Muhammad Ali and the top 5 culturally significant athletes ever

Muhammad Ali was a rare athlete who was also culturally significant. Where does he rank in the the top 5 culturally significant athletes ever?

Society tends to judge athletes by what they do on the field (or court or rink or ring). That’s understandable, because at the end of the day, it is an athlete’s job to compete and to win. Fans tend not to care too much about their favorite athletes’ personal lives.

However once in a blue moon, there are athletes like Muhammad Ali who meant so much more to culture than their accomplishments in sports. They used their unique positions of power to create change, whether they did so directly or indirectly. These athletes transformed how people viewed sports and culture. Athletes like that are culturally significant.

Ali was certainly culturally significant. His accomplishments outside of the ring outweigh what he did in the ring. That’s a testament to how great of a person Ali was. However, is he the most culturally significant athlete of all time? Who else belongs in this discussion? There are plenty of athletes who created change in society. Here are the top 5 most culturally significant athletes of all time.

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