Sports
Jalen Brunson honored three times at 2026 ESPY Awards
Jul 15, 2026; New York, NY, USA; Jalen Brunson and Ali Brunson arrive on the red carpet before the 2026 ESPY Awards at Lincoln Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Jalen Brunson was on center stage in New York again Wednesday, this time for a trio of ovations at the 2026 ESPY Awards.
Hosted by Marcello Hernandez of “Saturday Night Live” fame Wednesday evening at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York, the show kicked off with Brunson winning the first major award of the evening, before he capped things with another award a couple of hours later and then joined his teammates on stage for the final award of the evening.
Brunson won “Best Championship Performance” and then “Best Athlete – Men’s Sports” for guiding the New York Knicks — the ESPY’s “Best Team” — to their first NBA championship since 1973. Brunson averaged 32.6 points per game in the Finals, to go along with 4.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals. That came after a regular season where he averaged 26.0 points, 6.8 assists and 0.8 steals for the 53-29 Knicks.
During his first acceptance speech, Brunson shouted out his family before thanking his coaches and teammates.
“I am forever indebted to them, thank you,” Brunson said.
Later in the evening, Jim Abbott, the former Major League Baseball pitcher who played in the majors for a decade despite being born without a right hand, won the “Jimmy V Award for Perseverance.”
“I was born missing my right hand, and I never wanted to make a big deal about that,” Abbott said. “Being born this way, I knew what it was like to be different, I knew what it was like to be on the outside looking in and I knew what it was like to be on a team.
“Of all the great blessings sports has given me, that sense of belonging is the best.”
Alyssa Liu won “Best Breakthrough Athlete” following her gold medal for figure skating at the Winter Olympics. “I had some really rough times in (the sport), and I took two years off, and so it really feels like I did break through in my own way, and for my sport,” Liu said.
Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry took home the “Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian” award. His charity “Eat, Learn, Play” has helped feed children and provide them playgrounds to play on in the Oakland area.
“When you hear Ali’s name, you think about greatness,” Curry said. “This award being connected to his legacy is incredibly humbling.”
After crediting volunteers, teachers, and all those involved in the program, Curry implored other athletes to give back to their communities.
“Don’t ever forget you have a platform, you have a voice, you have everything you need to make a true impact, and I encourage you to find your Oakland.”
The “Best College Athletes” were Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and UCLA basketball player Lauren Betts, the latter of whom spoke about the importance of mental health in her acceptance speech.
“Your mental health is not separate from your success,” Betts said. “It is the foundation of everything that you do.
“The strongest people aren’t the ones who never struggle; they’re the ones who have the courage to let someone walk through the struggle with them.”
The “Pat Tilman Award for Service” went to Scott Ruskan, a former cross country athlete at Rider University who helped rescue 165 Texas flood survivors last July as a member of the Coast Guard.
“There were a lot of heroes that day who aren’t getting an ESPY Award,” Ruskan said. “It took a complete army of people to get (the rescue) done.”
Other 2026 ESPY Awards:
Best Athlete – Women’s Sports: A’ja Wilson
Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: Jason Collins
Best Single-Game Performance: Shohei Ohtani
Best Play: OG Anunoby
Best Record-Breaking Performance: Myles Garrett
Best High School Athletes: Maddie DiMaria, Grady Emerson
–Field Level Media
Sports
Guardians, Pirates prepare to play 2 after air-quality postponement
Jul 3, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams (32) throws a pitch against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images Poor air quality in Northeast Ohio postponed the series opener between the Cleveland Guardians and visiting Pittsburgh Pirates, forcing the teams to play a doubleheader Saturday.
Drifting smoke from the Canadian forest fires is expected to persist throughout the day/night twin bill, but the National Weather Service expects it to dissipate to safer levels for the players and fans.
In the rescheduled game at 1:10 p.m., Cleveland right-hander Gavin Williams (10-4, 3.81 ERA) takes on Pittsburgh right-hander Jared Jones (1-1, 4.37). That was the scheduled matchup Friday.
