{"id":21258,"date":"2022-07-21T13:01:53","date_gmt":"2022-07-21T13:01:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/5-best-espy-award-2022-moments-including-dick-vitales-cancer-speech\/"},"modified":"2022-07-21T13:01:53","modified_gmt":"2022-07-21T13:01:53","slug":"5-best-espy-award-2022-moments-including-dick-vitales-cancer-speech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/5-best-espy-award-2022-moments-including-dick-vitales-cancer-speech\/","title":{"rendered":"5 best ESPY Award 2022 moments, including Dick Vitale&#8217;s cancer speech"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The 2022 ESPY Awards brought all the biggest sports stars under one roof. <\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Super Bowl champions, Olympic gold medalists, NBA champions, collegiate stars and more gathered Wednesday night at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California, for a celebration of sports filled with laughs, spectacle and even a Stephen Curry musical number.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">But there was more on the agenda than a good time.  Many champions used the primetime platform to champion social issues, ranging from women&#8217;s rights and the release of Brittney Griner to cancer research and mental health awareness. <\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Did you miss the 2022 ESPYs?  We got you covered.  Here&#8217;s five of the best moments from the 2022 ESPY Awards:<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong>WINNERS LIST: <\/strong>Stephen Curry, Shohei Ohtani score big at 2022 ESPY Awards<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong class=\"gnt_ar_b_al\">OPINION:<\/strong>ESPN blows chance to lift female athletes, Black women with Aliyah Boston ESPY snub<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong class=\"gnt_ar_b_al\">STAY UP-T0-DATE:<\/strong>Subscribe to our Sports newsletter now!<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" style=\"height:496px\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/07\/21\/USAT\/4d7d56df-86cf-4a38-8808-46a550c769a1-AP_2022_ESPY_Awards_-_Show_2.jpg?width=660&amp;height=496&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" data-gl-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/07\/21\/USAT\/4d7d56df-86cf-4a38-8808-46a550c769a1-AP_2022_ESPY_Awards_-_Show_2.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=992&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Klay Thompson accepts the award for best comeback athlete at the ESPY Awards.\"\/><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">Stephen Curry roasts LeBron, Boston Celtics in hosting gig<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Stephen Curry opened the 2022 ESPY Awards with a shot at LeBron James, who co-hosted the 2007 ESPY Awards with comedian Jimmy Kimmel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;I am the second NBA player to host this award show, which is kind of crazy to think about. LeBron hosted this award show back in 2007 after losing in the NBA Finals,&#8221; Curry joked in his opening monologue.  &#8220;So yes, you guessed it. This feels better.&#8221;<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_tw\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadTwitter\" data-v-id=\"1549910734041075712\" aria-label=\"Twitter Embed\"\/>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">James and the Cleveland Cavaliers got swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2007 NBA Finals.  Curry, on the other hand, is coming off his fourth NBA title and first Finals MVP.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;It&#8217;s been an amazing year. But somehow I&#8217;m still getting overshadowed, by Draymond Green&#8217;s podcast,&#8221; Curry said of his teammate, who laughed in the audience.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Despite Kevin Hart&#8217;s suggestion, Curry left his one joke out of his opening monologue, although he did share it later in the broadcast: &#8220;I&#8217;m Steph Curry, proud husband of Ayesha Curry, son of Dell Curry and daddy of the Boston Celtics. &#8220;<\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">Klay Thompson thanks Kobe, Gianna Bryant in comeback speech<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Thompson dedicated his best comeback honor to the late Kobe Bryant.  The Warriors star missed back-to-back seasons with separate ACL and Achilles tendon injuries before winning the 2022 NBA championship.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;To Vanessa and her three beautiful girls, we think of Kobe and GiGi every day,&#8221; Thompson said.  &#8220;I read &#8216;Mamba Mentality&#8217; every day during rehab. Those were the best memories of my life watching him play. He inspired me to be the athlete I am today.&#8221;<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_tw\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadTwitter\" data-v-id=\"1549951774437416960\" aria-label=\"Twitter Embed\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">&#8216;We are not your charity&#8217;: Top female athletes advocate for equality <\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Some of the biggest female athletes in the game, past and present &#8212; including tennis legend Billie Jean King, Basketball Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie, college softball player Jocelyn Alo, WNBA player Layshia Clarendo, Olympians Chloe Kim, Allyson Felix, Aly Raisman, Megan Rapinoe and Paralympian Oskana Masters &#8212; joined together for a powerful celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX.<\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\"\/>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">But, the women highlighted that there&#8217;s still a long way ahead for women rights.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;We refuse to be happy with the minimum, because more than it has been does not mean it&#8217;s where it should be,&#8221; Kim said.  &#8220;We still fight for equal pay and pregnancy protections, for resources,&#8221; Felix said, while Raisman added: &#8220;We still fight for safety, to be believed and we still fight to have control over our own bodies.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Rapinoe continued: &#8220;To be honest its exhausting trying to convince the world of our ability, or humanity, or worth. We are not your charity. We are not your measuring stick for whatever version of masculinity. We are certainly not the shield just to deny college athletes&#8217; equal pay or trans kids&#8217; equal rights.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" style=\"height:464px\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/07\/21\/USAT\/66042d23-abb9-4529-817e-d5077cbe4399-AP_2022_ESPY_Awards_-_Show_1.jpg?width=660&amp;height=464&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" data-gl-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/07\/21\/USAT\/66042d23-abb9-4529-817e-d5077cbe4399-AP_2022_ESPY_Awards_-_Show_1.