By Kenny Burgess
The ESPYs is the sports world’s ultimate awards show. Hosted by ESPN, the ESPYs celebrate the best athletes, moments, and teams from around the world. The 2023 edition of the ESPYs will be held on Wednesday, Jul. 12, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. While there is no official host this year, the night is sure to be filled with excitement and viral moments. We’re going to look at the nominees and odds for some of the major awards, and discuss their merits.
ESPY For Best Athlete, Men’s Sports:
- Patrick Mahomes -150
- Lionel Messi +400
- Aaron Judge +450
- Nikola Jokic +500
All of these athletes are more than deserving to be on this list for top male in sports this year. With the exception of Aaron Judge, those nominated led their teams to championships. The 2022 AL MVP hit a record-breaking 62 home runs last season and his historic season makes him very worthy of the recognition. Lionel Messi added the final piece to his historic legacy by leading Argentina to a World Cup victory that concluded with one of the best finals the sport has ever seen. Nikola Jokic put together a truly historic postseason and led the Denver Nuggets to their first-ever NBA Title. The two-time regular season MVP also captured a Finals MVP to add to his trophy case.
According to the odds, the favorite is Patrick Mahomes and why wouldn’t he be? Mahomes won everything you could think of this past season — he took home his second league MVP and led his Chiefs to a Super Bowl victory while being named MVP of the game. All of these athletes are truly more than deserving and it should be interesting to see who comes away with the award.
ESPY For Best Athlete, Women’s Sports:
- Iga Swiatek +175
- A’ja Wilson +220
- Sophia Smith +300
- Mikaela Shiffrin +425
Picking the winner for top female athlete this year is even tougher and all of these athletes have a good argument for taking home this award. The favorite is tennis’ No.1 player, Iga Swiatek, who had a banger of a year in 2022, bringing home a Grand Slam at both the French Open and U.S. Open, respectively. Even more impressive, Swiatek added another French Open title this year. A’ja Wilson, last season’s WNBA MVP, is already a superstar for the Las Vegas Aces, guiding them to the title win this past season. Wilson has been just as dominant this season and has the Aces sitting in first place. Sophia Smith is a superstar on the soccer field and last season, was named NWSL MVP while playing for the Portland Thorns. Smith was also called up to the U.S. Women’s National Team for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Additionally, Mikaela Shiffrin, the world’s best Alpine Skier, is up for the award. Just this year, Shiffrin became the winningest Alpine Skier of all time with her 88th World Cup victory. Shiffrin also earned a fifth career overall crystal globe, second giant slalom globe, and seventh slalom globe.
ESPY For Best Record-Breaking Performance:
- LeBron James -380
- Novak Djokovic +700
- Mikaela Shiffrin +900
- Max Verstappen +1000
There were many historic moments in sports this past year, but these four have been named finalists for the best record-breaking performance. LeBron James cemented himself in NBA history this past year, becoming the sport’s all-time leader in scoring. James finds himself as the favorite after putting his name atop such a historic list. Novak Djokovic also took over an incredible record as collected his 23rd Grand Slam title at this past year’s French Open. This win put Djokovic in sole possession of the most Men’s Grand Slams ahead of Rafael Nadal. Shiffrin etched her name into history by breaking the World Cup Record this past season.
ESPY For Best Play:
- Justin Jefferson +175
- Michael Block +225
- Trinity Thomas +300
- Ally Lemos +400
We saw some amazing plays this year, but these four are the final options for best play of the year. Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings is deemed the favorite right now for the catch he made on fourth-and-18 in Week 10 against the Buffalo Bills last season.
The game was on the line and Kirk Cousins heaved a deep pass that Jefferson hauled in with one hand to secure a comeback win against the Bills. The top competition comes from a surprise player. Amateur golfer Michael Block sunk a hole-in-one during his historic weekend at the PGA Championship. The ball didn’t even touch any of the green and dunked right in the hole.
There will be other awards handed out and it should be an exciting night. Be sure to tune in to see who brings home the hardware and good luck to bettors tonight!
Photo credits: Kansas City Chiefs, Iga Świątek, Lebron James, & Justin Jeffersons’ Instagrams