The Guardians will promote left-hander Logan T. Allen (0-0, 0.00 ERA) from Triple-A Columbus to pitch the 7:10 p.m. nightcap. The Pirates haven’t announced a Game 2 starter.
“We can’t control the weather. We can’t control Mother Nature,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “We’ve got to do what’s best and what’s smart for both teams and for the fans. It’s just not safe to be out in that environment if it’s not playable.”
The Guardians have won four straight and returned from the All-Star break in a virtual tie with the Chicago White Sox atop the American League Central. Pittsburgh, which will play its second doubleheader in eight days, sits two games out of the final National League wild-card spot.
“Let’s keep playing good baseball and we can revisit that in a month or two,” Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe said. “I have no idea what the standings look like, but I know the feel in the clubhouse — and the way the game looks that we’re putting out there — looks really good.”
Pittsburgh entered the break with its best record in 10 years, three games above .500 after beating the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers three times in 30 hours.
The series featured a huge performance by rookie outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez, who had a three-homer, eight-RBI doubleheader. He hit .417 with nine RBIs over the set, raising his season numbers to .309 with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs in 94 at-bats.
“It’s been fun to be a part of, so we’ll keep it rolling,” said All-Star pitcher Paul Skenes, who is slated to start Sunday’s series finale. “We’re in a good spot and I’m super confident in our ability to show up after the break.
“There’s a lot of baseball left to play. It’s going to be a fun year.”
Jones starts for the first time since throwing six perfect innings against the Atlanta Braves on July 8, striking out eight before being lifted after just 77 pitches. He has never faced the Guardians.
Pirates manager Don Kelly admitted pulling Jones “sucks,” but wasn’t willing to overwork his surgically repaired pitching elbow. He remains under a limited pitch count.
“Coming off of surgery and everything, we just can’t push him,” Kelly said.
The Guardians counter with Williams, who is second in the AL in wins and third with 134 strikeouts and was arguably the biggest All-Star snub in the circuit. Williams will pitch against Pittsburgh for the first time.
Known as the “Big Rig,” he worked seven innings, recorded 11 strikeouts and gave up two runs in beating the Minnesota Twins on July 9. That win preceded a three-game road sweep of the Miami Marlins heading into the break.
“Hopefully we’ll come back fresh and ready to rock,” Cleveland rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter said.
Allen was a fixture in the Guardians’ rotation from 2023-2025, making 73 starts, but has only pitched four innings in relief for them this year. He is 1-0 with a 0.84 ERA in two career starts against Pittsburgh.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lynx trying to extend winning ways vs. Fire with break in sight
Jul 15, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Natasha Howard (1) and guard Olivia Miles (5) react late during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Sparks at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images The WNBA All-Star break is fast approaching, and the Minnesota Lynx are looking forward to a chance to rest their bodies and catch their breath.
“This is sort of a tough stretch for us,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “We got off to such a fast start, and we’re maybe that runner that ran really fast and is right now trying to really push themselves to get to that finish line. The finish line for us is the All-Star break.”
But three more games remain for the Lynx before they can hit reset.
Minnesota (19-6) will go for its fifth win in a row when it tips off against the Portland Fire (11-14) on Saturday evening in Minneapolis. The game marks the end of a four-game homestand for the Lynx, who are 9-4 on their home court this season.
The Lynx hope to have standout rookie Olivia Miles back on the court Saturday. Miles left the Lynx’s most recent game after she rolled her ankle, but she returned to the bench late in the game and joined her teammates on the court after their win over the Los Angeles Sparks.
Miles averages a team-high 19.3 points and 5.7 assists on the season. She is shooting 50.5% from the field and 35.6% from beyond the arc.
If Miles is out, or if she is limited by the ankle injury, Courtney Williams could take on a bigger role in the backcourt. Williams (15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists per game) has provided a steady veteran presence alongside Miles this season and said she’ll do whatever is required of her.
