Athletes With the Most-Viewed Wikipedia Pages

Love or hate them, these athletes get clicks.

What’s better than sports? Sports information. Enter Wikipedia. Besides being the great digital encyclopedia of our time, Wikipedia has been settling sports debates since 2001.

Have a question about when Muhammad Ali won the heavyweight championship for the first time? Turn to Wikipedia. You and your friends disagree over what year Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl? Quick, pull up Wikipedia.

The website and its estimated 55 million articles have been a blessing to sports fans who want to dive into the details about their sports heroes — athletes who have churned up a tremendous amount of pageviews on their Wikipedia pages over the years. These athletes have grabbed the most clicks.

30. Michael Vick — 11.180 Million Views

Michael Vick signed a six-year, $100 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011. Michael Perez / AP Photo

Note: Stadium Talk partnered with our friends at Wikipedia and Myprotein to pull the statistics on athletes with the most-viewed Wikipedia pages from 2008 through the end of 2020.

Born: June 26, 1980 (Newport News, Virginia)

Sport: Football

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 11,180,103

Career highlights: NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2010), four-time Pro Bowler (2002, 2004, 2005, 2010), Heisman Trophy finalist (1999), Big East Offensive Player of the Year (1999), Big East Rookie of the Year (1999)

Bottom line: Michael Vick could do just about anything on a football field, but his skills could not overshadow the scandal that enveloped his life and dominated headlines when he was indicted on federal dogfighting charges in 2007.

Vick was one of the most marketable and highly paid athletes in the world at the time of his arrest and was eventually sentenced to two years in federal prison.

He returned to the NFL and signed a six-year, $100 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011.

29. Ray Lewis — 11.183 Million Views

Ray Lewis won his second Super Bowl in his final NFL game. Nick Wass / AP Photo

Born: May 15, 1975 (Bartow, Florida)

Sport: Football

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 11,183,402

Career highlights: Two-time Super Bowl champion (2000, 2012), Super Bowl MVP (2000), 13-time Pro Bowler (1997-2001, 2003, 2004, 2006-11), 10-time All-Pro (1997-2001, 2003, 2004, 2008-10), two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2000, 2003), NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (2018)

Bottom line: No player was as consistent on the defensive side of the ball, start to finish, as Ray Lewis.

In his 17 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Lewis won two Super Bowls, in 2000 and 2012, with the latter coming in Lewis’ final game. His 10 All-Pro selections are tied for the NFL career record alongside Lawrence Taylor.

Off the field, Lewis’ career was almost over before it started. He beat a double-murder charge before the 2000 season following the stabbing deaths of two men in a fight after a Super Bowl party in Atlanta.

28. Derrick Rose — 11.3 Million Views

Derrick Rose was the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2011. Nam Y. Huh / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 4, 1988 (Chicago, Illinois)

Sport: Basketball

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 11,369,379

Career highlights: NBA MVP (2011), three-time NBA All-Star (2010-12), All-NBA Team (2011), NBA Rookie of the Year (2009)

Bottom line: Few players in NBA history have started their careers as well as Derrick Rose, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft. Rose was the NBA MVP in 2011, in just his third season, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to win the award at just 22 years old.

Rose appeared to have the Bulls on the verge of becoming a legitimate NBA title contender again before his career came undone with a string of devastating injuries, including an ACL tear in the 2011-12 season, and a rape accusation in California that ended in a messy civil lawsuit.

Rose signed a five-year, $94.8 million contract extension right before his injury and didn’t play a game from May 2012 to October 2013. At one point, it looked like he might be finished, but he rediscovered his game, and the second half of his career has been inspiring.

27. Aaron Rodgers — 11.7 Million Views

Aaron Rodgers was named NFL MVP in 2011. Paul Sancya / AP Photo

Born: Dec. 2, 1983 (Chico, California)

Sport: Football

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 11,786,620

Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (2011), Super Bowl MVP (2011), two-time NFL MVP (2011, 2014), four-time NFL All-Pro (2011, 2012, 2014, 2020), nine-time Pro Bowl (2009, 2011, 2012, 2014-16, 2018-20), NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, AP Athlete of the Year (2011)

Bottom line: Aaron Rodgers is one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time. But he started his NFL career as one of the first internet sensations of the modern age, when a national audience watched his dramatic drop in the NFL draft live, with Rodgers squirming in the green room on national television.

