The New York Knicks were among the biggest winners at the 2026 ESPYS Presented by Capital One, taking home multiple awards during Wednesday night’s ceremony at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City.
Hosted by comedian Marcello Hernández, the show celebrated the year’s top achievements in sports. The Knicks earned Best Team, while Jalen Brunson won Best Athlete – Men’s Sports and Best Championship Performance. OG Anunoby’s NBA Finals tip-in was recognized as Best Play.
Other major winners included A’ja Wilson (Best Athlete – Women’s Sports), Alysa Liu (Best Breakthrough Athlete), Myles Garrett (Best Record-Breaking Performance), and Christian McCaffrey (Best Comeback Athlete).
The ceremony also honored inspirational figures across sports. The late Jason Collins received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, accepted by his twin brother, Jarron Collins. Former MLB pitcher Jim Abbott earned the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, while U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Scott Ruskan received the Pat Tillman Award for Service.
The evening featured performances from DJ Premier, De La Soul, Ghostface Killah, Slick Rick, and Fat Joe, along with appearances by sports and entertainment stars including Simone Biles, Stephen Curry, Kevin Hart, Will Ferrell, and French Montana. The 2026 ESPYS will also be available to stream on Disney+, Hulu, the ESPN App, and ABC Video on Demand.
COMPLETE LIST OF THE 2026 ESPYS WINNERS
Best Athlete – Men’s Sports – Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
Best Athlete – Women’s Sports – A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Best Breakthrough Athlete – Alysa Liu, Figure Skating
Best Record-Breaking Performance – Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns – broke Michael Strahan’s sack record (22.5)
Best Championship Performance – Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
Best Comeback Athlete – Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
Best Play – OG Anunoby’s Tip-In – NBA Finals (6/10/26)
Best Team – New York Knicks, NBA
Best Single-Game Performance – Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers – pitched six scoreless innings, struck out 10 batters and hit three home runs
Best College Athlete, Men’s Sports – Fernando Mendoza, Indiana Football
Best College Athlete, Women’s Sports – Lauren Betts, UCLA Basketball
Best Athlete With a Disability – Declan Farmer, Para Hockey
Best NFL Player – Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
Best MLB Player – Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
Best NHL Player – Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Best NBA Player – Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
Best WNBA Player – A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Best Driver – Lando Norris, F1
Best Fighter – Terence Crawford, Boxing
Best Soccer Player – Lionel Messi, Inter Miami CF
Best Golfer – Scottie Scheffler
Best Tennis Player – Carlos Alcaraz
Best Tunnel Fit – Lewis Hamilton
Best Sports Card – Macklin Celebrini
Best Celebration – UCLA Women’s Basketball
SPECIAL AWARDS
Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: Jason Collins
Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Jim Abbott
Pat Tillman Award for Service: Scott Ruskan
SPORTS HUMANITARIAN AWARDS
Sports Philanthropist of the Year Honoree: Laurie Tisch
Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award Honoree: Jeffrey Lurie
Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award: Stephen Curry
Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year: Baltimore Ravens
Corporate Community Impact Award: Jersey Mike’s
Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award: Julia Howe, Kelis Armstrong, and Sam Phillips