“I don’t ever want to force it,” Williams said. “Always just kind of want to plug in where we need (support) the most, so whether that is scoring … whether that is, you know, stepping up and having to play the point guard.”
The Fire are coming off a 75-56 win over the Washington Mystics. Carla Leite led the team with 14 points and five assists, Serah Williams scored 12 points and Sarah Ashlee Barker had 10.
Leite leads Portland with 15.2 ppg on the season. Bridget Carleton, a former Lynx sharpshooter whom the Fire selected in the expansion draft, is second on the team with 13.2 points per game.
Portland coach Alex Sarama praised his players for their recent success on defense, particularly after they held the Mystics to 56 points.
“A huge part of the game plan was shrinking the floor as much as possible,” Sarama said. “(We were) playing heavily in the gaps, digging on post-ups and really building a wall so they couldn’t see space to get downhill.”
Kayla McBride will look to stay hot for the Lynx. She has led the team in scoring in each of the past six games, including a 24-point effort in their latest win against the Sparks.
–Field Level Media
Sports
T1, Karmine Corp, Gen.G, Dplus move on to LOL World Cup semis
A backlit keyboard is part of the gear online video game streamer Jordan Woodruff uses in his Gilbert home.
Jordan Woodruff
T1, Karmine Corp, Gen.G Esports and Dplus are the final four teams standing in the Esports World Cup League of Legends tournament.
Those four clubs won their quarterfinal matches Friday in Paris to advance to the semifinals taking place Saturday. They’re two wins away from lifting the trophy at the prestigious $2 million tournament.
The playoffs began Friday and conclude with Sunday’s best-of-five grand final. The winning team takes home $600,000 and 1,000 Esports World Cup club points. The MVP will earn an additional $25,000.
On Friday, T1 blanked Hanwha Life Esports 2-0, Karmine Corp did the same to AG.AL International, Gen.G shut out JD Gaming 2-0 and Dplus defeated Bilibili Gaming in the only 2-1 result of the day. Hanwha Life, AG.AL, JD Gaming and Bilibili Gaming were eliminated.
T1 prevailed in a tidy 23 minutes and 35 minutes, both times on blue. Kim “Peyz” Soo-hwan of South Korea led T1 with a combined 16 kills, just two deaths and 18 assists.
Karmine Corp beat AG.AL in 28 minutes and 38 minutes on blue. Frenchman Caliste “Caliste” Henry-Hennebert totaled an 11-1-14 K-D-A ratio for the victors.
Gen.G bested JD Gaming in 28 minutes on blue and 38 minutes on red. It was a balanced attack for Gen.G, featuring nine kills by South Korea’s Kim “Canyon” Geon-bu and eight apiece from his countrymen Kim “Kiin” Ki-in and Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon.
Dplus defeated Bilibili in 39 minutes on blue, absorbed Bilibili’s 35-minute victory on red and bounced back to win in 38 minutes on red. Dplus’ Jeon “Siwoo” Si-woo of South Korea led all players with 14 kills, and teammate and countryman Oh “Career” Hyung-suk had a match-high 29 assists.
The Esports World Cup features competition in 25 titles and a $75 million prize pool. Other events this month include DOTA, PUBG, EA Sports FC, Call of Duty: Warzone, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Rocket League, Counter-Strike 2 and Fortnite.
The tournament continues Saturday with the two semifinals matches:
–T1 vs. Karmine Corp
–Gen.G Esports vs. Dplus
Esports World Cup League of Legends prize pool (money, EWC club points)
1. $600,000, 1,000 — TBD
2. $340,000, 750 — TBD
3. $220,000, 500 — TBD
4. $140,000, 300 — TBD
5-8. $90,000, 200 — Hanwha Life Esports, AG.AL International, JD Gaming, Bilibili Gaming
9-12. $55,000, 0 — G2 Esports, Sentinels, GAM Esports, MIBR.LOS
13-16. $30,000, 0 — FURIA, Team Secret, Movistar KOI, LYON
–Field Level Media
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