The 2026 ESPY Awards unfolded in New York at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. The evening was led by Marcello Hernandez, known from “Saturday Night Live.” Jalen Brunson emerged as a central figure, receiving multiple accolades.
Brunson opened the awards with a win for “Best Championship Performance.” He later seized the “Best Athlete — Men’s Sports” award. His achievements were pivotal in leading the New York Knicks to their first NBA title since 1973. His extraordinary finals performance averaged 32.6 points per game, accompanied by 4.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.2 steals. For the regular season, he recorded 26.0 points, 6.8 assists, and 0.8 steals for the Knicks, who finished 53-29.
In his acceptance speech, Brunson expressed gratitude to his family, coaches, and teammates by stating, “I am forever indebted to them, thank you.”
Jim Abbott, despite being born without a right hand, was honored with the “Jimmy V Award for Perseverance.” Reflecting on his career, Abbott said, “I knew what it was like to be different and to be on a team. The best blessing sports gave me is a sense of belonging.”
Alyssa Liu earned the “Best Breakthrough Athlete” title after her Olympic gold in figure skating. Liu shared, “I had rough times in the sport, took two years off, and feel I truly broke through.”
Steph Curry received the “Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian” award. His charity, “Eat, Learn, Play,” supports feeding children and providing playgrounds in Oakland. Curry, inspired by Ali’s legacy, stated, “When you hear Ali’s name, you think about greatness. I encourage athletes to make an impact and find your Oakland.”
Fernando Mendoza from Indiana and Lauren Betts from UCLA captured the “Best College Athletes” awards. Betts emphasized mental health’s significance, saying, “Mental health is the foundation of everything you do. The strongest are those who let others walk through struggles with them.”
Scott Ruskan was given the “Pat Tillman Award for Service” for rescuing 165 Texas flood survivors as part of the Coast Guard. He remarked, “There were many heroes that day not getting an ESPY Award. It took an army to accomplish the rescue.”
Additional awards included “Best Athlete — Women’s Sports” going to A’ja Wilson, “Arthur Ashe Award for Courage” to Jason Collins, “Best Single-Game Performance” to Shohei Ohtani, “Best Play” to OG Anunoby, “Best Record-Breaking Performance” to Myles Garrett, and “Best High School Athletes” to Maddie DiMaria and Grady Emerson.