The athletic elite traded their sweatpants for designer threads on Wednesday night. It is that time of year again. The ESPYs have returned, dragging the sporting world’s biggest egos and brightest talents out of the locker room and onto a red carpet in New York City. Hosted at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, the annual trophy handout aims to celebrate the absolute peak of athletic achievement from the past twelve months, or at least the most marketable parts of it. Marcello Hernàndez is running the microphone for the evening.
Expect a weird mix of culture. Hip-hop royalty like De La Soul, Ghostface Killah, and Slick Rick are slated to perform, sharing a stage with the viral sensations the Savannah Bananas. The presenter lineup is equally heavy on star power, featuring gymnastics icon Simone Biles, track legend Allyson Felix, and skiing sensation Eileen Gu. Meanwhile, the nomination list reads like a who’s who of modern sports dominance, with Jalen Brunson, Myles Garrett, Alysa Liu, Matthew Stafford, Rory McIlroy, Lionel Messi, Shohei Ohtani, Mikaela Shiffrin, Victor Wembanyama, and A’ja Wilson all gunning for some hardware.
Naturally, the cameras were waiting. Simone Biles showed up looking every bit the champion, while figure skater Alysa Liu and gymnast Sunisa Lee, who recently teased a return for the LA Olympics, also made their presence known. Jalen Brunson arrived with Ali Marks Brunson, and Karl-Anthony Towns hit the carpet alongside Jordyn Woods. Host Marcello Hernandez posed with Ana Amelia Batlle Cabral. Other notable faces dodging the flashbulbs included comedian Tracy Morgan, safety Damar Hamlin, funnyman Kevin Hart, and quarterback Russell Wilson. It is a circus, but it is the only show in town.
