The ESPY Awards came back to New York on Wednesday night, and the Knicks treated Lincoln Center like it was still the NBA Finals. Jalen Brunson hauled in a stack of top honors, the Knicks walked away with Best Team, and the whole thing felt less like a TV show and more like an extra chapter in the city’s championship party. Between trophies, musical sets and tributes, the ESPYs settled comfortably into their temporary Manhattan home.
Brunson And The Knicks Take Center Stage
Brunson cleaned up in some of the biggest categories of the night, winning Best NBA Player, Best Championship Performance and Best Athlete in men’s sports, while the Knicks grabbed Best Team. As reported by The Boston Globe, OG Anunoby’s Finals tip-in was named Best Play, a highlight that helped turn the ESPYs into an encore for the franchise’s title run. The Globe also pointed out that this was only the second time since 2000 that the ESPYs landed in New York, giving the city a rare turn in the awards spotlight.
Lincoln Center Hosted The 2026 ESPYs
The ceremony unfolded at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, hosted by Marcello Hernández and backed by a lineup that included performances from De La Soul, Ghostface Killah, Slick Rick and the Savannah Bananas. In a press release, ESPN laid out the presenters, performers and confirmed the Koch Theater as the venue. Moving the show back to Manhattan gave the night a distinctly local flavor that paired neatly with the Knicks’ homegrown heroics.
Tributes And Humanitarian Honors
Beyond the confetti vibe, the ESPYs made room for heavier moments. Former NBA player Jason Collins was posthumously awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, and Scott Ruskan received the Pat Tillman Award for Service, as reported by The Boston Globe. Golden State’s Stephen Curry accepted the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award for his Eat, Learn, Play foundation and called the recognition “incredibly humbling,” according to live coverage from Field Level Media. Field Level Media also captured Brunson’s concise thank-you, “I am forever indebted to them, thank you,” a nod to his family, coaches and teammates.
Knicks' Championship Context
For the Knicks, the ESPY sweep put an exclamation point on a wild month. Brunson’s 45-point Game 5 closeout had already earned him the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP and delivered New York its first championship since 1973. The league’s official recap breaks down Brunson’s Finals numbers and the Game 5 showing that cemented his Finals legacy, per NBA.com. For a city that waited more than fifty years, the ESPY stage played like a televised coronation for a team that rewrote its story.
Other Winners And Takeaways
New York did not take everything home. Alysa Liu was named Best Breakthrough Athlete, Lauren Betts won Best College Athlete in women’s sports, Shohei Ohtani took both Best Single-Game Performance and Best MLB Player, and Myles Garrett was honored as Best NFL Player. USA TODAY and other outlets pulled together full winners lists and standout moments from the show. With a mix of star power, cultural performances and humanitarian spotlights, the 2026 ESPYs doubled as a season recap for sports and a victory lap for the Knicks’ long-awaited title.
