SportsCentury
Season 1
A biography series counting down the 50 greatest North American athletes of the 20th century. It was expanded to include other athletes, personalities, and notable moments in sports history.
Where to Watch Season 1
69 Episodes
- 1900-49E1
1900-49The SportsCentury begins with this two-hour reflection of the major sports events that endeared themselves to the American conscience in the first half of the 20th Century. Dave Anderson, Dick Schaap, and Curt Gowdy sit around newspaper offices as the ""hosts"" in this newsreel-type retrospective. - No. 50 -- Chris Evert
E2No. 50 -- Chris EvertChris Evert was a world No. 1 tennis player. She won 18 Grand Slam singles championships and three doubles titles. She was the year-ending world No. 1 singles player in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, and 1981. Overall, Evert won 157 singles championships and 32 doubles titles. - No. 48 -- Pete Sampras
E4No. 48 -- Pete SamprasPete Sampras was a professional tennis player. His professional career began in 1988 and ended at the 2002 US Open, which he won, defeating rival Andre Agassi in the final; he is the only man in the open era to have won the final Grand Slam tournament at which he competed. Sampras won 14 Grand Slam singles titles during his career. - No. 46 -- Eric Heiden
E6No. 46 -- Eric HeidenEric Heiden was an American long track speed skater, road cyclist and track cyclist. He won an unprecedented five individual gold medals, and set four Olympic records and one world record at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. Heiden was the most successful athlete at those Olympic Games, single-handedly winning more gold medals than all nations except for the Soviet Union and East Germany. - No. 45 -- Bill Tilden
E7No. 45 -- Bill TildenBill Tilden was the world No. 1 player for six years from 1920 through 1925. He won 14 Major singles titles, including 10 Grand Slam events, one World Hard Court Championships and three professional majors. He was the first American to win Wimbledon, taking the title in 1920. He also won a record seven U.S. Championships titles. - No. 41 -- Wilma Rudolph
E12No. 41 -- Wilma RudolphWilma Rudolph was an American sprinter who became a world-record-holding Olympic champion and international sports icon in track and field following her successes in the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games. Rudolph was acclaimed the fastest woman in the world in the 1960s and became the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympic Games. - No. 40 -- Lawrence Taylor
E13No. 40 -- Lawrence TaylorLawrence Taylor, nicknamed "L.T.", was a professional American football player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants (1981–1993) in the National Football League (NFL). He is widely considered to be the greatest defensive player in the history of American football. Taylor is the only NFL player to win the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in his rookie season. He won a record three AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards and was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) for his performance during the 1986 season. - No. 39 -- Walter Payton
E14No. 39 -- Walter PaytonWalter Payton was an American professional football player who was a running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He is regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time. A nine-time Pro Bowl selectee, Payton is remembered as a prolific rusher, once holding records for career rushing yards, touchdowns, carries, yards from scrimmage, all-purpose yards, and many other categories. He was also versatile, and retired with the most receptions by a non-receiver, and had eight career touchdown passes. - No. 38 -- Ben Hogan
E15No. 38 -- Ben HoganBen Hogan was an American professional golfer who is generally considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He is notable for his profound influence on golf swing theory and his legendary ball-striking ability. Hogan's nine career professional major championships tie him with Gary Player for fourth all-time, trailing only Jack Nicklaus (18), Tiger Woods (15) and Walter Hagen (11). He is one of only five players to have won all four majors: the Masters Tournament, The Open, the U.S. Open, and the PGA Championship. - No. 37 -- Mickey Mantle
E16No. 37 -- Mickey MantleMickey Mantle was an American professional baseball player who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York Yankees. Mantle was one of the best players and sluggers and is regarded by many as the greatest switch hitter in baseball history. He was an All-Star for 16 seasons and an American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times. Mantle appeared in 12 World Series including seven championships, and he holds World Series records for the most home runs (18), RBIs (40), extra-base hits (26), runs (42), walks (43), and total bases (123). - No. 36 -- Oscar Robertson
E18No. 36 -- Oscar RobertsonOscar Robertson, nicknamed "the Big O", was an American professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Robertson played point guard and was a 12-time All-Star, 11-time member of the All-NBA Team, and one-time winner of the MVP award in 14 seasons. In 1962, he became the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season. - No. 35 -- Secretariat
E20No. 35 -- SecretariatSecretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who, in 1973, became the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years. His record-breaking victory in the Belmont Stakes, which he won by 31 lengths, is widely regarded as one of the greatest races in history. During his racing career, he won five Eclipse Awards, including Horse of the Year honors at ages two and three. - No. 34 -- Lou Gehrig
E23No. 34 -- Lou GehrigLou Gehrig was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1923–1939). Gehrig was renowned for his prowess as a hitter and for his durability, which earned him his nickname "The Iron Horse". He was an All-Star seven consecutive times, a Triple Crown winner once, an American League (AL) Most Valuable Player twice and a member of six World Series champion teams. - No. 33 -- Mark Spitz
