The record books may well remember 2020 with an asterisk. There was no Tokyo 2020, therefore disrupting a lifetime's focus and ending the Olympic dream of some, who cannot put their lives on hold for another year.
Similarly, there was also no European Championships and no Copa America, two of the mainstays of the summer football calendar. Football fans did not miss out on their summer fix, though, as the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League dragged on well past their usual schedules.
Most of the sporting world stalled at some point or other as the coronavirus pandemic spread across the globe but still sport found a way.
The NBA played in a bubble, relocating lock, stock and barrel to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, while other leagues came up with their own ways to cope - often to a lesser extent than the zero cases recorded as the NBA concluded its season.
With sport, came success. There was silverware won on the field of play and hearts won off it, in a year that offered many reasons to fear the worst.
Here are the sporting figures that enhanced their reputations on and off the pitch over a difficult 12 months.
Michael Jordan - Basketball
He may not have laced up his size 13s for almost two decades, at least not in the NBA, but His Airness had a remarkable 2020.
This was fueled by the man who was once the Greatest Show on Earth being the only show in town in May when the documentary series The Last Dance aired. The 10-part series, which told the tale of the final 1997-98 season of the Phil Jackson-led Chicago Bulls, was rushed out as the world found itself with no live sport and The Last Dance did not disappoint.
Jordan, who was criticized for not taking a stance on politics as a player, also spoke about social justice issues in the US and he put his money where his mouth was in backing them financially.
Added to this was the fact that Jordan, the only African-American owner in the NBA, was integral in getting the players back on court after the teams refused following the shooting of Jacob Blake, and it was quite the 12 months for a man who became one of the most iconic logos in sport decades ago.
Naomi Osaka - Tennis
Named by the Associated Press as their female athlete of the year, Osaka was another star who used their platform to speak up on what matters most to them while still rising up the rankings.
The record books will note that Osaka - who was set to be the face of the Tokyo 2020 Games - won the US Open, but it will not tell the story of the face masks that she wore before and after each game, each one bearing the name of a US citizen killed by racial or police violence.
Osaka had been at Black Lives Matter protests earlier in the year and her social media saw the Japanese-Haitian American develop her voice.
She also broke the single-year record for female athlete earnings - $37.4 million - which made her the 29th best paid in the world and one of only two women, along with Serena Williams, to make the top 100.
The 23-year-old Osaka, who launched her first signature collection with sponsor Nike this year, is set to get even stronger on and off the court.
LeBron James - Basketball
The NBA Finals MVP arrived in the postseason with a point to prove.
In his eyes, the NBA got it wrong in naming Giannis Antetokounmpo as the regular season MVP and he wanted people to be in no two minds as to who is greatest.
James was at his imperious best, as the Lakers finally won that 17th NBA championship to tie with their rivals the Boston Celtics as the league's most successful team.
The 35-year-old shouldered the burden on and off the hardwood in a year that began with the Lakers mourning legend Kobe Bryant and ended with the best tribute his former team could have paid the serial winner: another pennant.
James did all this while championing his social justice causes, which included Black Lives Matter and encouraging voting in the US presidential election.
The Lakers are favorites again for the NBA this season and James, who was named by AP as their male athlete of the year, appears to be defying age to become even better.
Lewis Hamilton - Motor racing
The Briton has been in the rarefied air at the top of Formula 1 for over a decade but he went up another level in 2020, matching Michael Schumacher's seven driver's world titles and surpassing the German legend's total wins.
Hamilton, the only driver of color in the sport, also fought for Black Lives Matter to be given its time on the grid and fought a battle with COVID-19. He is expected to reach eight world titles next season.
Robert Lewandowski - Football
The Bayern Munich striker did what for so long seemed to be impossible.
He unseated Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at football's top table being named The Best Male Footballer by FIFA at their recent awards.
Lewa, as the world refers to the 32-year-old, had a remarkable year in front of goal as the Bavarian trophy-winning machine did what it does best, culminating in a UEFA Champions League final win over Paris Saint-Germain in August.
He has not slowed down this season and hit a late winner in Bayern's last game to leave them as "Winter Champions" at the top of the German Bundesliga table.
Poland skipper Lewandowski ended 2020 with a scarcely believable 47 goals from 44 games.
