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The Players’ Tribune is proud to present our favorite photos of 2024. They say that every picture tells a story, and, as these images so powerfully attest, this was a year filled with compelling and unforgettable stories from the world of sports. From moments of quiet reflection to raucous celebrations, these 26 photos highlight the humanity, resilience, and joy that define athletes’ journeys. Captured by our award-winning photographers, this collection offers a window into the lives of those who trusted us with their stories — from a gleeful Adriano back home in his favela, to Endrick offering a loving shoulder to his younger brother, to triple Olympic champion Gabby Thomas savoring the sweet taste of success.
There were moments of triumph, like Sabrina Ionescu high-fiving fans at the New York Liberty’s ticker-tape parade and Clayton Kershaw cherishing family time amid the on-field celebration at Yankee Stadium after clinching a World Series victory. There were cultural milestones, such as the Juneteenth Rodeo in Portland, where hip-hop, Black church, and western traditions came together to honor a rich heritage. And there were intimate snapshots, like Ronald Acuña Jr. reflecting on childhood dreams of making the big leagues, as well as Dejan Kulusevski at home with his dog, sharing wisdom about perseverance and staying true to oneself. There were also mascots basking poolside, but we’re not sure exactly what story that picture tells.
We do know, though, that these images celebrate the victories, struggles, and aspirations that define sports and life alike.
“A guy who left the favela to receive the nickname Emperor in Europe. How do you explain that, man? I didn’t understand it until today. OK, so maybe I did some things right after all.
A lot of people didn’t understand why I abandoned the glory of the stadiums to sit in my old neighbourhood, drinking to oblivion.
Because at some point I wanted to, and it’s the kind of decision that’s difficult to go back on.”
PHOTO BY SAM ROBLES/The Players' Tribune
“The crazy thing is that I was 10 or 11 years old, and I was already saying the things I’m saying now.
I was like, ‘To me, succeeding is doing it my way, and not someone else’s way. Nobody decides what or how I’m going to do it.”
‘If you’re failing, keep going until you succeed.‘
‘Nothing is impossible. The impossible just takes a bit longer.‘”
PHOTO BY SAM MALLER/The Players' Tribune
READ THE FULL STORY: A Letter to My Favela by ADRIANO
READ THE FULL STORY: A Letter to Spurs Fans BY Dejan Kulusevski
“Want to know something that I have never told to anyone?
Not a soul. Not even my parents know.
I have never spoken about this, but….
Ever since I was a child, from a very young age, I would ask God to make me famous.
That is what I would actually pray for.”
PHOTO BY Jackson Krule/The Players' Tribune
READ THE FULL STORY:
I Mean No Harm, I Swear BY Ronald Acuña Jr.
New Jersey Devils Winter Classic
The New Jersey Devils beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-3 before 70,328 at MetLife Stadium on February 17th.
PHOTO BY Jackson Krule/The Players' Tribune
What do you want to be when you grow up?
A multi platinum, arena touring artist!
PHOTO BY SAM MALLER/The Players' Tribune
VIEW: GET TO KNOW ME: WILL CLAYE
PHOTO BY SAM ROBLES/The Players' Tribune
READ THE FULL STORY: Letter to My Brother by eNDRICK
“For three generations, and maybe more, our family has chased the dream of football. We have been trying to change our circumstances. But now you can do whatever you want. You can be a doctor or lawyer, or maybe since we are going to Spain, the country of Nadal and Alcaraz, you can become a professional tennis player. You are already chasing the ball, like me. So you can be a footballer if you want. But you don’t have to be. There is no stress anymore, thanks to God, thanks to Mom and Dad, and thanks to football.
You just enjoy your life how you want, brother. That is my gift to you.”
PHOTO BY SAM MALLER/The Players' Tribune
READ THE FULL STORY: What Happened To Michael Carter-Williams by MICHAEL-CARTER WILLIAMS
“There was a time when I thought I was finished, like my best days were behind me. I thought, Dang, after the NBA, that’s a wrap on the Michael-Carter Williams story. And it didn’t turn out how I wanted.
But my vision got clearer. I started to see the bigger picture.”