Rodgers spent several years as an understudy with the Green Bay Packers and Hall of Famer Brett Favre before taking over the team, where Rodgers has sliced and diced NFL defenses for over a decade.

Off the field, he’s been one of the most marketable stars in the league and has dated “X-Men” action star Olivia Munn and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick in the past.

26. Derek Jeter — 12.1 Million Views

Derek Jeter hit a walk-off single in his final home game with the New York Yankees. Julie Jacobson / AP Photo

Born: June 26, 1974 (Pequannock Township, New Jersey)

Sport: Baseball

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 12,115,115

Career highlights: Five-time World Series champion (1996, 1998-2000, 2009), World Series MVP (2000), AL Rookie of the Year (1996), 14-time MLB All-Star (1998-2002, 2004, 2006-12, 2014), AL Rookie of the Year (1996), five-time Gold Glove Award winner (2004-06, 2009-10), five-time Silver Slugger Award winner (2006-09, 2012), Roberto Clemente Award (2009)

Bottom line: One of the most revered players in MLB history, Derek Jeter played his entire 20-year career for the New York Yankees and won five World Series titles, including three in a row from 1998 to 2000.

Jeter gained a reputation off the field for dating some of the most beautiful women in the world before he married Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition cover model Hannah Davis in 2016.

Jeter and Bruce Sherman purchased controlling shares of the Miami Marlins in 2017, and Jeter was put in charge of day-to-day operations as the franchise’s CEO.

25. Lamar Odom — 12.2 Million Views

Lamar Odom was well known for his basketball career and for his marriage to reality TV star Khloe Kardashian. Jim Mone / AP Photo

Born: Nov. 6, 1971 (Queens, New York)

Sport: Basketball

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 12,236,160

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (2009, 2010), NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2011), NBA All-Rookie Team (2000), All-Atlantic 10 (1999), Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year (1999), Parade Magazine Player of the Year (1997), two-time Parade Magazine All-American (1996, 1997)

Bottom line: We can credit Lamar Odom’s inclusion on this list not just to his standout basketball career. While he was a key player on two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010, his affiliation with one of the most famous families in the world also helped.

Odom was married to Khloe Kardashian of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” briefly. Their marriage, breakup and Odom’s subsequent descent into drug addiction and his almost deadly overdose in 2015 generated a lot of headlines.

Odom’s legacy in the NBA was actually pretty profound. Teammates and coaches alike described him as one of the most beloved teammates of all time.

24. Brett Favre — 12.4 Million Views

Brett Favre won a Super Bowl with the Packers in 1996. Paul Sancya / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 10, 1969 (Gulfport, Mississippi)

Sport: Football

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 12,427,933

Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1996), three-time NFL MVP (1995-97), six-time NFL All-Pro (1995-97, 2001, 2002, 2007), 11-time Pro Bowl (1992, 1993, 1995-97, 2001-03, 2007-09), Pro Football Hall of Fame (2016)

Bottom line: Brett Favre was traded from the Atlanta Falcons to the Green Bay Packers following Favre’s rookie season, triggering the career of one of the greatest players in NFL history.

Favre, a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2016, led the Packers to a Super Bowl win in 1996 and still holds the NFL records for most career starts and most pass attempts. He’s also the only player in NFL history to win three consecutive league MVP awards.

The later stages of Favre’s career were defined by his reluctance to retire. After he left the Packers, he played for the New York Jets and hated rival Minnesota Vikings.

23. Colin Kaepernick — 12.5 Million Views

Colin Kaepernick set the NFL record for most rushing yards in a single game. D. Ross Cameron / AP Photo

Born: Nov. 3, 1987 (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)

Sport: Football

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 12,582,612

Career highlights: Two-time WAC Offensive Player of the Year (2008, 2010), NFC champion (2012)

Bottom line: Colin Kaepernick was one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks in the early 2010s, leading the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl in the 2012 season and setting NFL records for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game and in a single postseason.

Kaepernick’s true legacy would be off the field. After he kneeled during the national anthem in protest of police violence against Black people, he was drummed out of the NFL for his political beliefs and blackballed from playing professional football.

Kaepernick sued the league for collusion in regards to him not signing with a team and reached an out-of-court settlement with the NFL in 2019.

