ESPY Awards 2024: Serena Williams roasts Harrison Butker, Steve Gleason receives standing ovation

The 2024 ESPYs had plenty of awards, an abrupt ending for a lot of and a few fascinating moments, with a number of the latter coming straight from host Serena Williams.

The tennis legend undoubtedly gave the impression to be having enjoyable cracking Caitlin Clark jokes within the opening monologue and singing a music devoted to buddy/rival Maria Sharapova, however the spiciest second of the night time got here from a phase alongside her sister Venus Williams and “Abbott Elementary” star Quinta Brunson.

The trio delivered a tongue-in-cheek seminar on how followers can embrace the rising world of ladies’s sports activities, and went for the throat whereas doing so. At one level, they advised followers they might name the athletes “athlete,” “champion” and even “dumbass,” however they stated in unison “”Simply do not use the b-word.” The road was a transparent call-out of ESPN’s personal Pat McAfee, who apologized for calling Clark a “white b**** from Indiana.”

Then the group ended it with Venus urging followers to take pleasure in girls’s sports activities as simply sports activities. Serena’s response: “Besides you, Harrison Butker. We do not want you.” Brunson’s addition: “In any respect, like ever.”

Add that to the pile of blowback the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs kicker obtained for his extremely controversial graduation speech. Amongst these in attendance on the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles was Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who defended Butker within the aftermath.

The ESPYs additionally featured their typical assortment of moments designed to tug at heartstrings and urge motion. Daybreak Staley and Nick Saban each delivered stirring speeches, Prince Harry devoted his Pat Tillman Award to the veterans behind the Invictus Video games he based and a Maui browsing group chief urged for motion towards local weather change in gentle of the newest devastating wildfire.

Probably the most emotional second got here by way of Steve Gleason, the previous NFL security who was identified with ALS in 2011. Regardless of being advised he solely had a couple of years to stay, he’s nonetheless with us, surviving in a wheelchair along with his spouse and youngsters. He obtained a standing ovation as he took the stage along with his son to simply accept the Arthur Ashe Braveness Award.

A tear may very well be seen working down Gleason’s cheek as his speech started.

The ending of the present, nevertheless, had much less grace. That was as a result of at about 11:30 p.m. ET, some viewers reported the ending of the present getting abruptly lower off, with the late night information taking up. The telecast began a number of minutes late attributable to ABC’s protection of President Joe Biden’s information convention, and that may have include penalties for ESPN.

The telecast jumped from a phase on the Maui browsing group to a speech about Prince Harry, each of which have been already aired, adopted by an ending montage regardless of the Finest Staff award nonetheless ready to be revealed.

There have been additionally awards to be given out, some prematurely of the present itself. Here is the total record.

Finest athlete, males’s sports activities: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs

Finest athlete, girls’s sports activities: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Finest workforce: South Carolina girls’s basketball

Finest faculty athlete, males’s sports activities: Jayden Daniels, LSU soccer

Finest faculty athlete, girls’s sports activities: Caitlin Clark, Iowa basketball

Finest breakthrough athlete: Juju Watkins, USC girls’s basketball

Finest comeback athlete: Simone Biles, gymnast

Finest record-breaking efficiency: Caitlin Clark breaking NCAA scoring document, Iowa

Finest championship efficiency: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics

Finest play: Lamar Jackson’s AFC championship self-catch, Baltimore Ravens

Finest NFL participant: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs

Finest MLB participant: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels/Los Angeles Dodgers

Finest NHL participant: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

Finest WNBA participant: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Finest NBA participant: Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks

Finest driver: Max Verstappen, Purple Bull F

Finest golfer: Scottie Scheffler

Finest athlete with a incapacity: Brenna Huckaby, snowboarder

Sports activities humanitarian workforce of the 12 months: Angel Metropolis

Arthur Ashe Award for Braveness: Steve Gleason

Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Daybreak Staley

Icon Award: Nick Saban

Pat Tillman Award for Service: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

Muhammad Ali Sports activities Humanitarian Award: Maui browsing group

Here is the way it all went down on Yahoo Sports activities:

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER22 updates

  • The ESPYs actually simply ended like this

  • The ESPYs telecast simply abruptly ended for some individuals

    The ESPYs have been being broadcasted on ABC, however many viewers reported round 11:30 p.m. ET that the top of the present bought lower off. Take into accout the entire thing began airing a half-hour late (on a tape delay) attributable to President Joe Biden’s information convention ending late. What a multitude.

  • Simone Biles wins Finest Comeback Athlete

    The four-time Olympic gold medalist overcame the “twisties” and returned to competitors final 12 months. She has since received 4 world championship titles and a full sweep of this 12 months’s U.S. championships. Subsequent cease: Paris.

  • Angel Metropolis co-owner Jennifer Garner accepts the workforce humanitarian award

    The Golden Globe winner pledged no scarcity of labor within the Los Angeles space and ended it with “That’s when you recognize a workforce is run by girls.”

  • One other good second: the Muhammad Ali Sports activities Humanitarian Award

    The Maui browsing group accepts the distinction after aiding the restoration from he 2023 wildfire that ravaged Lahaina, with their chief urging viewers to take local weather change extra severely.

  • Patrick Mahomes wins Finest Athlete, Males’s Sports activities

    Andy Reid is accepting the award on the three-time Tremendous Bowl champion’s behalf. Mahomes beat out Shohei Ohtani, Connor McDavid and Scottie Scheffler.

  • Serena Williams sings a particularly imply love music directed at previous buddy/rival Maria Sharapova

  • Steve Gleason will get standing ovation whereas accepting Arthur Ashe Award for Braveness

    Former NFL security Steve Gleason has change into one of many faces of ALS after being identified with the neurodegenerative dysfunction in 2011. Docs initially thought he solely had a couple of years to stay, however he is nonetheless right here, dwelling life in a wheelchair with the help of his spouse, kids and different caregivers.

