Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Argentinean and future Inter-Miami soccer star Lionel Messi scooped multiple trophies at the 2023 ESPY Awards on Wednesday.
Mahomes, who won the NFL MVP award for a second time after leading the Chiefs past the Philadelphia Eagles in this year’s Super Bowl, was named Best Athlete, Best Men’s Sport and Best NFL Player at the ceremony in Los Angeles tonight chosen. His Chiefs won the ESPY for Best Team.
Messi won the Best Footballer and Best Championship Performance awards, the latter leading Argentina to their first World Cup in December. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi traveled to the United States earlier in the week ahead of his induction as Inter Miami’s newest member in Major League Soccer on Sunday. His debut with the team is scheduled for July 21.
Tonight’s ESPY winners at the ceremony at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood included US Ski Champion Mikaela Shiffrin, who was named the top athlete in women’s sport; LA Lakers star LeBron James was honored for best record performance for surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record; and Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani was named MLB’s top player.
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Honorary awards went to Chicago White Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks (the Jimmy V Award for endurance) and the US women’s soccer team (the Arthur Ashe Award for courage). The Buffalo Bills coaching staff that saved the life of the Bills’ Damar Hamlin after he suffered a heart attack during a game received the Pat Tillman Award for Service.
Here’s the full list of today’s winners:
Best Athlete, Men’s Sport
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Best Athlete, Women’s Sport
Mikaela Shiffrin, skis
Best Breakthrough Athlete
Angel Reese, LSU women’s basketball
Best record performance
LeBron James surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in NBA career scoring record
Best championship performance
Lionel Messi, Argentina – World Cup Final
Best Comeback Athlete
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
best piece
Justin Jefferson with the catch of the century
best team
Kansas City Chiefs
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 NFL Player
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Best MLB Player
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
Best NHL Player
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Best NBA Player
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Best WNBA Player
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Best Driver
Max Verstappen, F1
Best UFC Fighter
Jon Jones
Best boxer
Claressa Shields
Best Soccer Player
Lionel Messi, Argentina/PSG
Best Golfer
Scottie Scheffler
Best Tennis Player
Novak Djokovic
SPECIAL AWARDS
Jimmy V Award for Endurance
Liam Hendricks
Arthur Ashe Award for Courage
United States women’s national soccer team
Pat Tillman Award for Merit
Buffalo Bills training staff
SPORTING HUMANITARIAN AWARDS
Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award
Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks) and Lauren Holiday (retired US Women’s National Team)
Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Awards
Jordan Adeyemi, Ashley Badis, Rishan Patel
Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year
San Antonio Spurs
Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Awards
dr Richard Lapchick