Sports Halloween Costumes 2013: Dress Up Like Your Favorite Pro Athlete This Year [PHOTOS]

Professional athletes are both competitive and fun-loving by nature, and that mindset is perfect for creating memorable Halloween costumes -- and judging by the outfits we’ve seen, the competition is fiercer than ever.

To no one’s surprise, the always-dapper Tom Brady and his wife, Gisele Bundchen, have garnered the most attention among 2013’s slate of athlete Halloween costumes. The New England Patriots quarterback and his supermodel wife channeled the “Wizard of Oz” for their costumes, dressing up as the Cowardly Lion and Dorothy. A viral photo of the couple’s costumes surely induced its fair share of “awwws” among Instagram users.

Brady and Bundchen definitely brought their A-game this year, but their Halloween costumes weren’t the only ones to impress. Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder and his wife, ESPN television personality Sam Ponder, teamed up to dress as characters from the cult classic baseball film, “The Sandlot.” Christian dressed as “Squints,” while Sam took on the role of his love interest, unattainable lifeguard Wendy Peffercorn.

U.S. Women’s Olympic soccer players Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux went for pop culture relevancy when selecting their Halloween outfits. Morgan donned a bear-themed bodysuit and pigtails to portray Miley Cyrus, while Leroux dressed up as pop star Robin Thicke. Together, the pair reenacted the now-infamous MTA VMA’s “twerking” incident.

Former Major League Baseball star Jose Canseco wins the award for creepiest athlete Halloween costume. The eccentric slugger dressed up as an insane asylum inmate, complete with terrifying makeup and blood spatter. It’s probably safe to say that partygoers kept their distance from the Twitter superstar that night.

At IBTimes, our pick for best athlete Halloween costume goes to Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka. The 24-year-old shot blocker turned out a flawless portrayal of Prince Akeem from the classic comedy film “Coming To America.”

Want to see more of the best athlete Halloween costumes of 2013? Check out the slideshow above, and let us know which costumes you liked best in the comments section below.