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LeBron James was named the 2016 Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated after leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA championship in June.

The editors of Sports Illustrated made the announcement Wednesday, stating:

He, of course, was not the only athlete to help end a famous title drought. He wasn't even the only athlete to be part of a comeback from a 3-1 deficit to end a famous title drought. He is, however, the only athlete who did those things to gain more than a ring. In putting the Cavaliers on his back in the NBA Finals he also fulfilled a promise to his home city and to an entire region. He was following through on that heartfelt, but risky, vow he made three summers ago when he returned home after four successful years in Miami.

James, who also earned the honor in 2012 after winning his first title with the Miami Heat and helping lead the United States to a gold medal in the Olympics, joins Tiger Woods (1996 and 2000) as the only individual athletes named Sportsperson of the Year more than once.

It's a distinction that becomes even more impressive when you consider the long list of competition he faced after a memorable 2016 in the world of sports.

Every Olympic year brings about a multitude of stories worthy of consideration. In Rio, longtime superstars Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt made their expected last stands, while the likes of Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky highlighted a new wave of talent.

Then there's the story of Ibtihaj Muhammad, who became the first American athlete to compete in the Games while wearing a hijab. She was part of the United States' team sabre squad that captured a bronze medal with a victory over Italy in the third-place match.

Sports Illustrated has also opted to give the award to entire teams in previous years, most recently the Boston Red Sox in 2004.

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The outlet had several strong candidates in that mold for 2016, led by shocking Premier League champions Leicester City and the drought-busting Chicago Cubs.

In the end, however, SI circled back around to James, who's solidified himself as one of the most famous athletes on earth alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Roger Federer and the aforementioned Woods.

The editors stated in the announcement the decision is due to both his on-court success leading the Cavs to a title following his return to Ohio in 2014 and his off-court efforts to spark positive change.

In July, James joined fellow NBA stars and good friends Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade for a powerful opening statement at the ESPY Awards. He talked about the impact professional athletes can have on pushing for action, as relayed by ESPN.com:

Tonight we're honoring Muhammad Ali, the GOAT. But to do his legacy any justice, let's use this moment as a call to action to all professional athletes to educate ourselves, explore these issues, speak up, use our influence and renounce all violence and, most importantly, go back to our communities, invest our time, our resources, help rebuild them, help strengthen them, help change them. We all have to do better.

So, even in a year where the number of contenders far exceeded the average sports year, James' wide-ranging impact made him stand out to the Sports Illustrated editors. And it's hard to argue with the choice, though the same could have been said for most of the candidates mentioned above as well.