Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Argentina and soon-to-be Inter Miami soccer star Lionel Messi took multiple trophies Wednesday at the 2023 ESPY Awards.
Mahomes, who won the NFL MVP for a second time after leading the Chiefs past the Philadelphia Eagles in this year’s Super Bowl, was named Best Athlete, Men’s Sports, and Best NFL Player in the ceremony tonight in Los Angeles. His Chiefs won the ESPY for Best Team.
Messi won for Best Soccer Player and Best Championship Performance, the latter for leading Argentina to his first World Cup championship in December. Messi, widely considered one of the best players of all time, touched down in the U.S. earlier in the week in advance of his introduction Sunday as the newest member of Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami. He is scheduled to make his debut with the team July 21.
Other ESPY winners tonight in the ceremony at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood included U.S. ski champion Mikaela Shiffrin, who was named Best Athlete, Women’s Sports; L.A. Lakers star LeBron James, honored for Best Record-Breaking Performance for surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record; and Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, named Best MLB Player.
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Honorary awards went to Chicago White Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks (the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance) and the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team (the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage). The Buffalo Bills training staff, who 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 complete list of tonight’s winners:
Best Athlete, Men’s SportsPatrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Best Athlete, Women’s SportsMikaela Shiffrin, Ski
Best Breakthrough AthleteAngel Reese, LSU Women’s Basketball
Best Record-Breaking PerformanceLeBron James surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for NBA career scoring record
Best Championship PerformanceLionel Messi, Argentina – World Cup Final
Best Comeback AthleteJamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Best PlayJustin Jefferson with the Catch of the Century
Best TeamKansas City Chiefs
Best College Athlete, Men’s SportsCaleb Williams, USC Football
Best College Athlete, Women’s SportsCaitlin Clark, Iowa Women’s Basketball
Best Athlete with a DisabilityZach Miller, Snowboarding
Best NFL PlayerPatrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Best MLB PlayerShohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
Best NHL PlayerConnor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Best NBA PlayerNikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
Best WNBA PlayerA’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Best DriverMax Verstappen, F1
Best UFC FighterJon Jones
Best BoxerClaressa Shields
Best Soccer PlayerLionel Messi, Argentina/PSG
Best GolferScottie Scheffler
Best Tennis PlayerNovak Djokovic
SPECIAL AWARDS
Jimmy V Award for PerseveranceLiam Hendriks
Arthur Ashe Award for CourageU.S. Women’s National Soccer Team
Pat Tillman Award for ServiceBuffalo Bills Training Staff
SPORTS HUMANITARIAN AWARDS
Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian AwardJrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks) and Lauren Holiday (retired U.S. Women’s National Team)
Billie Jean King Youth Leadership AwardJordan Adeyemi, Ashley Badis, Rishan Patel
Sports Humanitarian Team of the YearSan Antonio Spurs
Stuart Scott ENSPIRE AwardDr. Richard Lapchick
Source: deadline.com