One month after ending a 53-year championship drought, the New York Knicks took a victory lap at the 2026 ESPY Awards, sweeping the night's top honors at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City.
A Knicks Sweep
Jalen Brunson walked away with three individual awards - Best Athlete in Men's Sports, Best NBA Player, and Best Championship Performance, the last for his 45-point outburst in the Knicks' title-clinching Game 5 win over the San Antonio Spurs. The Knicks also took home Best Team, and teammate OG Anunoby's tip-in from the NBA Finals won Best Play.
Other Big Winners
On the women's side, Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson swept Best Athlete in Women's Sports and Best WNBA Player, her second time winning the Best Athlete honor. Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani also picked up a pair of awards, winning Best MLB Player and Best Single-Game Performance for a June outing in which he pitched six scoreless innings, struck out ten batters, and hit three home runs in the same game. Myles Garrett won Best NFL Player after setting an NFL single-season sack record, and U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu took Best Breakthrough Athlete following her gold-medal performance at the 2026 Winter Olympics. On the college side, Indiana's Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza and UCLA basketball star Lauren Betts, fresh off a national championship season, won the men's and women's college athlete honors.
Curry's Humanitarian Moment
The evening's most personal moment belonged to Stephen Curry, who received the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award alongside his wife, Ayesha, for their work through the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. The organization, which the couple founded in 2019 to support youth development in Oakland, California, has provided 35 million meals to children and families facing food insecurity. Accepting the award from Lonnie Ali, widow of the late Muhammad Ali, Curry called the honor "super surreal," saying it has been "a great encouragement to keep doing the work that we're doing."
Courage Beyond the Scoreboard
The night also carried its share of stories about perseverance and service. The late NBA player Jason Collins received the posthumous Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. Former MLB pitcher Jim Abbott, born without a right hand and still a big-league no-hit pitcher, received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. And U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan was honored with the Pat Tillman Award for Service.
Hosted for the first time by comedian Marcello Hernández, the show - moved to New York for the first time in five years - featured performances from Ghostface Killah, Slick Rick, De La Soul, and an opening set from the Savannah Bananas. Amid a night built around records and rings, it was Curry's award that offered the clearest reminder that the biggest wins in sports often happen far from the court - a quiet echo of the truth that real greatness is measured by what's given away, not just what's won.
Full List of 2026 ESPYS Winners
- Best Team: New York Knicks
- Best Athlete, Men's Sports: Jalen Brunson
- Best Athlete, Women's Sports: A'ja Wilson
- Best Championship Performance: Jalen Brunson
- Best NBA Player: Jalen Brunson
- Best WNBA Player: A'ja Wilson
- Best MLB Player: Shohei Ohtani
- Best NFL Player: Myles Garrett
- Best Single-Game Performance: Shohei Ohtani
- Best Play: OG Anunoby, New York Knicks
- Best Breakthrough Athlete: Alysa Liu
- Best College Athlete, Men's Sports: Fernando Mendoza
- Best College Athlete, Women's Sports: Lauren Betts
- Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award: Stephen Curry
- Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: Jason Collins (posthumous)
- Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Jim Abbott
- Pat Tillman Award for Service: Scott Ruskan
