Every year, the biggest stars in sports and entertainment gather at the ESPYS to celebrate the top athletic achievements, performances, and moments of the past year, and the 2026 ESPY Awards in New York City weren’t any different.
The star-studded event brought together the fan favorites and biggest stars in the sporting industry to the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City, hosted by comedian Marcello Hernàndez. The event paid tribute to the best figures in sports in 2026 while also raising awareness for the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
The Knicks on Home Ground
The award was the best location for the NBA champion New York Knicks, who continued their excellence by sweeping the awards as well. Jalen Nrunson, the Knicks captain, in particular, took home all the awards he was nominated for, by winning the ESPY for "Best Male Athlete," "Best Championship Performance," and "Best NBA Player."
He then joined his teammates in winning the Best Team nomination as well after beating the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the 2026 NBA Finals to end their 53-year championship drought. Fellow Knicks OG Anunoby's Game 4 tip-in during the NBA Finals won him the ESPY for "Best Play," as well as capped off a dominating display for the Knicks this season off the court as well.
The Awards’ Haul
- Best Championship Performance: Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
The Award Ceremony
Most of the New York Knicks team came out to the ESPYs, except Landry Shamet, the Knicks shooting guard, who just announced his engagement with his longtime girlfriend, Cameron Aimonetti, in Italy’s Lake Como through social media.
Brunson, the captain, was rightfully presented with the first award of the day when he was announced as the Best NBA Player on the NBA Today. He became the first-ever Knicks player to receive the award since the show first aired in 1993.
Brunson wasn’t done just yet, as he picked up the rest of his two awards, where his 45-point closeout in Game 5 of the NBA finals was chosen for the Best Championship Performance award, which he promptly won, beating other notable performances such as Team USA goaltenders Aerin Frankel and Connor Hellebuyck's incredible outings at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Brunson was presented with the award by USMNT’s star striker Flo Balogun, fresh off his FIFA World Cup outing, and Chinese Olympic medalist Eileen Gu.
The Best Play Award
The Knicks weren’t just done yet, and even with the wealth of extraordinary nominations in the categories, OG Anunoby came out with the award firmly in his hands. Jack Hughes’ golden goal. Megan Keller’s golden goal for the women’s hockey team. Braylon Mullins’ 35-footer. Caleb Williams’ impossible game-tying touchdown VS the Rams were the nominees who missed out on the award.
With the win, OG Anunoby became the first New York athlete to win the award after Odell Beckham Jr. won it in 2015. Cody Rhodes, the WWE star, presented him with the award.
And Rightfully, the Best Athlete on His Day
The last individual award of the night was the Best Male Athlete, an award with such a long pedigree, with notable winners in Tiger Woods, LeBron James, who has won multiple times, and other NBA stars such as Michael Jordan, Stephen Curry, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Knicks guard was up against a packed list in the battle for the award, with him sharing the nominations with arguably the greatest soccer player to ever play the game, who is currently tearing up the pitches in the ongoing FIFA World Cup with his scintillating performance, Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi, Los Angeles Dodgers two-player and already a winner of the award in 2022, Shohei Ohtani, and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.
At the end, the Knicks and captain Jalen Brunson capped off the memorable day and year by picking up the award as well.
