One of the first pro-athlete-turned-politicians, Bill Bradley was also one of the few with bona fide intellectual credentials. A three-time All-American at Princeton, Bradley delayed his professional basketball career to spend two years at Oxford University on a Rhodes scholarship . Upon his return he joined the New York Knicks and played on their 1970 and 1973 championship teams. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1978 and served three six-year terms. He announced his intention to run for president in January 1999, aiming for the nomination from the Democratic Party. After he was defeated in the 2000 primary elections by Al Gore Bradley dropped out of American politics as a candidate. He has since served on several corporate boards and published The New American Story (2007), a nonfiction book on political policy.

Extra credit: Bradley was captain of the 1964 U.S. Olympic basketball team.