Hall of Fame: Billy Bean (Posthumous)

It takes a special kind of resiliency to be only one, and another level of leadership and courage to use that position to inspire an entire industry while advocating for inclusion. As one of few only openly gay Major League Baseball players, Billy sacrificed his career and made a stand for living authentically. He dedicated himself to being an ambassador for inclusion in title and in deeds – a true disruptor to the status quo. As Senior Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Major League Baseball, Billy continued to fight for inclusion for all within baseball. 

Sadly, Billy passed away in August 2024 after a courageous one-year battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. The Institute team mourns his loss, but looks forward to honoring him and the legacy of his work.

Excellence in Sports Journalism: LaChina Robinson

In addition to her excellence on-air at both ESPN and NBC, LaChina Robinson’s passion for mentorship and commitment to empowering young women of color shine brightly through her nonprofit, Rising Media Stars. She is committed to ushering in the next generation of TV talent and ensuring groups who are underrepresented in this media have more opportunities and access. 

Power of Sport: Steve Phelps

As the president of NASCAR, Steve Phelps has used his platform to promote values of inclusion, respect, diversity, and belonging for the organization. He banned the Confederate Flag, showed demonstrative support during the racial reckoning of 2020, and  created  new  activations  for  the  LGBTQ+  community,  as  just  a  few groundbreaking  moves  for  NASCAR. He champions diverse hiring practices for leadership and is the model for equity and inclusion in sport and society.

Power of Sport: Maya Moore Irons

Tabbed by Sports Illustrated in 2017 as the "greatest winner in the history of women's basketball," Maya Moore Irons shocked the world by walking away from the game at the peak of her career. In 2019, following a third-consecutive WNBA All-Star MVP season, Maya decided to dedicate herself full-time to finding freedom for Jonathan Irons, whom she met in 2007 through family involved with prison ministry. After a winding, year-long effort, Jonathan was finally released in July 2020. 

Maya was the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2021 ESPYS and the story of her fight for Jonathan’s freedom was told in the ESPN 30 for 30 film “Breakaway”. Maya and Jonathan's social action nonprofit, Win with Justice, raises awareness and advocates for issues surrounding criminal justice reform.