22. Wilt Chamberlain — 12.9 Million Views

Wilt Chamberlain was named NBA MVP four times. AP Photo

Born: Aug. 21, 1936 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Died: Oct. 12, 1999 (age 63, Bel Air, California)

Sport: Basketball

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 12,940,715

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (1967, 1972), NBA Finals MVP (1972), four-time NBA MVP (1960, 1966-68), 13-time NBA All-Star (1960-69, 1971-73), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1960), 10-time All-NBA Team (1960-68, 1972), two-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1972, 1973), NBA Rookie of the Year (1960), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Wilt Chamberlain won seven scoring titles and, almost out of spite, led the league in assists one season when fans and media complained he took too many shots.

Chamberlain could score at will and set the NBA record by scoring 100 points in a game with the Philadelphia Warriors in 1960, when he won the first of four NBA Most Valuable Player awards.

But at times, he played with a very pronounced indifference toward the game. That’s why his career, with only two NBA titles, will always have a certain degree of “what if” hanging over it.

21. Dwyane Wade — 13.4 Million Views

Dwayne Wade helped lead the Miami Heat to three NBA titles. Wilfredo Lee / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 20, 1971 (Pompano Beach, Florida)

Sport: Basketball

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 13,409,309

Career highlights: Three-time NBA champion (2006, 2012, 2013), NBA Finals MVP (2006), 13-time NBA All-Star (2005-16, 2019), eight-time All-NBA (2005-07, 2009-13), three-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2005, 2009, 2010)

Bottom line: Dwyane Wade is one of the greatest NBA players of all time, making the All-Star team 13 times in 15 seasons and winning three NBA titles with the Miami Heat.

Wade won NBA Finals MVP in 2006 when he was teamed with Shaquille O’Neal, then paired up with LeBron James and Chris Bosh to win two more NBA titles in 2012 and 2013.

Wade is a lock to be elected to the Hall of Fame and off the court became one of the league’s most marketable players and generated a considerable amount of interest in his personal life after he married actress Gabrielle Union in 2014.

20. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — 13.6 Million Views

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was named NBA MVP six times. John Martell / AP Photo

Born: April 16, 1947 (Manhattan, New York)

Sport: Basketball

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 13,677,966

Career highlights: Six-time NBA champion (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), two-time NBA Finals MVP (1971, 1985), six-time NBA MVP (1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980), 19-time NBA All-Star (1970-77, 1979-89), 15-time All-NBA (1970-74, 1976-81, 1983-86), 11-time All-NBA Defensive Team (1970, 1971, 1974-81, 1984), NBA Rookie of the Year (1970), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA titles and six NBA Most Valuable Player awards and is in the conversation when it comes to the greatest basketball players of all time, which automatically puts him in the conversation for toughest players ever, as well.

He will always be tougher than we give him credit for. He played in an age where African-American players were fighting for equal rights on and off the floor and was one of the leaders of that movement.

One stat stands out more than any other. Over two decades after his retirement, Abdul-Jabbar’s 1,797 career games (including the playoffs) are more than anyone in NBA history.

19. Allen Iverson — 13.7 Million Views

Allen Iverson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft. Tim Johnson / AP Photo

Born: June 7, 1975 (Hampton, Virginia)

Sport: Basketball

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 13,702,990

Career highlights: NBA MVP (2001), 11-time NBA All-Star (2000-10), two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (2001, 2005), seven-time All-NBA Team (1999-2003, 2005), NBA Rookie of the Year (1997)

Bottom line: Allen Iverson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft and led the 76ers to the NBA Finals in 2001 — the same year he won his lone NBA MVP award.

“The Answer” played with reckless abandon for someone his size and became one of the most popular players in NBA history and one of pop culture’s all-time greatest antiheroes.

Iverson also did it on both ends of the floor. He led the NBA in scoring four times and led the NBA in steals three times despite never earning a spot on the NBA All-Defensive Team, which is a travesty.

18. Kevin Durant — 14.47 Million Views

Kevin Durant played his rookie year for the Seattle SuperSonics before the franchise moved to Oklahoma City. Jeff Roberson / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 29, 1988 (Washington, D.C.)

Sport: Basketball

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 14,470,861

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (2017, 2018), two-time NBA Finals MVP (2017, 2018), NBA MVP (2014), 10-time NBA All-Star (2010-19), two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (2012, 2019), nine-time All-NBA Team (2010-14, 2016-19), NBA Rookie of the Year (2008)

Bottom line: One of the greatest players in NBA history, there is literally nothing left for Kevin Durant to accomplish on a basketball court. Durant played his rookie season in Seattle before the franchise moved to Oklahoma City in his second year and won NBA Most Valuable Player honors in 2014.

