The 2026 ESPY Awards were hosted by Marcello Hernandez of “Saturday Night Live” fame on Wednesday evening at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York.
In the first major award of the evening, Jalen Brunson won “Best Championship Performance” for guiding the New York Knicks to their first NBA championship since 1973.
Brunson averaged 32.6 points per game in the Finals, to go along with 4.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 steals.
During his acceptance speech, Brunson shouted out his family before thanking his coaches and teammates. “I am forever indebted to them, thank you,” Brunson said.
Alyssa Liu won “Best Breakthrough Athlete” following her gold medal for figure skating at the Winter Olympics. “I had some really rough times in (the sport), and I took two years off, and so it really feels like I did break through in my own way, and for my sport,” Liu said.
Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry took home the “Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian” award. His charity, “Eat, Learn, Play,” has helped feed children and provide playgrounds in the Oakland area.
“When you hear Ali’s name, you think about greatness,” Curry said. “This award being connected to his legacy is incredibly humbling.”
After crediting volunteers, teachers, and all those involved in the program, Curry implored other athletes to give back to their communities.
“Don’t ever forget you have a platform, you have a voice, you have everything you need to make a true impact, and I encourage you to find your Oakland.”
The “Best College Athletes” were Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and UCLA basketball player Lauren Betts, who spoke about the importance of mental health in her acceptance speech.
After leading the Hoosiers to their first national championship, Mendoza was the No. 1 overall draft pick of the Las Vegas Raiders.
“Football is the ultimate team sport,” Mendoza said. “God bless, go Raiders, thank you, guys.”
–Field Level Media