PHOTO BY SAM ROBLES/The Players' Tribune
READ THE FULL STORY: To Leverkusen by XABI ALONSO
“We had a conviction that we were going to make history. It was not just about winning the title. It was about winning every game, as they came to us.
The next, the next, the next….
But I think it is also deep in my blood. I saw it every night with my father around our dinner table. It was always, ‘OK, but what’s next?’”
PHOTO BY JACKSON KRULE/The Players' Tribune
VIEW: GET TO KNOW ME: CELESTE TAYLOR
What Goal do you have for your first year in the W?
Learn and enjoy the experience
Ian Seidenfeld - Team USA
Ian won a bronze medal in the men’s singles Class 6 table tennis at the 2024 Paris Paralympics
PHOTO BY SAM MALLER/The Players' Tribune
PHOTO BY TAYLOR BAUCOM/The Players' Tribune
READ THE FULL STORY: The Sun is Going to Come Up BY ALISE WILLOUGHBY
“Everything seemed unreal. It was like: This is Sam Willoughby! He’s basically Superman. No matter what the prognosis was, or the bad news the doctors were telling us, it was always like: You know who this is, right? He’s not your average patient. His whole life, he’s exceeded what anybody said he would be. So obviously he’s gonna just do that again. But the feeling never came back.”
PHOTO BY SAM ROBLES/The Players' Tribune
READ THE FULL STORY: A Letter to the Brazilian Fans
“Suddenly, I stopped seeing myself as Danilo, the 31-million-euro transfer.
I started seeing myself as Danilo from Bicas, the boy who always locked my locker at América Mineiro because I kept a roll of toilet paper in there like it was ‘gold.’”
PHOTO BY Zach Doleac for The Players’ Tribune
VIEW THE FULL GALLERY: 8 Seconds Juneteenth Rodeo
Father’s Day in Portland, Oregon, had a little extra kick this year, as the city welcomed the second annual 8 Seconds Juneteenth Rodeo. The event, a celebration of the Black cowboy, is a rodeo with a purpose and a vision — to bring the community together, spotlight Black athletes, and show the people of Portland something different. As described by the rodeo’s cofounder, Ivan McClellan, Black Rodeo is “the perfect blending of hip-hop culture, Black church, and western culture.” And, for predominantly white Portland, that’s an eye-opening round-up of different.
PHOTO BY JACKSON KRULE/The Players' TribunE
VIEW THE FULL GALLERY: Mascots Gone Wild: A Pool Party Like No Other
As the sun climbed higher, Youppi! stretched out by the pool, while Stinger took a moment to dry off in front of admiring fans. Victor E. Green soaked up the rays like a true Star, sunbathing on the side of the pool, and Carlton, ever the cautious one, made sure he had a Leaf preserver as he dipped his feet in the water. Hunter, meanwhile, brought a little lynx-to-legs menace to the scene.
“I'm not trying to be cocky with it at all. It's not, ‘Oh, I need you to understand that I'm that girl.’ No, that's not why I use it. I use it in a way to tell myself, ‘Okay, you've gone through so many things, ups and downs, barriers, roads turning, wrong directions, right directions.’ And I feel like that's just a confirmation to myself knowing that all the struggles that I've gone through, all the tears, the sweat, the pains, the aches, whatever it is, I'm still that girl because I'm able to come out and give people a show. Recognizing myself as being like, ‘Okay, you've dominated in so much of your life that those little things shouldn't really tear you down.’ So that's where I kind of get that I'm that girl from.”
PHOTO BY Emily Johnson for The Players’ Tribune
VIEW THE FULL VIDEO: DEFINING ME: JORDAN CHILES
Gabby Thomas dominated the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning gold in the 200m, 4x100m relay, and 4x400m relay. Her victories, including a personal best of 21.83 seconds in the 200m, solidified her place as one of the world’s top sprinters.
PHOTO BY SAM MALLER/The Players' Tribune
PHOTO BY JACKSON KRULE/The Players' Tribune
READ THE FULL STORY: I Found My Joy in Tennis Again and Wrote This Article About It :) BY Bianca Andreescu
“Thinking about my family makes me want to give every breath I have on court. When you play for others — for family, for country, and for everyone who has been through something — tennis becomes not like a game. It becomes your most important mission on earth. I’m not just playing for myself, I’m playing to inspire. Even if I lose, let’s say, if I give my best then I’m still winning, because people can see my faith and perseverance. And maybe they can feel their own version of that. This was the biggest realization I’ve come to.”