Durant’s legacy in Oklahoma City is complicated due to him leaving the team in free agency after the Thunder blew a 3-1 lead to the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 Western Conference finals.

He went to play for the Warriors and won two NBA titles in three seasons with them. Then, he signed a four-year, $162.9 million contract with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019.

17. Dennis Rodman — 14.48 Million Views

Dennis Rodman won five NBA championships and was a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Michael Conroy / AP Photo

Born: May 13, 1961 (Trenton, New Jersey)

Sport: Basketball

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 14,483,309

Career highlights: Five-time NBA champion (1989, 1990, 1996-98), two-time NBA All-Star (1990, 1992), two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1990, 1991), two-time All-NBA (1992, 1995), eight-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1989-96)

Bottom line: Dennis Rodman was a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and averaged 13.1 rebounds per game for his career.

From 1989 to 1998, he won five NBA titles with two different teams, the Pistons and Bulls, and averaged at least 15 rebounds per game for seven seasons in that stretch. That included a career-high 18.7 rebounds in the 1991-92 season.

Rodman was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011 but was just as well known for his wild life off the court, dating pop superstar Madonna and a brief marriage to model/TV personality Carmen Electra at one point.

16. Lance Armstrong — 14.6 Million Views

Lance Armstrong was banned from cycling for life. Tertius Pickard / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 18, 1971 (Richardson, Texas)

Sport: Cycling

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 14,681,236

Career highlights: Tour de Luxembourg champion (1998), two-time Tour DuPont champion (1995, 1996), world championship gold medal (1993)

Bottom line: Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from competitive cycling for life by the World Anti-Doping Association after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s investigation determined he led “the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program the sport has ever seen.”

Armstrong admitted to doping in a 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey — after over a decade’s worth of accusations and denials. A federal whistleblower lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice against Armstrong was settled for $5 million in 2018, giving the saga some semblance of justice in the end.

15. Babe Ruth — 15.1 Million Views

Babe Ruth’s legendary eating habits included a half-dozen hot dogs and four Cokes as a snack. AP Photo

Born: Feb. 6, 1895 (Baltimore, Maryland)

Died: Aug. 16, 1948 (age 53, New York, New York)

Sport: Baseball

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 15,115,691

Career highlights: Seven-time World Series champion (1915, 1916, 1918, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1932), American League MVP (1923), two-time MLB All-Star (1933, 1934), MLB All-Century Team

Bottom line: Babe Ruth’s dominance on the diamond came first as a pitcher, then as a hard-hitting outfielder who won three World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox and four more with the Yankees.

Over 70 years after his death, Ruth still is one of the most famous athletes of all time, and the tales of his off-the-field exploits still create buzz to this day — most notably Ruth’s unworldly ability for consumption.

That included pregame “snacks” of a half-dozen hot dogs and four ice-cold Cokes and postgame meals of nearly raw porterhouse steaks smothered in chili sauce and washed down with copious amounts of beer and apple pie with vanilla ice cream.

14. Jackie Robinson — 15.2 Million Views

Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 is retired by every MLB team. AP Photo

Born: Jan. 31, 1919 (Cairo, Georgia)

Died: Oct. 24, 1972 (age 53, Stamford, Connecticut)

Sport: Baseball

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 15,213,778

Career highlights: World Series champion (1955), National League MVP (1949), six-time MLB All-Star (1949-54), MLB Rookie of the Year (1947), MLB All-Century Team

Bottom line: Jackie Robinson broke MLB’s color barrier in 1947, becoming the first Black player in league history and paving the way for generations of athletes in all professional sports.

Robinson’s legacy was about so much more than what he did on the field, where he was one of the greatest players of all time. Robinson’s aplomb in handling the racist vitriol that came his way when he broke the color barrier was something to behold and revealed an inner strength we can still learn from to this day.

Robinson’s jersey — No. 42 — has been retired by every MLB team.

13. Magic Johnson — 18.4 Million Views

Magic Johnson won a national championship at Michigan State in 1979 and an NBA championship with the Lakers in 1980. Reed Saxon / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 14, 1959 (Lansing, Michigan)

Sport: Basketball

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 18,443,962

Career highlights: Five-time NBA champion (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), three-time NBA Finals MVP (1980, 1982, 1987), three-time NBA MVP (1987, 1989, 1990), 12-time NBA All-Star (1980, 1982-92), two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (1990, 1992), 10-time All-NBA (1982-91), NBA All-Rookie Team (1980), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Magic Johnson is perhaps the greatest point guard of all time, one of the most exciting, dynamic players in NBA history, and a global sports icon.