Similarly, there was also no European Championships and no Copa America, two of the mainstays of the summer football calendar. Football fans did not miss out on their summer fix, though, as the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League dragged on well past their usual schedules.
Most of the sporting world stalled at some point or other as the coronavirus pandemic spread across the globe but still sport found a way.
The NBA played in a bubble, relocating lock, stock and barrel to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, while other leagues came up with their own ways to cope - often to a lesser extent than the zero cases recorded as the NBA concluded its season.
With sport, came success. There was silverware won on the field of play and hearts won off it, in a year that offered many reasons to fear the worst.
Here are the sporting figures that enhanced their reputations on and off the pitch over a difficult 12 months.
Michael Jordan - Basketball
He may not have laced up his size 13s for almost two decades, at least not in the NBA, but His Airness had a remarkable 2020.
This was fueled by the man who was once the Greatest Show on Earth being the only show in town in May when the documentary series The Last Dance aired. The 10-part series, which told the tale of the final 1997-98 season of the Phil Jackson-led Chicago Bulls, was rushed out as the world found itself with no live sport and The Last Dance did not disappoint.
Jordan, who was criticized for not taking a stance on politics as a player, also spoke about social justice issues in the US and he put his money where his mouth was in backing them financially.
Added to this was the fact that Jordan, the only African-American owner in the NBA, was integral in getting the players back on court after the teams refused following the shooting of Jacob Blake, and it was quite the 12 months for a man who became one of the most iconic logos in sport decades ago.
Naomi Osaka Photo: VCG
Naomi Osaka - Tennis
Named by the Associated Press as their female athlete of the year, Osaka was another star who used their platform to speak up on what matters most to them while still rising up the rankings.
The record books will note that Osaka - who was set to be the face of the Tokyo 2020 Games - won the US Open, but it will not tell the story of the face masks that she wore before and after each game, each one bearing the name of a US citizen killed by racial or police violence.
Osaka had been at Black Lives Matter protests earlier in the year and her social media saw the Japanese-Haitian American develop her voice.
She also broke the single-year record for female athlete earnings - $37.4 million - which made her the 29th best paid in the world and one of only two women, along with Serena Williams, to make the top 100.
The 23-year-old Osaka, who launched her first signature collection with sponsor Nike this year, is set to get even stronger on and off the court.
Lebron James of the Los Angeles Lakers Photo: VCG
LeBron James - Basketball
The NBA Finals MVP arrived in the postseason with a point to prove.
In his eyes, the NBA got it wrong in naming Giannis Antetokounmpo as the regular season MVP and he wanted people to be in no two minds as to who is greatest.
James was at his imperious best, as the Lakers finally won that 17th NBA championship to tie with their rivals the Boston Celtics as the league's most successful team.
The 35-year-old shouldered the burden on and off the hardwood in a year that began with the Lakers mourning legend Kobe Bryant and ended with the best tribute his former team could have paid the serial winner: another pennant.
James did all this while championing his social justice causes, which included Black Lives Matter and encouraging voting in the US presidential election.
The Lakers are favorites again for the NBA this season and James, who was named by AP as their male athlete of the year, appears to be defying age to become even better.
Lewis Hamilton Photo: VCG
Lewis Hamilton - Motor racing
The Briton has been in the rarefied air at the top of Formula 1 for over a decade but he went up another level in 2020, matching Michael Schumacher's seven driver's world titles and surpassing the German legend's total wins.
Hamilton, the only driver of color in the sport, also fought for Black Lives Matter to be given its time on the grid and fought a battle with COVID-19. He is expected to reach eight world titles next season.
Robert Lewandowski - Football
The Bayern Munich striker did what for so long seemed to be impossible.
He unseated Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at football's top table being named The Best Male Footballer by FIFA at their recent awards.
Lewa, as the world refers to the 32-year-old, had a remarkable year in front of goal as the Bavarian trophy-winning machine did what it does best, culminating in a UEFA Champions League final win over Paris Saint-Germain in August.
He has not slowed down this season and hit a late winner in Bayern's last game to leave them as "Winter Champions" at the top of the German Bundesliga table.
Poland skipper Lewandowski ended 2020 with a scarcely believable 47 goals from 44 games.
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