- Jan 1 Carlos De León, Puerto Rican boxer (WBC cruiserweight champion (1980–82, 83–85, 86–88, 89–90), dies of a heart attack at 60
- Jan 1 David Stern, American basketball executive (NBA commissioner 1984-2014; longest-tenured commissioner in history of major North American sports leagues), dies from a brain haemorrhage at 77
- Jan 1 Don Larsen, American MLB pitcher (only perfect game in World Series history, Game 5 1956; World Series MVP 1956; NY Yankees), dies from esophageal cancer at 90
- Jan 1 Les Josephson, American football running back (NFL Pro Bowl 1967; Los Angeles Rams), dies at 77
- Jan 2 Grant Weatherstone, Scotland rugby union winger (16 caps; Edinburgh District), dies at 88
- Jan 2 Sam Wyche, American NFL coach (Cincinnati Bengals 1984-91; Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1992-95; introduced no-huddle offence), dies from melanoma at 74
- Jan 3 Pete Brewster, American football end and coach (NFL Pro Bowl 1955, 56; Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers), dies at 89
- Jan 4 Herbert Binkert, German soccer striker (12 caps Saarland; FC Saarbrücken), dies at 96
- Jan 4 Walter Ormeño, Peruvian soccer goalkeeper (Peru 1949-57; Boca Juniors, Rosario Central), dies at 93
- Jan 5 Hans Tilkowski, German soccer goalkeeper (39 caps, West Germany; Westfalia Herne, Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt), dies at 84
- Jan 7 André Abadie, French rugby union front rower (7 caps; SC Rieumois, SC Graulhetois, SC Albi), dies at 85
- Jan 7 George Perles, American football coach (Michigan State University 1983-94; Pittsburgh Steelers), dies from Parkinson's disease at 85
- Jan 7 Khamis Al-Owairan, Saudi Arabian soccer midfielder (105 caps; Al-Hilal, Al Ittihad), dies from cancer at 46
- Jan 9 Pete Dye, American golf course designer (TPC at Sawgrass, Crooked Stick, Oakwood CC), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 94
- Jan 10 Guido Messina, Italian road and track cyclist (World C'ship gold individual 4000m pursuit 1948, 53, 54, 55, 56; Olympic gold team 1952), dies at 89
- Jan 10 Petko Petkov, Bulgarian soccer forward (33 caps; Beroe Stara Zagora, Austria Wien), dies at 73
- Jan 15 Bobby Brown, Scottish soccer goalkeeper (5 caps; Rangers, Falkirk) and manager (St Johnstone; Scottish national team 1967-71), dies at 96
- Jan 16 Efraín Sánchez, Colombian soccer goalkeeper (9 caps; San Lorenzo) and manager (Columbia), dies at 93
- Jan 17 Bapu Nadkarni, Indian cricket all-rounder (41 Tests; top score 122; 88 wickets), dies at 86
- Jan 17 Morimichi Takagi, Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame second baseman (NPB All-Star 1966–67, 73, 79; Chunichi Dragons), dies at 78
- Jan 17 Pietro Anastasi, Italian soccer striker (25 caps; Juventus, Ascoli, Inter), dies from motor neurone disease at 71
- Jan 18 Mario Bergamaschi, Italian soccer midfielder (5 caps; Calcio Como, A.C. Milan, U.C. Sampdoria), dies at 91
- Jan 18 Peter Mathebula, South African boxer (WBA flyweight title 1980-81), dies at 67
- Jan 19 Kazım Ayvaz, Turkish wrestler (Olympic gold lightweight, 1964; World C'ship gold welterweight, 1958; lightweight, 1962), dies at 81
- Jan 21 Morgan Wootten, American Basketball Hall of Fame coach (46 seasons DeMatha Catholic HS, Hyattsville, Maryland; National C'ships 1962, 65, 68, 78, 84), dies at 88
- Jan 23 Alfred Körner, Austrian soccer striker (47 caps; Rapid Wien), dies at 93
- Jan 23 Frank Froehling, American tennis player (US C'ships 1963 runner-up; doubles, mixed doubles 1965 runner-up), dies at 77
- Jan 24 Duje Bonačić, Croatian rower (Olympic gold coxless four 1952), dies at 90
- Jan 24 Juan José Pizzuti, Argentine soccer striker and manager (12 caps; Racing Club de Avellaneda), dies at 92
- Jan 24 Rob Rensenbrink, Dutch soccer left winger or forward (46 caps; Anderlecht), dies of progressive muscular atrophy at 72
- Jan 25 Gene Corrigan, American lacrosse player, coach and college athletics administrator (President of the NCAA 1995-97), dies at 91
Kobe Bryant (1978-2020)
Jan 26 American basketball guard (NBA champion 2000–02, 09-10; NBA MVP 2008; 18 x NBA All Star; LA Lakers; Olympic gold 2008, 12), dies in a helicopter crash at 41
- Jan 28 Chris Doleman, American Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end (8 × Pro Bowl; 3 × First-team All-Pro; Minnesota Vikings), dies of brain cancer at 58
- Jan 28 Mohammad Munaf, Pakistan cricket fast bowler (4 Tests, 11 wickets; Karachi, Sind), dies at 84
- Jan 29 Irina Laricheva, Russian trap shooter (World C'ships x 6 gold individual, team, double trap), dies at 55
- Jan 29 Keith Nelson, New Zealand soccer striker (20 caps; Mount Wellington), dies at 72
- Jan 29 Larry Eisenhauer, American football defensive end (AFL All-Star 1962, 63, 64, 66; Boston Patriots), dies at 79
- Jan 30 John Andretti, American auto racer (NASCAR Cup Series: 2 wins, 37 top tens, 4 poles), dies from colon cancer at 56
- Jan 31 César Zabala, Paraguayan soccer defender (49 caps; Cerro Porteño), dies of bladder cancer at 58
- Jan 31 Johnny Bumphus, American boxer (WBA super lightweight title 1984), dies at 59
Baseball Players
Basketball Stars
Boxers
Footballers
NFL Stars
Tennis Champions