Magic’s rivalry with Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird, which started in the 1979 NCAA championship game between Michigan State and Indiana State, put the NBA on the path to becoming the global behemoth it is today, generating approximately $8 billion in revenue annually.

Johnson was the guiding force behind the Lakers’ “Showtime” era, leading the franchise to five NBA titles in the 1980s and gained worldwide attention in 1991 when he announced he was HIV positive and retired from the NBA.

12. Serena Williams — 19.2 Million Views

Serena Williams won her first major title in 1999. Diether Endlicher / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 26, 1981 (Saginaw, Michigan)

Sport: Tennis

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 19,280,690

Career highlights: Seven-time Australian Open champion (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2017), three-time French Open champion (2002, 2013, 2015), seven-time Wimbledon champion (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016), six-time U.S. Open champion (1999, 2002, 2008, 2012-14), Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year (2015)

Bottom line: The greatest women’s tennis player of all time argument boils down to Serena Williams, Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova.

If you want to go by numbers, it’s Williams for the win. She’s won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most in the Open Era, and trails just Margaret Court’s 24 titles. Off the court, Williams has been an amazing ambassador for the sport and married Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in 2016.

According to Forbes, Williams has an estimated net worth of $200 million and earned $36 million in 2020.

11. Peyton Manning — 21.1 Million Views

The Indianapolis Colts selected Peyton Manning with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft. John Russell / AP Photo

Born: March 24, 1976 (New Orleans, Louisiana)

Sport: Football

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 21,184,526

Career highlights: Two-time Super Bowl champion (2007, 2016), five-time NFL Most Valuable Player (2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013), Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (2007), 10-time NFL All-Pro (1999, 2000, 2003-06, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013), 14-time Pro Bowl (1999, 2000, 2002-10, 2012-14)

Bottom line: Peyton Manning comes from a football family — father Archie and brother Eli were also NFL quarterbacks — but carved out his own legacy as one of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks and most popular players.

He won five NFL Most Valuable Player awards and two Super Bowl titles with two different teams, the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos.

Manning’s off-the-field persona as the guy next door and his irreverent sense of humor have endeared him to several generations of football fans. Look no further than this famous “Saturday Night Live” skit.

10. Michael Phelps — 22.6 Million Views

Michael Phelps won 23 Olympic gold medals. Michael Sohn / AP Photo

Born: June 30, 1985 (Baltimore, Maryland)

Sport: Swimming

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 22,642,188

Career highlights: 23-time Olympic gold medalist, 26-time world championship gold medalist, Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year (2008), two-time AP Athlete of the Year (2008, 2012)

Bottom line: Baltimore native Michael Phelps is the greatest Olympian of all time with records for the most Olympic gold medals (23) and Olympic gold medals in individual events (13).

Phelps’ popularity (and pageviews) are easily understandable because he’s grown up in the public spotlight, He held national records for swimming by the time he was 10 years old and swam in the Olympics for the first time in 2000, at just 15 years old, becoming the youngest male Olympian since 1932.

Phelps’ struggles outside of his sport have been well-documented, as has been his openness in dealing with those struggles. Phelps married former Miss California USA Nicole Johnson in secret in 2016.

9. Tiger Woods — 22.7 Million Views

Tiger Woods won the Masters in 2019, capping an unbelievable, decade-long comeback. David J. Phillip / AP Photo

Born: Dec. 30, 1975 (Cypress, California)

Sport: Golf

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 22,763,588

Career highlights: Five-time Masters Tournament champion (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019), four-time PGA Championship winner (1999, 2000, 2006, 2007), three-time U.S. Open champion (2000, 2002, 2008), three-time time British Open champion (2000, 2005, 2006)

Bottom line: Tiger Woods is not just one of the greatest golfers of all time. He also is one of the most famous athletes ever.

Golf fans first saw Tiger Woods on national television when he was just 2 years old and made an appearance on “The Mike Douglas Show” and had a putting competition against comedian Bob Hope. Woods became the youngest U.S. Junior Amateur champion and set the record by winning the Masters by 12 strokes when he was just 21 years old.

