Michelle Wie turned pro while Steve Nash turned the Suns into a playoff team. The Sports Zone picks its top pro athletes of 2005.
2005 Athletes of the Year - Lance Armstrong
The world's fastest man on two wheels won his seventh straight Tour de France in 2005 - a feat which may never be matched. Shortly after winning his seventh Tour, Armstrong retired from competitive cycling so he can spend more time hanging out with his family. In addition to his cycling accomplishments, Armstrong also helped raise millions of dollars for cancer research through the sale of yellow "Live Strong" bracelets.
2005 Athletes of the Year - Tom Brady
Tom Brady has been a starting quarterback in the NFL for just five seasons - but he's accomplished more than most QBs do in a career. In 2005, Brady led the New England Patriots to their third Super Bowl title in four years, making them one of the greatest teams in NFL history. Brady's arm strength and football smarts have helped the Pats become a football powerhouse and made them a favorite to win the Super Bowl again in 2006.
2005 Athletes of the Year - Steve Nash
Undersized pointguards, who sport nasty haircuts and can't dunk, usually spend more time on the bench picking splinters out of their butt than running the floor for the top team in the NBA. That's what made Steve Nash's 2005 year so surprising and impressive. The moppy-haired guard for the Phoenix Suns led his team to the best record in the NBA and a trip to the Western Conference Finals. Nash also led the league in assists and became the first point guard since Magic Johnson to be named league MVP.
2005 Athletes of the Year - Alex Rodriguez
He may be one of the most overpaid athletes on the planet and he may play for the much-hated New York Yankees but Alex Rodriguez is also a bigtime baseball player. A-Rod had 130 RBIs, hit a league-leading 48 homeruns and won the American League MVP award for the second time. Rodriguez's bat and steady defence at third base helped the Yankees win the American League East division, before they were knocked out of the first round of the playoffs.
2005 Athletes of the Year - Michelle Wie
It was a big year for both Michelle Wie and her bank account in 2005. The teenage golf goddess turned pro and signed endorsement deals with Sony and Nike for more than four million bucks a year. That's some serious coin for a girl that just turned 16 in October. Besides cashing a few fat multi-million dollar cheques, Wie competed in several events on the LPGA tour, including the LPGA Championship in which she placed 2nd. Wie also took her golf clubs on the men's tour, playing in two PGA events.
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