the Cavs, yes. But, hey, no one ever said it was easy being king. 

Sport: Football

Age: 31

Achievements: Currently on-pace for 4,433 yards, 42 TDs, 66.0 completion percentage; threw at least three TDs and zero INTs in four straight games, tying an NFL record; re-asserted himself as the greatest living QB in football 

New Year's resolution: Win another Super Bowl / crush Brett Favre's soul.

Quote: "Five letters here just for everybody out there in Packer-land: R-E-L-A-X. Relax. We're going to be OK."

Like LeBron James, Aaron Rodgers has become so consistently incredible that it’s possible his historic greatness could be overlooked if you don’t stop to truly think about what he’s doing. He’s in a position where people talk about him far more when he’s struggling than when he’s cruising (see: 1-2 start). They're used to his high level of play. Are people taking notice of Rodgers efforts? Sure, but he’s not in the headlines on a day-to-day basis like he was before and after his “R-E-L-A-X” comments.

Speaking of, that short and sweet comment might go down as one of the greatest interview answers of all time. Since he spit those letters, he’s gone 8-1, including a win against Tom Brady and the Patriots and a game in which he threw six touchdowns (the Packers franchise single-game record) … in the first half against the rival Chicago Bears. The Packers punted one time against the Patriots (the favored team and Vegas' Super Bowl pick, at the time), and it wasn’t even until mid-way through the third quarter.

Rodgers now sits at 32 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 3,325 yards, 66.3 percent completion, and 118.6 passer rating on the season. That projects to 42.7 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, and 4,433.3 yards for the year. Those numbers, and his passer rating, are only personally eclipsed in his stat log by his 2011 MVP-and-Super-Bowl-winning season, when he finished with 45 touchdowns, six interceptions, and an absolutely stratospheric 122.5 passer rating.

Let’s take a moment to appreciate his interception rate. He’s only intercepted 0.8 percent of the times he throws this season (1.6 percent career). This ranking is about this season, but it’s worth mentioning that he has a 4.0 career touchdown-to-interception ratio. That’s the best of all time. The next best is Brady at 2.76. Rodgers has three interceptions on the season. Seventeen different quarterbacks have thrown at least three interceptions in a SINGLE GAME this year. Andy Dalton did it twice. Matt Cassel threw four in one game. Kirk Cousins threw three in one and four in another. And, who could forget, Eli Manning threw five in one game.

The consistency is absolutely incomprehensible, as he’s only thrown double-digit interceptions once in the past six seasons. And as one more small, random bit of perspective, Brett Favre only threw single-digit interceptions once in his career, and that season came in his first run with the Vikings. Favre threw 20 or more interceptions six times in his career. Just sayin’.

Rodgers also increased his stretch of interceptionless regular-season home games. He now has made 360 straight passes (NFL record) and completed 31 touchdowns (NFL record) at home without a pick. His single-season touchdowns-without-a-pick-at-home streak now sits at 20 (NFL record). The previous benchmark was 10, set by Steve Young in 1987.

All of that to say that the Packers sit atop the NFL with a 9-3 record as the NFC favorites. Yeah, 2014 has been a pretty special year for A-A-Ron.—Tony Markovich (@T_Marko)

Sport: Basketball

Age: 26

Achievements: Won the NBA MVP award; earned fifth All-Star selection; inspired millions of American men to finally call their mom

New Year's resolution: Make things work with Russ.

Quote: "You’re the real MVP.”

Who'd think this would be a headline in NBA season's first month: "Kevin Durant Talks Trash to Dwight Howard: 'You're a Pussy!'". Certainly not unfathomable, but surprising nonetheless. Besides, a man's got to take out some aggression somewhere, and you'd imagine Durant had a bit built up after being forced off the court with a foot injury. He was supposed to be building off the greatest season of his career — a year where he at least temporarily rose from being the league's No. 2 with his first MVP. 

It's also worth mentioning that last year was when Durant got endowed with the nickname "Slim Reaper." That name never quite caught on (partially because Durant never fully accepted it), but it's somewhat fitting. Because like death, Durant is unpredictable. He has the ability to snipe from beyond the arc and cut through the defense for a drive, his long frame making him even more a threat.

Of course, Durant's apex was when he had the greatest offensive streaks in NBA history going into the spring. In April, he surpassed Jordan for the largest streak of consecutive 25-point games with 41. There's also that extraordinary January where he averaged 35.9 points and became the first player since Jordan in March 1987 to put up 550 points and 90 assists in any month.

Let's close this off by mentioning that he's only 26 — he hasn't peaked yet. This foot injury is just a minor delay in the long run (well, unless you're the 5-12 Thunder).—Brian Josephs (@Bklyn_Rock)

Sport: Golf

Age: 25

Achievements: Won the British Open and the PGA Championship; re-captured No. 1 ranking after winning WGC-Bridgestone Invitational; basically dropped the "IDFWU" of the sports world

New Year's resolution: Complete the Rory Slam.

Quote: Jack Nicklaus, on McIlroy: "Rory is an unbelievable talent. I think Rory has an opportunity to win 15 or 20 majors or whatever he wants to do if he wants to keep playing."

