ESPN News Services Jul 12, 2023 11:04pm ET5 minutes read
The Chiefs wrap up ESPYS with the win as the best team
The Kansas City Chiefs are the recipients of the ESPY for Best Team, and Travis Kelce closes out the award with a bang.
Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs added to their honors at ESPYS Wednesday night, winning the Best Team award while quarterback Patrick Mahomes was honored for Best Athlete, Best Men’s Athlete and Best NFL Player.
Mahomes has won two Super Bowls in his five seasons and has been named the game’s MVP each time, including last February. In September he will be 28 years old.
“It was an incredible season. There were a lot of ups, a lot of downs,” Mahomes said. “I appreciate my teammates, my coaches and the guys who are here. I’m going back to camp next Tuesday, so that’s a great honor. But we’re going to do it again, we’re going to keep this thing going.”
Skier Mikaela Shiffrin received the award for best athlete in women’s sport. Shiffrin won her 87th World Cup race in March, surpassing Ingemar Stenmark’s mark for the most such wins by a female skier. She won an 88th Cup race and took the season’s overall win.
“This season has been absolutely incredible and there’s been a lot of record talk,” Shiffrin said at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. “And it made me think: Why is a record actually important? I just feel like it’s not important to break or reset records. It is important to set the tone for and inspire the next generation.”
Other champions from the past year also had their names heard at the 30th ESPYS, an event that helps raise awareness and funds for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. The charity was founded by ESPN and the late college basketball coach Jim Valvano at the first ESPYS in 1993.
For the Denver Nuggets, who won their first NBA title last month, center Nikola Jokic was named Best NBA Player and point guard Jamal Murray was named Best Coming Back Athlete.
A’ja Wilson, who led the Las Vegas Aces to their maiden WNBA title last season, was recognized for Best WNBA Player, and Angel Reese of the NCAA women’s basketball champion, LSU Tigers, was recognized for Best Breakthrough Athlete.
The Best Championship Performance award went to Lionel Messi, who won his first World Cup with Argentina. He was also named the best soccer player.
Jimmy V Award for Endurance
Chicago White Sox pitcher and cancer survivor Liam Hendriks received the Jimmy V Award for Endurance, recognizing Hendriks’ strength and resilience since his diagnosis of Stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in December.
Hendriks, who has donated $100,000 to cancer research during his treatment, announced in April he was cancer-free before returning to the mound in May.
The 34-year-old Australian hurler told the ESPYS audience he’s been battling cancer for most of the 2022 season.
“That was an eye opener,” said Hendriks. “I didn’t feel too many symptoms, but I had a few knots around me. That just shows the power of the mind. If you think there is nothing wrong and you believe you can do anything, you can do anything.”
“I threw 100mph while I had stage 4 lymphoma and then came back after eight rounds of chemotherapy and four rounds of immunotherapy and was able to go out and throw 96mph. That’s not physically what I am. It’s all, it’s all mental.
Arthur Ashe Award for Courage
The Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, which goes to a person or group in the sports world who is making a difference well beyond the field, was presented to the United States women’s national soccer team for their continued pursuit of equal pay.
The players sued US Soccer in 2019. And in May 2022, the US women’s and men’s national team players’ unions approved new collective bargaining agreements with US Soccer that gave the women’s team equal pay for international competitions, including World Cup bonuses. The CBAs went into effect in June 2022 and will remain in effect until 2028. Since then, USWNT has continued to use its platform to raise awareness of wage inequality and social injustices in the United States
Briana Scurry, goalkeeper for the national team from 1994 to 2008, greeted the 1985 team.
“They are the foundation of this entire community of giants,” she said.
Pat Tillman Award for Merit
An emotional Damar Hamlin presented members of the Buffalo Bills athletic training team with the Pat Tillman Award for Service for the life-saving measures they provided when he suffered cardiac arrest during a game in January.
The Tillman Award goes to a group or individual with a strong connection to the sport who has helped others in ways that reflect the legacy of the former NFL player and US Army Ranger.
The Bills athletic training staff’s quick on-field actions, using CPR and an automated external defibrillator, helped resuscitate Hamlin before he was taken to a hospital for further treatment. He has since recovered and plans to play this fall.
The staff received a standing ovation from the ESPYS audience. The staff crowded around Hamlin on stage, hugged him and slapped him on the back. With his back to the audience, Hamlin bowed his head and seemed to collapse.
“Damar, first and foremost, thank you for staying alive, bro,” said Bills head coach Nate Breske.
“We’re not used to being in the spotlight,” he said. “We were just doing our job, but the spirit of service is definitely something that’s ingrained in our profession and something we’re very proud of.”
Breske called for urgent support for funding for automated external defibrillators and CPR training, particularly in underserved communities, as well as for athletic coaches in youth sports.
“Learn CPR and how to use an AED because they save lives,” he said.
Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award: Jrue and Lauren Holiday
Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Awards: Jordan Adeyemi, Ashley Badis, Rishan Patel
More winners announced
Best record performance: Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James overtakes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to set NBA career record
Best piece: Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson makes a one-handed catch against the Buffalo Bills
Best College Athlete, Men’s Sport: Caleb Williams, USC Football
Best College Athlete, Women’s Sport: Caitlin Clark, Iowa Women’s Basketball
Best Disabled Athlete: Zach Miller, snowboarding
Best MLB Player: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
Best NHL Player: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Best Driver: Max Verstappen, F1
Best UFC Fighter: Jon Jones
Best Boxer: Claressa Shields
Best Golfer: Scottie Scheffler
Best Tennis Player: Novak Djokovic
The Associated Press contributed to this report.