For a quarter century, the annual Best American Sports Writing has showcased the greatest sports journalism of the previous year. This year’s guest editor, acclaimed author Howard Bryant, continues the tradition, seeking out writing that best captures the unpredictable journey of sports. Triumphantly and painfully, these stories reflect on that journey, asking difficult questions about who we are, as individuals and as a nation: What does it mean when a football player takes a knee during the national anthem, who decides where the remains of an American legend should rest, and how far will people go to reclaim dreams that have long slipped away? Spanning different sports, disciplines, and styles, these pieces are, above all, inspirational to readers, writers, and athletes around the world, proof of the bonds and breaking points that exist between and within us all.

This year’s definitive collection features unforgettable long-form journalism on:

• Athlete Activism: From Colin Kaepernick taking a knee for racial justice to the complicated legacy of Muhammad Ali, these essays explore the intersection of sports and politics.
• Award-Winning Writers: Featuring masterful storytelling from the pages of The New Yorker, ESPN: The Magazine, Sports Illustrated, GQ, and more.
• The Secret History of Tiger Woods: A deep dive into the forces that shaped and nearly destroyed a sports icon, from his relationship with his father to his obsession with the Navy SEALs.
• Icons and Underdogs: Uncover the human stories behind the headlines, from Serena Williams’s political Wimbledon to the strange case of a woman who pretended to be a high-school cheerleader.