Knicks dominate ESPY Awards
The New York Knicks were prominent winners at the ESPY Awards ceremony, held on Wednesday at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York. The event celebrated top athletes and sports moments from the past year. The Knicks concluded the evening by securing the award for Best Team, recognizing their achievement as NBA champions.
Jalen Brunson, the Knicks‘ point guard, had a particularly successful night, earning multiple individual honors. He was named Best Male Athlete, received the award for Best Championship Performance, and was recognized as the Best NBA Player. His teammate, forward OG Anunoby, also contributed to the team’s accolades by winning Best Play for his game-winning tip-in against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
The ceremony, hosted by comedian and Saturday Night Live star Marcello Hernández, marked the awards’ return to New York after several decades in Los Angeles. The event annually acknowledges significant figures in sports.
Individual and team honors across sports
Beyond the Knicks‘ success, several other athletes and teams were honored. In women’s sports, Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson was named Best Athlete, Women’s Sports. Wilson, a four-time WNBA MVP and three-time WNBA champion, led her team to another title last year. She also received the award for Best WNBA Player.
Figure skater Alysa Liu earned the Best Breakthrough Athlete award, following her gold medal performance in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, now with the Los Angeles Rams, won Best Record-Breaking Performance for breaking the NFL‘s single-season sack record with 23 sacks. He was also recognized as the Best NFL Player.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers received the award for Best Single-Game Performance for his outing in NLCS Game 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers, where he hit three home runs and pitched 6 scoreless innings, striking out 10 batters. Lionel Messi, representing Inter Miami CF, was named Best Soccer Player.
Special recognition and notable moments
The awards also featured special recognition categories. Former NBA center Jason Collins was posthumously honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, accepted by his brother Jarron Collins. Former MLB pitcher Jim Abbott, who played 10 big league seasons despite being born without a right hand, received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. Abbott pitched a no-hitter in 1993 and finished third in the AL Cy Young race in 1991.
US Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Ruskan was presented with the Pat Tillman Award for Service, receiving a standing ovation. Ruskan, along with fellow crew members Lieutenant Ian Hopper, Lieutenant Blair Ogujiofor, and Petty Officer Seth Reeves, participated in the rescue of nearly 200 individuals during the Hill Country floods last July. Ruskan is credited with saving 165 lives.
Other notable award winners included Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, who received the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award. The Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award was shared by Kelis Armstrong, Julia Howe, and Samuel Phillips. Maddie DiMaria and Grady Emerson were named Gatorade Players of the Year.
The awards ceremony took place on July 15, 2026.
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Source: bleacherreport.com
