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Sports Legends Celebrated At 2025 ESPYS Presented by Capital One

On Wednesday evening, some of the biggest stars in sports and entertainment gathered at The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to celebrate the year’s best moments in sports at The 2025 ESPYS Presented by Capital One.

The show, which aired live on ABC and streamed on ESPN+ in pattern with ABC airings across time zones, was hosted by comedian, actor, and writer Shane Gillis.

Each year, The ESPYS recognizes individuals in the sports world who have demonstrated admirable strength and bravery in the face of adversity with three marquee awards: the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and the Pat Tillman Award for Service.

Former NBA player Oscar Robertson was honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage for his fight to establish free agency in the NBA. The award is given to a deserving member of the sports world who has made a difference beyond the field of play by fighting for what they believe in, ultimately impacting people worldwide. Russell Westbrook presented Robertson with the award, who accepted saying, “In life, it is important to be persistent, or as I have been called, stubborn. Stubborn about what you believe in. It is important to do the right thing even if it comes at great personal sacrifice…I realized that helping others and looking out for more than just yourself improves whatever community of which you are part of.”

Penn State University women’s volleyball head coach, Katie Schumacher-Cawley, received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance for leading her team to the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship while battling breast cancer. After Russell Wilson presented her with the award, the crowd gave her a standing ovation. Cawley delivered an emotional speech, saying, “Cancer changed my life, but it didn’t take it. It didn’t take my belief, it didn’t take my spirit, and it didn’t take my team…I share this [award] with everyone who’s ever faced this disease – the survivors, those still fighting, and the ones we’ve lost, especially my dad – this is for you. Keep showing up, keep believing, and please never ever give up.”

Angela Bassett presented greater Los Angeles first responders and former athletes David Walters and Erin Regan with the Pat Tillman Award for Service, which is given to a person with a strong connection to sports who has served others in a way that echoes the legacy of the former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman. Both Walters and Regan were on the front lines battling extreme winds and fire behavior while tragically losing colleagues and working tirelessly to defend their city in one of the most devastating fires in Los Angeles history.

Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee delivered a moving tribute to their colleague and broadcast legend Lee Corso, and the USC marching band surprised Corso and the audience with a performance following his acceptance speech.

The show featured special musical performances from Grammy-nominated rapper Busta Rhymes, acclaimed hip-hop duo Clipse, and rising rap superstar GELO, along with a powerful In Memoriam tribute led by Grammy-nominated artist and multi-hyphenate Tobe Nwigwe featuring David Michael Wyatt.

The ESPYS helps raise awareness and funds for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the charity founded by ESPN and the late basketball coach Jim Valvano at the first ESPYS in 1993. ESPN has helped raise more than $265 million for the V Foundation over the past 32 years. For more information, go to V.org.

COMPLETE LIST OF THE 2025 ESPYS WINNERS

Best Athlete – Men’s Sports – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Best Athlete – Women’s Sports – Simone Biles, Gymnast

Best Breakthrough Athlete – Ilona Maher, Team USA Rugby

Best Record-Breaking Performance – Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals – NHL All-Time Goals

Leader

Best Championship Performance – Simone Biles, 2024 Olympics Women’s All-Around

Best Comeback Athlete – Suni Lee, Gymnast

Best Play – Saquon Barkley’s backwards hurdle, NFL (11/3/24)

Best Team – Philadelphia Eagles, NFL

Best College Athlete – Men’s Sports – Cooper Flagg, Duke Basketball

Best College Athlete – Women’s Sports – JuJu Watkins, USC Basketball

Best Athlete With A Disability – Noah Elliott, Snowboard

Best NFL Player – Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

Best MLB Player – Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers

Best NHL Player – Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers

Best NBA Player – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Best WNBA Player – Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever

Best Driver – Max Verstappen, F1

Best UFC Fighter – Merab Dvalishvili

Best Boxer – Katie Taylor

Best Soccer Player – Christian Pulisic, AC Milan, US

Best Golfer – Scottie Scheffler

Best Tennis Player – Coco Gauff

Gatorade Best Female Player of the Year – Jane Hendengren, Cross Country, Track and Field

Gatorade Best Male Player of the Year – Cameron Boozer, Basketball

SPECIAL AWARDS

Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Katie Schumacher-Cawley

Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: Oscar Robertson

Pat Tillman Award for Service: David Walters and Erin Regan

SPORTS HUMANITARIAN AWARDS

Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award: Sloane Stephens

Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award: Maegha Ramanathan, Rishin Tandon, Ian Waite

Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year: Indianapolis Colts

Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award Honoree: Billy Bean

Sports Philanthropist of the Year Honoree: Michele Kang

Corporate Community Impact Award: Buffalo Wild Wings

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