E24No. 33 -- Mark SpitzMark Spitz was an American competitive swimmer and nine-time Olympic champion. He was the most successful athlete at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, winning seven gold medals, all in world record time. This was an achievement that lasted for 36 years until it was surpassed by fellow American Michael Phelps. - No. 32 -- Johnny Unitas
E26No. 32 -- Johnny UnitasJohnny Unitas was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Baltimore Colts. Unitas set many NFL records and was named Most Valuable Player three times in 1959, 1964, and 1967, in addition to receiving 10 Pro Bowl and five first-team All-Pro honors. He helped lead the Colts to four championship titles, three pre–Super Bowl era, in 1958, 1959, 1968, and Super Bowl V. His first championship victory is regarded as one of the league's greatest games and credited with helping popularize the NFL. - No. 31 -- Bobby Orr
E27No. 31 -- Bobby OrrBobby Orr was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest of all time. Orr used his ice skating speed, scoring, and play-making abilities to revolutionize the position of defenceman. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 12 seasons, mostly with the Boston Bruins. Orr remains the only defenseman to have won the league scoring title with two Art Ross Trophies. Orr won a record eight consecutive Norris Trophies as the NHL's best defenceman and three consecutive Hart Trophies as the league's most valuable player (MVP). - No. 30 -- Larry Bird
E28No. 30 -- Larry BirdLarry Bird was an American professional basketball player, coach and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "The Hick from French Lick", Bird was a 12-time NBA All-Star and received the NBA Most Valuable Player Award three consecutive times (1984–1986), making him the only forward in league history to do so. He played his entire professional career for Boston, winning three NBA championships and two NBA Finals MVP awards. - No. 29 -- Arnold Palmer
E30No. 29 -- Arnold PalmerArnold Palmer was an American professional golfer who is generally regarded as one of the greatest and most charismatic players in the sport's history. Nicknamed The King, he was one of golf's most popular stars and seen as a trailblazer, the first superstar of the sport's television age, which began in the 1950s. In a career spanning more than six decades, he won 62 PGA Tour titles from 1955 to 1973. He is fifth on the Tour's all-time victory list, trailing only Tiger Woods, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, and Ben Hogan. He won seven major titles in a six-plus-year domination from the 1958 Masters to the 1964 Masters. - No. 28 -- Red Grange
E31No. 28 -- Red GrangeHarold "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was an American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and the short-lived New York Yankees. In college, Grange was a three-time consensus All-American and led his team to a national championship in 1923. He was the only consensus All-American running back in 1924 who was not a member of the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League (NFL). - No. 27 -- Jerry Rice
E32No. 27 -- Jerry RiceJerry Rice was a wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Rice is the career leader in most major statistical categories for wide receivers, including receptions, touchdown receptions, and receiving yards, once being the leader for total yards and touchdowns in a season. He has scored more points than any other non-kicker in NFL history with 1,256. Due to his numerous records, accomplishments, and accolades, he is widely regarded as the greatest wide receiver in NFL history. - No. 26 -- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
E33No. 26 -- Kareem Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-Jabbar was an American professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. During his career as a center, Abdul-Jabbar was a record six-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), a record 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA selection, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. A member of six NBA championship teams as a player and two more as an assistant coach, Abdul-Jabbar twice was voted NBA Finals MVP. - No. 25 -- Joe Montana
E34No. 25 -- Joe MontanaJoe Montana, nicknamed "Joe Cool" was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. After winning a national championship at Notre Dame, Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with San Francisco. While a member of the 49ers, Montana started and won four Super Bowls and was the first player ever to have been named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player three times. - No. 23 -- Jackie Joyner-Kersee
E36No. 23 -- Jackie Joyner-KerseeJackie Joyner-Kersee was an American track and field athlete, ranked among the all-time greatest athletes in the heptathlon as well as long jump. She won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals, in those two events at four different Olympic Games. - No. 22 -- Joe DiMaggio
E37No. 22 -- Joe DiMaggioJoe DiMaggio, nicknamed "The Yankee Clipper", was an American baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. He is widely considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time, and is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak (May 15 – July 16, 1941), a record that still stands. DiMaggio was a three-time Most Valuable Player Award winner and an All-Star in each of his 13 seasons. During his tenure with the Yankees, the club won ten American League pennants and nine World Series championships. - No. 21 -- Gordie Howe
E39No. 21 -- Gordie HoweGordon Howe was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. From 1946 to 1980, he played twenty-six seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA); his first 25 seasons were spent with the Detroit Red Wings. Nicknamed "Mr. Hockey", Howe is often considered the most complete player to ever play the game. A 23-time NHL All-Star, he still holds the NHL records for most games and seasons played. - No. 20 -- Ty Cobb