    ESPN named him the winner of the Arthur Ashe Award for Braveness and he obtained a standing ovation as he took the stage along with his son, with a tear visibly working down his face as his speech started. The ESPYs at all times attempt to ship moments with which means past sports activities, and that was their better of the night time.

  • Cooper Flagg wins Gatorade Finest Male Participant of the 12 months, Sadie Engelhardt Finest Feminine Participant of the 12 months

    Cooper Flagg received the Gatorade Finest Male Participant of the 12 months. Flagg, the nationwide highschool participant of the 12 months at Montverde Academy (Florida), will play faculty basketball at Duke.

    Learn extra on Flagg from Yahoo Sports activities’ Krysten Peek.

    Finest Feminine Participant of the 12 months honors went to Ventura Excessive (California) observe star Sadie Engelhardt, who will proceed her profession at North Carolina State.

  • Nick Saban honored with ESPYs Icon Award

    Former Alabama stars Mark Ingram II and Bryce Younger current Nick Saban with the Icon Award for his legendary profession teaching the Crimson Tide.

    Saban received an astounding seven nationwide championships throughout his 17 years at Alabama, compiling a document of 206–29. No coach has received extra nationwide titles in faculty soccer.

  • Serena and Venus Williams did a bit with Quinta Brunson about girls’s sports activities and it bought spicy

    The Williams sisters bought on stage with “Abbott Elementary” star Quinta Brunson about the best way to take pleasure in girls’s sports activities they usually… had some issues to speak about.

    That included them saying “By no means use the B-word … you recognize who you might be,” a possible dig at ESPN’s Pat McAfee, who apologized for calling Caitlin Clark a “white b**** from Indiana.” Then Serena ended it by responding to Venus’ urge for individuals to take pleasure in girls’s sports activities by saying “Aside from you Harrison Butker, we don’t want you.”

    There was additionally Serena saying “LeBron needs to win a title along with his son on his workforce I received with my daughter, in my stomach. I feel we all know which one is extra spectacular.”

  • LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson offers some music

    LSU basketball participant Flau’Jae Johnson carried out for her fellow athletes, and had a second with Lil Wayne.

  • South Carolina coach Daybreak Staley honored with Jimmy V Award for Perseverance

    Stuart Scott’s daughters Sydni and Taelor, together with “Abbott Elementary” star Quinta Brunson offered this 12 months’s Jimmy V Award for Perseverance to South Carolina girls’s basketball coach Daybreak Staley.

    Staley, a three-time NCAA championship coach, was honored for “her management within the struggle towards most cancers,” turning into a serious advocate for most cancers analysis when her sister, Tracey Underwood, and former assistant Nikki McCray-Penson have been identified with most cancers.

    Underwood obtained a life-saving bone marrow transplant from their brother, Lawrence, which impressed Staley to boost consciousness for affected person care, analysis and sources.

  • Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson wins Finest Athlete, Ladies’s Sports activities

    Ladies’s basketball legend Candace Parker and USA observe star Allyson Felix offered the ESPY for Finest Athlete, Ladies’s Sports activities to Las Vegas Aces middle A’ja Wilson.

    Wilson, a two-time WNBA MVP, presently leads the league in scoring, averaging 26.9 factors per sport. Final season, she averaged 22.8 factors, 9.5 rebounds and a pair of.2 blocks, main the Aces to their second consecutive WNBA championship.

    Teammate Sydney Colson posted a video to social media of the Aces celebrating Wilson’s win.

  • Prince Harry honored with the Pat Tillman Award for Service

    Prince Harry obtained the Pat Tillman Award for Service for his work with the Invictus Video games, an occasion for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and girls (serving and veterans).

    Prince Harry paid tribute to Tillman’s mom, Mary, in his acceptance speech.

    “Her advocacy for Pat’s legacy is deeply private and one which I respect,” he stated, by way of the New York Submit. “The bond between a mom and son is everlasting and transcends even the best losses.”

    The award was offered by three earlier Tillman Award winners who additionally competed within the Invictus Video games.

  • Celtics’ Jaylen Brown wins Finest Championship Efficiency

    Halle Bailey and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson offered the ESPY for Finest Championship Efficiency to Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown.

    Brown introduced the Larry O’Brien championship trophy with him to the ceremony.

    Within the five-game NBA Finals victory over the Dallas Mavericks, Brown averaged 20.8 factors, 5.4 rebounds and 5 assists.

    Is an ESPY award comfort for not being named to the USA Olympic males’s basketball workforce in favor of teammate Derrick White? If requested, that query ought to get fairly a response.

  • JuJu Watkins wins Finest Breakthrough Athlete

    Glorilla and Draymond Inexperienced (representing Michigan State’s inexperienced and white along with his tuxedo) offered the ESPY for Finest Breakthrough Athlete to USC guard JuJu Watkins.

    Watkins averaged 27.1 factors per sport in her freshman season, along with 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocks.

  • ESPYs telecast delayed by President Biden press convention

    Viewers trying to tune in for the ESPYs have been greeted with ABC Information protection of a President Biden press convention from the NATO Summit.

    The ABC telecast was delayed for half-hour whereas the press convention and transient commentary afterward was on the air.

    Nonetheless, ABC is broadcasting the ESPYs broadcast in full, as of 8:33 p.m. ET. The present was delayed because the press convention occurred.

  • Jaylen Brown simply gave a really unenthusiastic “no remark” to Cam Newton on why he isn’t with the U.S. Olympic workforce. He is been overtly sad about getting snubbed from the U.S. Olympic workforce.

  • Shockingly, Caitlin Clark has received finest faculty athlete in girls’s sports activities.

Leave a Reply