Woods’ 15 major titles are the second most of all time, but his life and legacy took a detour in 2009 following the breakup of his first marriage and allegations of widespread infidelity. He bounced back to win the Masters in 2019 at the age of 43 and is redefining himself on the back nine of his career.

8. Caitlyn Jenner — 23.2 Million Views

Caitlyn Jenner was on the reality show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” beginning in 2007. Rich Fury / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 28, 1949 (Mount Kisco, New York)

Sport: Track and field

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 23,251,277

Career highlights: Olympic decathlon gold medalist (1976), Pan Am Games gold medalist (1976)

Bottom line: Caitlyn Jenner took over the sporting world in 1976 when she won the Olympic decathlon gold medal in Montreal while competing as Bruce Jenner.

More fame came in the form of Bruce Jenner’s marriage to Kris Jenner, the former wife of famed O.J. Simpson attorney Robert Kardashian, and Bruce had a role on the reality show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” — one of the most successful reality shows in history.

Jenner came out as a trans woman in 2015, and officially changed her name to Caitlyn.

7. Brock Lesnar — 27.8 Million Views

Brock Lesnar is the only three-time WWE Universal champion. Don Foria / AP Photo

Born: July 12, 1977 (Webster, South Dakota)

Sport: Professional wrestling

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 27,833,110

Career highlights: Five-time WWE champion, three-time WWE Universal champion, UFC heavyweight champion, NCAA Division I heavyweight champion (2000), two-time Big Ten champion (1999, 2000), NJCAA heavyweight champion (1998)

Bottom line: Brock Lesnar is a unique athlete since he’s conquered three different disciplines — first as a national champion wrestler at the University of Minnesota, then as a UFC champion in mixed martial arts and finally as a pro wrestling superstar in the WWE.

Lesnar, the only three-time Universal champion in WWE history, also had a brief stint with the Minnesota Vikings in training camp.

Lesnar stays out of the public spotlight when he’s not competing/performing. He’s largely disavowed interviews and kept his life, including his marriage to WWE diva Sable, private.

6. Tom Brady — 28.3 Million Views

Tom Brady led the Patriots to nine Super Bowl appearances, winning six times. Charles Krupa / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 3, 1977 (San Mateo, California)

Sport: Football

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 28,393,072

Career highlights: Six-time Super Bowl champion (2002, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2017, 2019), three-time NFL Most Valuable Player (2007, 2010, 2017), four-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (2002, 2004, 2015, 2017), five-time NFL All-Pro (2005, 2007, 2010, 2016, 2017), 14-time Pro Bowl (2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009-18)

Bottom line: Tom Brady isn’t doubted anymore. From being overlooked and, quite frankly, disrespected at the University of Michigan, Brady was a throwaway, sixth-round pick by the New England Patriots in the 2000 NFL draft. Then, he rose to become the greatest quarterback in NFL history.

Brady has started more Super Bowls than any quarterback in NFL history — nine — and his six Super Bowl wins are the most by any player in NFL history. In 2019, at 41 years old, Brady also became the oldest quarterback in NFL history to win a Super Bowl. After 20 seasons with the Patriots, Brady joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the 2019 season.

He’s also married to one of the greatest supermodels of all time, Gisele Bundchen, and the couple have a combined estimated net worth of $600 million.

5. Mike Tyson — 29.7 Million Views

Mike Tyson was the first heavyweight boxer to unify the title in consecutive fights. AP Photo

Born: June 30, 1966 (Brooklyn, New York)

Sport: Boxing

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 29,769,660

Career highlights: Heavyweight champion of the world, two-time Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year, International Boxing Hall of Fame

Bottom line: Mike Tyson is one of the most well-known and controversial professional athletes of all time. Tyson took the sporting world by storm when he won the WBC heavyweight championship in 1985 and became the undisputed champion in 1987 when he won the WBC, WBA and IBF titles in succession — the first person in history to do so.

Tyson lost the titles in one of the most shocking upsets of all time when he fell to Buster Douglas in 1990, and Tyson’s legacy took a dark turn in 1992 when he was convicted of rape and sentenced to six years in prison, although he served just three before being released and returning to boxing.

He reinvented himself after his fighting days and has become a popular pop culture icon and entrepreneur.