E40No. 20 -- Ty CobbTy Cobb, nicknamed The Georgia Peach, was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers and finished his career with the Philadelphia Athletics. Cobb is widely credited with setting 90 MLB records during his career. His combined total of 4,065 runs scored and runs batted in is still the highest ever produced by any major league player. He still holds several records as of the end of the 2019 season, including the highest career batting average and most career batting titles. - No. 19 -- Martina Navratilova
E41No. 19 -- Martina NavratilovaMartina Navratilova was a professional tennis player and coach. Navratilova was world No. 1 for a total of 332 weeks in singles, and a record 237 weeks in doubles, making her the only player in history to have held the top spot in both singles and doubles for over 200 weeks. She won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, 31 major women's doubles titles (an all-time record), and 10 major mixed doubles titles, for a combined total of 59 major titles, marking the Open Era record for the most Grand Slam titles won by one player, male or female. - No. 18 -- Bill Russell
E42No. 18 -- Bill RussellBill Russell was an American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a 12-time All-Star, he was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA championships during his 13-year career. Russell led the San Francisco Dons to two consecutive NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956, and he captained the gold-medal winning U.S. national basketball team at the 1956 Summer Olympics. - No. 17 -- Magic Johnson
E43No. 17 -- Magic JohnsonAthlete No. 17: Basketball Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson. In 13 pro seasons, the charismatic Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to five championships and won three MVPs. Johnson also played on Michigan State's 1979 NCAA title squad and the gold medal-winning 1992 U.S. Olympic Team. - No. 16 -- Ted Williams
E44No. 16 -- Ted WilliamsTed Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career for the Boston Red Sox from 1939 to 1960, interrupted twice to serve in the military. Williams was a 19 time All-Star, a 2 time American League Most Valuable Player and a 2 time Triple Crown winner. His career batting average (0.344) is the highest of any MLB player whose career was played primarily in the live-ball era. - No. 15 -- Jackie Robinson
E45No. 15 -- Jackie RobinsonJack Robinson was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB). During his 10-year MLB career, Robinson won the inaugural Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, was an All-Star for six consecutive seasons from 1949 through 1954, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949. Robinson played in six World Series and contributed to the Dodgers' 1955 World Series championship. Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. - No. 14 -- Hank Aaron
E46No. 14 -- Hank AaronHenry "Hank" Aaron, nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank," was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) right fielder who played 23 seasons, mostly with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves in the National League (NL). He hit 24 or more home runs every year from 1955 through 1973, and is one of only two players to hit 30 or more home runs in a season at least fifteen times. - No. 13 -- Wilt Chamberlain
E47No. 13 -- Wilt ChamberlainA profile of Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain. The Philadelphia native led the NBA in scoring seven times, in rebounding 11 times, and scored 100 points against the New York Knicks in a 1962 game in Hershey, Pa. Chamberlain died of heart failure in March, 2000 at age 63. - No. 10 -- Babe Didrikson
E50No. 10 -- Babe DidriksonMildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias was an American athlete who excelled in golf, basketball, baseball and track and field. She won two gold medals in track and field at the 1932 Summer Olympics, before turning to professional golf and winning 10 LPGA major championships. - No. 8 -- Willie Mays
E52No. 8 -- Willie MaysWillie Mays, nicknamed "The Say Hey Kid", was an American baseball center fielder, who spent almost all of his 22-season Major League Baseball (MLB) career playing for the New York/San Francisco Giants. He is regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979. - No. 7 -- Jim Thorpe
E53No. 7 -- Jim ThorpeJim Thorpe was an American athlete and Olympic gold medalist. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe became the first Native American to win a gold medal for the United States. Considered one of the most versatile athletes of modern sports, he won Olympic gold medals in the 1912 pentathlon and decathlon, and played American football (collegiate and professional), professional baseball, and basketball. - No. 6 -- Jesse Owens
E54No. 6 -- Jesse OwensJesse Owens was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the sprints and the long jump, and was recognized in his lifetime as perhaps the greatest and most famous athlete in track and field history. He achieved international fame at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, by winning four gold medals: 100 meters, long jump, 200 meters, and 4 × 100-meter relay. He was the most successful athlete at the Games, contrary to Hitler's belief in Aryan supremecy. - No. 5 -- Wayne Gretzky
E55No. 5 -- Wayne GretzkyWayne Gretzky was a Canadian professional hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is acknowledged as the greatest hockey player ever. Gretzky is the leading scorer in NHL history, with more goals and assists than any other player. - No. 4 -- Jim Brown
E56No. 4 -- Jim BrownJim Brown was a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 through 1965. Considered to be the greatest running back of all time, as well as one of the greatest players in NFL history, he retired in the prime of his career to pursue acting. - No. 3 -- Muhammad Ali
E57No. 3 -- Muhammad AliAthlete No. 3: Muhammad Ali. The boxer claimed the heavyweight title three times during his pro career and won the gold medal at the 1960 Olympics. In his most famous bout, the “Thrilla in Manila,” Ali knocked out rival Joe Frazier in the 14th round. Hosted by Dan Patrick.