Why we picked Rory No. 1:

A lot of the guys on this list didn't win anything this year; Rory won two majors, finished Top 10 in 12 of 17 tournaments, and did all of this while battling personal issues with Caroline Wozniacki, international media backlash, and the ghost of Tiger Woods. He's not only the "next big thing" in his sport, he's the current big thing.—Maurice Peebles (@tallmaurice)

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Rory McIlroy has to be No. 1 because, simply put, he was the biggest winner of 2014. Not only did he lead wire-to-wire at the Open Championship then take the PGA Championship a couple weeks later, he also tied for the team lead with 3 points at the Ryder Cup as he helped Europe defend their title.—Doug Sibor (@dcsibor)

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He dumped his girl to become the best golfer alive. Kevin Durant did the same thing and fell short in the playoffs (once again).—Justin Block (@JBlock49)​

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I think golf is the most technically difficult sport in the world, full stop. For a 25-year-old to have the level of mental fortitude during such an emotional year (yes, that absolutely matters [see: Woods, Tiger]) to be able to win two majors is astonishing. He collected birdies or eagles on 26 percent of the holes he played, including averaging 4.6 birdies per round. Not to mention he tucked Tiger Woods into bed with his "last few holes" comment. —Tony Markovich (@T_Marko)

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Looking at the likes of Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo, there's one aspect that separates Rory McIlroy from the pack: he accomplished everything by himself. In his NBA MVP speech, Durant made it a point to single-out and thank every single one of his teammates because he knew he couldn't do it all without them. LeBron went to Miami to create the Heat Big 3 and year after year, Cristiano has played alongside some of the best in the sport with Real Madrid. For Rory, everything falls on his shoulders and he should rewarded for what he has done this year. —Jose Martinez (@ZayMarty)

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Rory McIlroy may not be the first athlete that comes to mind for top spot in 2014, but a quick examination of the 25-year-old Northern Irishman’s past year will leave you with little doubt that he deserves the crown. In addition to two major championship victories (Royal Liverpool and Valhalla), as well as several other outstanding achievements along the way, McIlroy proved himself to be more than capable of handling the spotlight of the modern day superstar. He made a public apology after walking out in the middle of last year’s Honda Classic, he suffered bad defeats, and despite breaking off his engagement with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki in the eleventh hour this past May, he overcame it all to reach the professional golf summit.

McIlroy is not always perfect, but he’s refreshingly real. He banters with tour competitors on Twitter, does his best to make time for his fans, and takes a certain amount of pride in knowing that his parents worked their fingers to the bone to support his dream. Rory McIlroy awed us on the green, and equally impressed us off of it.—Adam Silvers (@silversurfer103)

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Originally, I wanted to put KD in this slot. After the year that he had—winning his first MVP award, giving the best MVP speech in recent NBA history, calling Dwight Howard a "p****"—I thought he deserved it. But it's hard to ignore what Rory did this year, especially in light of what he did last year. Remember the time he walked off a golf course in the middle of a round because he had a toothache? Ugh. Suddenly, all the Tiger Woods comparisons that he earned in 2012 disappeared. But they're back now thanks to what Rory was able to do in 2014. And while he's never going to be Tiger or generate the kind of excitement that Tiger did at the beginning of his career, Rory does have me paying attention to a sport that I thought I was done with after Tiger crashed his Cadillac back in 2009. Will he be able to keep my attention? We'll have to see in 2015. But one thing's for sure: I'll be watching him…right after I get done watching KD put in work in the playoffs.—Chris Yuscavage (@CYuscavage)

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There were a lot of questions I had when we were trying to decide if Rory McIlroy should be our No. 1 athlete of 2014: Did he make headlines outside of the sports world? Was he influential? Does anyone even watch golf anymore? Like it or not, we're entering a world where the Tiger Woods of old has been replaced by a Tiger Woods who's just old, leaving golf with a considerable void to fill in the way of superstar appeal. The game needs a new face to pull in viewers, especially in an age where sports content is becoming increasingly consumed via Twitter, Vine, and highlight reels, providing an advantage for the breakneck speeds of the NBA and the NFL; a slow sport like golf only fits in when a player like Tiger is around to dominate. Unfortunately, Adam Scott doesn't break the Internet.

However, as sports fans struggle to bargain with the loss of Tiger's prime, we don't need to look any further than Rory to be reminded of what we once had. The 25-year-old star has won close and won big in each of his four majors, and appears poised to continue his rise in 2015. With two straight majors under his belt, any sports fan should be excited to see whether Rory can finish the Grand Slam. 

Finally, regardless of your fandom, it only takes a beating heart to recognize the brilliance of Rory's achievements this year. Think for a second: what did you do the last time you had a split with your significant other? Sit in bed all day? Eat your feelings? Hit the club and make some terrible decisions? Okay, cool. Now, take that reaction, and then multiply the attention being paid to it by about 30 million people, give or take. Everyone is watching your next move. Your actions are being used to generate clicks and fill space in newspapers. Now, imagine needing to fight through all of that in order to dominate one of the most mentally-demanding sports ever created. Rory did; despite the white noise and endless buzzing surrounding him, he wasn't fazed. Instead, in a year filled with high-profile breakups or, at the very least, rumors of high-profile breakups, he rose above the rest to remind us just how good the single life can be. —Gus Turner (@gusturner1)