4. Kobe Bryant — 38.7 Million Views

Kobe Bryant wore No. 8 for the first part of his career before switching to No. 24. Mark J. Terrill / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 23, 1978 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Died: Jan. 26, 2020 (age 41, Los Angeles, California)

Sport: Basketball

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 38,712,110

Career highlights: Five-time NBA champion (2000-02, 2009, 2010), two-time NBA Finals MVP 2009, 2010), NBA MVP (2008), 18-time NBA All-Star (1998, 2000-16), four-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (2002, 2007, 2009, 2011), 15-time All-NBA (1999-2013), 12-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2000-04, 2006-12)

Bottom line: The late Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest players in NBA history. He won five NBA titles in 20 seasons and played his entire career for the Los Angeles Lakers.

In the final game of his career, Bryant scored 60 points on 22-of-50 shooting in a 101-96 win over the Utah Jazz, including 10-of-12 from the free-throw line and 6-of-21 from beyond the three-point arc. Bryant surprisingly only won the NBA MVP award once in his career, in 2008, but was also a 12-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection.

Bryant died tragically in a helicopter accident alongside his 13-year-old daughter, Giana, and seven other passengers in January 2020, when he was 41 years old.

3. LeBron James — 38.8 Million Views

LeBron James led the Cavaliers to the NBA title in 2016. Charles Krupa / AP Photo

Born: Dec. 30, 1984 (Akron, Ohio)

Sport: Basketball

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 38,801,994

Career highlights: Four-time NBA champion (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020), four-time NBA MVP (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020), four-time NBA Finals MVP (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020), 16-time NBA All-Star (2005-2020), three-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (2006, 2008, 2018), 16-time All-NBA Team (2005-2020), six-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2009-14), NBA Rookie of the Year (2004)

Bottom line: LeBron James will likely break Robert Parrish’s career record of 1,611 regular-season games if he plays through the 2023-24 season, which he’s said he wants to do. James also is on track to break the NBA career minutes played record (57,446 minutes, held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in that same span.

Keep in mind that James has played in three Summer Olympics, two FIBA World Championships and, in 17 years of professional basketball, has never had a major injury. That makes the four-time NBA MVP and 15-time All-NBA pick one of the toughest and most durable players of all time, along with one of the best.

Off the court, James has created a persona as an outspoken, thoughtful athlete with a penchant for standing up for the underrepresented and the downtrodden in the advancement of social justice. He’s a true global sports icon.

2. Muhammad Ali — 41.9 Million Views

Muhammad Ali screams at Sonny Liston after knocking him to the canvas in 1965. AP Photo

Born: Jan. 17, 1942 (Louisville, Kentucky)

Died: June 3, 2016 (age 74, Scottsdale, Arizona)

Sport: Boxing

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 41,968,846

Career highlights: Six-time The Ring Magazine Fighter of the year, Olympic gold medalist (1960), heavyweight champion of the world

Bottom line: Muhammad Ali’s fame extended way beyond the ring, where the greatest boxer who ever lived electrified the world as the heavyweight champion of the world.

He won his first title as a 22-year-old in 1964 with a shocking upset of Sonny Liston, then again two more times after that, including after a four-year absence when he had his title stripped for refusing to volunteer to fight in the Vietnam War.

Ali captivated fans all over the world with his fighting skills and personality, which extended way beyond his boxing career. Ali, who battled Parkinson’s disease for the last 20-30 years of his life, died in 2016 at 74 years old.

1. Michael Jordan — 50.5 Million Views

Michael Jordan won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and bought the Charlotte Hornets after his career was over. Chuck Burton / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 17, 1963 (Brooklyn, New York)

Sport: Basketball

Total Wikipedia pageviews: 50,577,775

Career highlights: Six-time NBA champion (1991-93, 1996-98), six-time NBA Finals MVP (1991-93, 1996-98), five-time NBA MVP (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998), 14-time NBA All-Star (1985-93, 1996-98, 2002, 2003), three-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (1988, 1996, 1998), 11-time All-NBA (1985, 1987-93, 1996-98), NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1988), nine-time All-NBA Defensive Team (1988-93, 1996-98), NBA Rookie of the Year (1985)

Bottom line: Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time and the most popular athlete in the history of professional sports (save for a few soccer players). So it’s no surprise Jordan tops this list.

He helped lift the Chicago Bulls from their moribund past to becoming the signature pro sports franchise in all of North America, if not the world. Jordan won five NBA Most Valuable Player awards with the Bulls, six NBA championships and six NBA Finals MVP awards in that stretch.

Had it not been for a two-year, mid-career retirement in which Jordan pursued a professional baseball career he may have added two more titles to the total.