LOS ANGELES (AP) — Prince Harry acquired the Pat Tillman Award for Service at The ESPYS on Thursday evening, and he talked about the late Military Ranger’s mom who had criticized ESPN for honoring the royal.

With spouse Meghan becoming a member of in a standing ovation, the Duke of Sussex accepted the trophy from three service veterans who had been injured throughout their excursions of responsibility. Harry served within the British navy for 10 years, together with two excursions in Afghanistan as a helicopter pilot.

He created the Invictus Video games in 2014, which serves as a multi-sport, paralympic-style video games for wounded or injured servicemen and veterans.

“This award belongs to them, to not me,” Harry stated from the stage of the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Tillman’s mom, Mary Tillman, had criticized the community’s selection of Harry, saying there are recipients working within the veteran group who would have been extra becoming. Harry thanked Tillman’s widow, Marie, for her attendance and in addition acknowledged Mary Tillman.

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

Daybreak Staley, coach of the nationwide champion South Carolina girls’s basketball workforce, acquired the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. Her good friend, Tennessee standout Nicki McCray-Penson, died of breast most cancers and Staley’s sister was identified with leukemia.

“I need to confess I really feel somewhat undeserving of this recognition. Previous recipients of the Jimmy V Perseverance Award have confronted unbelievable challenges and confirmed themselves as true warriors,” Staley stated. “I’ve merely been a spectator to such immense braveness and resilience.”

A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces gained as greatest girls’s sports activities athlete.

“It’s loopy to suppose {that a} younger lady that didn’t even wish to play basketball is now up within the working for even one ESPY,” she stated in videotaped remarks.

JuJu Watkins gained greatest breakthrough athlete, taking the primary award after the present started half-hour late due to President Joe Biden’s information convention.

The Southern California basketball star had a standout freshman season, main the Trojans to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Event for the primary time in many years.

“That is loopy,” Watkins stated. “I wish to thank all the nice, highly effective girls who got here earlier than me that made this doable.”

Host Serena Williams joked throughout her monologue after Ciara opened the present with a musical efficiency. Older sister, Venus, later got here out and joked that she had really been requested to host and the siblings bought right into a mock argument.

“You could be questioning why I’m doing this,” famous trend fiend Serena stated. “Any alternative to put on 16 outfits in three hours, I’m going to take it.”

The three-hour present on ABC was delayed when Biden’s nationally televised information convention began late and ran half-hour into the present’s timeslot.

___

AP sports activities: