Highlights and Winners from the 2025 ESPYS: Celebrating the Biggest Night in Sports

LOS ANGELES — The 2025 ESPYS took place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Wednesday, with comedian Shane Gillis as the host, honoring outstanding achievements by athletes, teams, and unforgettable moments in sports.

NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Olympic champion gymnast Simone Biles won as best male and female athletes.

Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the NBA championship last month while piling up hardware as league MVP and scoring champion.

Gillis expressed gratitude, saying, “It’s a dream come true and for dreams to come true, it takes a village.” He thanked his wife, parents, brother, and others, acknowledging their significant roles in his journey. “These names might not mean much to strangers, but they mean the world to me.”

Biles, a decorated Olympian with 11 medals to her name, kicked off the evening by winning the Best Championship Performance award. She was recognized for her remarkable showing at the Paris Games, where she secured three golds and a silver and played a pivotal role in helping the U.S. clinch its first team title since 2016.

“That was very unexpected, especially in a category of all men,” Biles said after kissing her husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens.

She beat out Stephen Curry, Freddie Freeman and Rory McIlroy for the award.

The Philadelphia Eagles, who won the franchise’s second Super Bowl in February, claimed best team honors, beating out nine other nominees, including the Thunder, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Florida Panthers, the Ohio State football team and the U.S. national women’s soccer team.

Pat Tillman Award for Service

Former athletes David Walters and Erin Regan accepted the Pat Tillman Award for Service, given to those who have served in a way that honors the legacy of the former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger.

Walters, 37, earned a gold medal in swimming at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was a seven-time world championship medalist. He’s now a Los Angeles city firefighter.

Regan, 45, was a Wake Forest soccer player who spent one season in the pros before retiring to join the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Both Walters and Regan fought the deadly and destructive wildfires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena in January.

List of notable winners from the night

— Best Championship Performance: Simone Biles, Olympic gymnastics all-around

— Best Play: Saquon Barkley’s backwards hurdle

— Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award: Sloane Stephens

— Best Breakthrough Athlete: Ilona Maher, USA Rugby

— Capital One Cup Winners: UNC women and Ohio State men

— Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Katie Schumacher-Cawley

— Icon Award: Alex Morgan and Diana Taurasi

— Best Athlete – Women’s Sports: Simone Biles, USA Gymnastics

— Pat Tillman Award for Service: Los Angeles County firefighters David Walters and Erin Regan

— Gatorade Players of the Year: Jane Hedengren and Cameron Boozer

— Best Comeback Athlete: Suni Lee, USA Gymnastics

— Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award: Rishin Tandon, Maegha Ramanathan and Ian Waite

— Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: Oscar Robertson

— Best Athlete – Men’s Sports: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

— Best Record-Breaking Performance: Alexander Ovechkin, NHL all-time goals leader

— Best Team: Philadelphia Eagles, NFL

— Best NBA Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

— Best WNBA Player: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever

— Best College Athlete – Men’s Sports: Cooper Flagg, Duke men’s basketball

— Best College Athlete – Women’s Sports: JuJu Watkins, USC women’s basketball

— Best Athlete with a Disability: Noah Elliott, Para Snowboarding

— Best NFL Player: Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

— Best MLB Player: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers

— Best NHL Player: Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers

— Best Driver: Max Verstappen, F1

— Best UFC Fighter: Merab Dvalishvili

— Best Boxer: Katie Taylor

— Best Soccer Player: Christian Pulisic, AC Milan, USMNT

— Best Golfer: Scottie Scheffler

— Best Tennis Player: Coco Gauff

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ESPN and the Associated Press contributed to this report