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Bryant ties Woods atop popularity chart
Source: Agencies |
July 23, 2010, Friday
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LOS Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant proved that winning was the best way to redeem an image when he was named the joint most popular athlete in American sport.
Bryant, a five-time National Basketball Association championship winner, leapt from fourth last year to equal first with golfer Tiger Woods in the poll conducted by Harris Interactive.
The poll of 2,227 adults was taken during the week of June 14-21, a period book-ended by the Lakers' NBA title victory over the Boston Celtics and Woods' tie for fourth place at the US Open at Pebble Beach.
Woods, who has been embroiled in a scandal over extra-marital affairs since late last year, had topped the list since 2006.
He is yet to win an event since returning from a four-month self-imposed exile and finished tied for 23rd at last week's British Open.
Bryant had been the subject of public scrutiny over an alleged sexual assault charge in late 2003, which was dropped in 2004 but the stigma saw him fall out of favor in the poll.
He rose to fourth as the Lakers reached the 2008 NBA finals, stayed there with their win last year, before being elevated this year after they sealed their 16th title with a dramatic Game 7 victory over the Celtics.
He was also named as the NBA finals MVP in 2009 and 2010.
New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, a member of the top 10 since 2004, finished third in the poll, with Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre, a regular since 1996, fourth.
World tennis No. 1 Serena Williams topped the women's rankings with her sister Venus second, and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, third.
Woods remained the world's highest earning athlete, according to two lists released on Wednesday.
Woods claimed the top spot on a 2010 US list of 50 athletes for the seventh consecutive year compiled by Sports Illustrated's SI.com, though his total earnings fell 10 percent to US$90.5 million. Woods also topped Forbes magazine's 2010 list of the top 50 earning athletes in the world at US$105 million, down 4.5 percent from last year.It was the ninth consecutive year he topped the Forbes list.
Tennis star Roger Federer, at US$61.8 million, bumped soccer player David Beckham from the top spot he had held the last two years on the international list, SI.com said.
Bryant, a five-time National Basketball Association championship winner, leapt from fourth last year to equal first with golfer Tiger Woods in the poll conducted by Harris Interactive.
The poll of 2,227 adults was taken during the week of June 14-21, a period book-ended by the Lakers' NBA title victory over the Boston Celtics and Woods' tie for fourth place at the US Open at Pebble Beach.
Woods, who has been embroiled in a scandal over extra-marital affairs since late last year, had topped the list since 2006.
He is yet to win an event since returning from a four-month self-imposed exile and finished tied for 23rd at last week's British Open.
Bryant had been the subject of public scrutiny over an alleged sexual assault charge in late 2003, which was dropped in 2004 but the stigma saw him fall out of favor in the poll.
He rose to fourth as the Lakers reached the 2008 NBA finals, stayed there with their win last year, before being elevated this year after they sealed their 16th title with a dramatic Game 7 victory over the Celtics.
He was also named as the NBA finals MVP in 2009 and 2010.
New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, a member of the top 10 since 2004, finished third in the poll, with Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre, a regular since 1996, fourth.
World tennis No. 1 Serena Williams topped the women's rankings with her sister Venus second, and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, third.
Woods remained the world's highest earning athlete, according to two lists released on Wednesday.
Woods claimed the top spot on a 2010 US list of 50 athletes for the seventh consecutive year compiled by Sports Illustrated's SI.com, though his total earnings fell 10 percent to US$90.5 million. Woods also topped Forbes magazine's 2010 list of the top 50 earning athletes in the world at US$105 million, down 4.5 percent from last year.It was the ninth consecutive year he topped the Forbes list.
Tennis star Roger Federer, at US$61.8 million, bumped soccer player David Beckham from the top spot he had held the last two years on the international list, SI.com said.
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