PHOTO BY JACKSON KRULE/The Players' Tribune
READ THE FULL STORY: A Letter to Mets Fans BY Mark Vientos
“What I loved most was that we could all be ourselves. The coaches let us show our personalities. They weren’t holding any of us back. So, we vibed with Grimace, and we fully embraced the OMG, and we took luck from a mini pumpkin.
We had fun. And I feel like our fans could tell, and they had fun right along with us. Everyone was having fun together.”
PHOTO BY Shawn Hubbard for The Players’ Tribune
READ THE FULL STORY: If You Followed My Career, I’d Love For You to Read This BY RUDY GAY
“When I eventually sat them down to talk about potentially calling it a career, I wasn’t sure how they’d react. I was thinking they’d be like: ‘Dad. You’re so lucky to play in the NBA. You should never stop.’
It wasn’t that, though. It was….
The opposite of that.”
PHOTO BY Jackson Krule/The Players' Tribune
Despite Clayton Kershaw’s absence, the Dodgers clinched the World Series title against the New York Yankees. Following the season, Kershaw underwent surgeries to address a torn meniscus in his left knee and issues related to his left big toe. He declined his player option for the 2025 season, making him a free agent. However, he has expressed his intention to return for an 18th MLB season in 2025, aiming to “crush” his rehabilitation and contribute to the Dodgers once again in 2025.
PHOTO BY JACKSON KRULE/The Players' Tribune
VIEW: GET TO KNOW ME: JOEY LOGANO
Three words to describe yourself:
Three. Time. Champ.
Between the U.S. Open and the shows of Kahn, Rowley and Kobi Halperin, it was a week full of firsts as Shiffrin introduced herself to the fashion world. It took everything in her power to “keep her shhhhhh— together,” and she ultimately ended up ditching her Louboutins and braving the streets of SoHo barefoot. All of it was worth it for the Junior’s strawberry-topped cheesecake at the end of the night.
PHOTO BY SAM MALLER/The Players' Tribune
VIEW THE FULL GALLERY:
Mikaela Shiffrin's NY Fashion Week
The Players’ Tribune followed the Lady Gators through a whirlwind weekend surrounding their WBK Live Media Day and we’re still out of breath. Barely pausing between practices and photo shoots, the players found time to get their hair done, tip their nails at the Gainesville Mall, rock some custom outfits and jewelry, before, in at least one instance, putting their feet up.
PHOTO BY KATIE KLANN/The Players' Tribune
VIEW THE FULL GALLERY: Florida Women’s Basketball
Sabrina Ionescu played a key role in the New York Liberty’s 2024 WNBA Finals victory, highlighted by her game-winning 28-foot three-pointer in Game 3. Despite sustaining a UCL tear in her shooting hand, she continued to contribute with rebounds and assists, showcasing her versatility. Her eight assists and seven rebounds in Game 5 helped the Liberty secure a 67-62 overtime win to clinch the championship.
PHOTO BY ANGELA WANG/The Players' Tribune
The 2024 New York City Marathon, held on November 3, featured impressive performances across all divisions. In the men’s race, Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands secured his first major marathon victory with a time of 2:07:39, narrowly outpacing 2022 champion Evans Chebet of Kenya, who finished six seconds behind.
The women’s race saw a Kenyan sweep, with Sheila Chepkirui winning in 2:24:35, followed by defending champion Hellen Obiri and Vivian Cheruiyot.
In the wheelchair divisions, American Daniel Romanchuk ended Marcel Hug’s three-year winning streak by finishing first in the men’s race with a time of 1:36:31. Susannah Scaroni, also from the U.S., dominated the women’s wheelchair race, finishing in 1:48:05.
PHOTO BY ANGELA WANG/The Players' Tribune
PHOTO BY James Pearson-Howes for The Players’ Tribune
VIEW THE FULL VIDEO: DEFINING ME: ALEX IWOBI
“It’s only now the older i’ve got where I feel like I should be allowed to express myself … With music, I just literally talk how I wanna talk. I feel like that sense of freedom is an escape from reality.”