Shohei Ohtani, Patrick Mahomes among winners at ESPY Awards

FILE PHOTO: Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after hitting a foul ball during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Los Angeles, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

LOS ANGELES – A pair of Southern California athletes are celebrating their ESPY Awards Thursday following the annual ceremony recognizing excellence in sports.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani won Best MLB Player at the annual ESPY Awards in Hollywood, while USC women’s basketball player Juju Watkins won Best Breakthrough Athlete.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who won his third Super Bowl earlier this year, won the coveted Best Athlete, Men’s Sports award for the second consecutive year and was also named Best NFL Player. Mahomes was not at the Dolby Theatre for the ceremony, but Chiefs coach Andy Reid accepted on his behalf.

WNBA standout A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces won Best Athlete, Women’s Sports.

“I could not miss an opportunity just to say thank you to all my fans out there,” Wilson said in a video message. “I wouldn’t be the player I am today without you guys’ support. It does not go unnoticed. It’s great to think that a young girl that didn’t even want to play basketball  … won an ESPY, which is truly, truly special to my heart.”

Wilson beat out WNBA rookie star Caitlin Clark, tennis star Coco Gauff and golfer Nelly Korda for the honor, while Mahomes topped Ohtani, golfer Scottie Scheffler and Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid for the best male athlete honor.

Ohtani won Best MLB Player over Corey Seager, who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers before joining the Texas Rangers, Ronald Acuña of the Atlanta Braves and Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees.

The South Carolina women’s basketball team won the Best Team award.

Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU won Best College Athlete, Men’s Sports, while Iowa’s Clark was named Best College Athlete, Women’s Sports.

Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks was named Best NBA Player.

Other key winners included:
— Best Tennis Player: Coco Gauff.
— Best Driver: Max Verstappen, F1.
— Best Athlete with a Disability: Brenna Huckaby, snowboarding.
— Best Championship Performance: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics.
— Best Play: Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens catches his own pass.
— Best Comeback Athlete: Simone Biles, gymnastics.
Serena Williams hosted the ceremony, which was broadcast by ESPN on ABC.

Former NFL safety Steve Gleason, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2011, University of South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley and Prince Harry all received special honors.

Gleason, who played eight years for the New Orleans Saints, received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage for his fight against ALS and his founding of the nonprofit Team Gleason, which works to provide programming and support services for ALS patients as well as research to find a cure.

Joined onstage by his son Rivers, Gleason delivered a moving speech with the aid of voice-assisting software.

“I was told I would have three years to live, when I was diagnosed with ALS in 2011, so I’ve got the wilderness of fear tattooed all over me,” he said. “For me, this honor represents some encouragement and triumph for the families currently living with ALS, all the people living with disabilities or other illnesses, and all of you who experience fear or suffering.

“ …No human is immune from fear or adversity, not even super athletes, royal princes, or the most holy saints,” he told the crowd. “Our ability to courageously share our vulnerabilities with each other is our greatest strength.”

Previous recipients of the Arthur Ashe Award include Bill Russell, Kevin Love, USA Gymnastics sexual abuse survivors and the US Women’s National Soccer Team.

Staley received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, honoring not only her championship coaching but her support for women’s sports and work in the fight against cancer. Staley’s sister, Tracy Underwood, and former assistant coach Nikki McCray-Penson, were both recently diagnosed with cancer, leading Staley to become a staunch advocate for cancer research, according to ESPN. She has also vocally pushed for gender equality and diversity in sports.

Former Jimmy V Award recipients include Jim Kelly, Dick Vitale, Rob Mendez and Liam Hendriks.

Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, received the Pat Tillman Award for Service, honoring a person with strong ties to sports and who has “served others in a way that echoes the legacy of” Tillman, a former NFL player who left the game to become a U.S. Army Ranger and was killed in action. Prince Harry founded The Invictus Games Foundation, creating an international platform to support wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women – both active-duty and veterans – who are navigating both physical and invisible injuries.

Past recipients of the Tillman Award include Marcus Rashford, Gretchen Evans and the Buffalo Bills Training Staff who worked to save the life of player Damar Hamlin when he suffered a cardiac arrest on the field.

Prince Harry received the award despite recent criticism by Tillman’s mother Mary, who questioned whether a more deserving recipient could be found.

ESPN defended the choice and said the Invictus Games Foundation “does incredible work and ESPN believes this is a cause worth celebrating.”

Prince Harry acknowledged Mary Tillman in his speech Thursday.

“Her advocacy for Pat’s legacy is deeply personal, and one that I respect. The bond between a mother and son is eternal, and transcends even the greatest losses,” he said. (CNS)