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=928&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jocelyn Alo, from left, Layisha Clarendon, Chloe Kim, Allyson Felix, Oksana Masters, Aly Raisman and Megan Rapinoe appear onstage during a performance at the ESPY Awards on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.\"\/><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">Brittney Griner &#8216;deserves to be free,&#8217; athletes say  <\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">After the Arthur Ashe Courage Award was presented to Vitali Klitschko, the former boxing champion and mayor of Ukrainian capital Kyiv in the midst of the Russian invasion, Curry took the stage in Brittney Griner&#8217;s Phoenix Mercury jersey.  Griner has been detained in Russia since February after Russian authorities claimed that cannabis oil was found in her luggage.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\"\/>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;We need to acknowledge who isn&#8217;t here. Her name is on this jersey,&#8221; said Curry, who was joined by Skylar Diggins-Smith, Griner&#8217;s Mercury teammate, and the Los Angeles Sparks&#8217; Nneka Ogwumike.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;It&#8217;s been 153 nights now BG has been wrongfully detained that thousands of miles away from home. Away from her family, away from her friends, away from her team,&#8221; Diggins-Smith said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Curry added: &#8220;We urge the entire global sports community to continue to stay energized of her behalf\u2026 she&#8217;s one of us, the team of athletes in this room tonight and all over the world. A team that has nothing to do with politics and global conflict.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Megan Rapinoe said she wasn&#8217;t afraid to get political.  She dedicated her acceptance speech for best play to Griner and called for athletes in the room to use their platform to bring attention to Griner to put pressure on the administration: &#8220;she She deserves to be free. She She&#8217;s being held as a political prisoner. &#8220;<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_tw\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadTwitter\" data-v-id=\"1549939332999286784\" aria-label=\"Twitter Embed\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">Dick Vitale: &#8216;Jimmy&#8217;s dream was to beat cancer.  And we must do it.&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">College basketball analyst Dick Vitale received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance following the 82-year-old&#8217;s seven-month battle with cancer, the disease that claimed the life of his best friend Jim Valvano in 1993. Less than two months before Valvano&#8217;s death, he gave an iconic speech at the inaugural ESPY awards ceremony.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Vitale recalled helping his terminally ill friend on the stage that night 29 years ago, adding that he didn&#8217;t know if Valvano was well enough to even give a speech. <\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;If only you had heard Jimmy V the night before, you would never believe or dreamt that he can stand here and give a speech,&#8221; Vitale recalled.  &#8220;He told Mike (Krzyzewski) and I, &#8216;Just get me on that (expletive) stage&#8217; &#8230; I was mesmerized and blown away as he electrified the nation. That speech created why we are here today.&#8221;<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_tw\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadTwitter\" data-v-id=\"1549955440750039041\" aria-label=\"Twitter Embed\"\/>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">He said Valvano&#8217;s speech inspired his lifelong dedication to cancer funding and his own battle with cancer: &#8220;I heard Jimmy&#8217;s words in my head, &#8216;Don&#8217;t give up, don&#8217;t ever give up.'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">During a powerful moment in his speech, Vitale asked anyone in the room who knew someone battling cancer to stand up.  The entire room rose to their feet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;It doesn&#8217;t discriminate. It comes after all. It doesn&#8217;t matter race, religion, (cancer) will bring you to your knees,&#8221; Vitale said.  &#8220;There is only one way to beat it my friends, we have to raise dollars and give oncologists a fighting chance.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">He continued: &#8220;Jimmy&#8217;s dream was to beat cancer. And we must do it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_em gnt_em__lp gnt_em_cp\" aria-label=\"For USA TODAY subscribers\" data-c-cta=\"PREMIUM CONTENT\">\n<div class=\"gnt_em_cp_cw\"><img class=\"gnt_em_cp_cw_i\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/07\/20\/USAT\/935a4e86-82cd-4bf0-bcf7-6fbc17903028-XXX_1220_Clemson_Notre_Dame_KR_31.JPG?crop=2399,1799,x0,y90&amp;width=258&amp;height=193&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" data-gl-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/07\/20\/USAT\/935a4e86-82cd-4bf0-bcf7-6fbc17903028-XXX_1220_Clemson_Notre_Dame_KR_31.JPG?crop=2399,1799,x0,y90&amp;width=516&amp;height=386&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\"\/><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 2022 ESPY Awards brought all the biggest sports stars under one roof. Super Bowl champions, Olympic gold medalists, NBA champions, collegiate stars and more gathered Wednesday night at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California, for a celebration of sports filled with laughs, spectacle and even a Stephen Curry musical number. But there was more &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/5-best-espy-award-2022-moments-including-dick-vitales-cancer-speech\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">5 best ESPY Award 2022 moments, including Dick Vitale&#8217;s cancer speech<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":24031,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/riley-and-ayesha-curry-take-shots-at-2-06-billion-worth-california-franchise-while-helping-stephen-curry-prepare-for-the-espys\/","url_meta":{"origin":21258,"position":0},"title":"Riley and Ayesha Curry take shots at $2.06 Billion worth California franchise while helping Stephen Curry prepare for the ESPYs","date":"July 24, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Warriors star Stephen Curry turns to Ayesha Curry and his daughters Riley and Ryan for jokes he can use in the ESPYs The Golden State Warriors are back to being NBA Champions. Stephen Curry took a team that many capped as a playoff team at max, and took them right\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":21148,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/golden-state-warriors-star-stephen-curry-hosts-espys-brings-awareness-to-detained-wnba-star-brittney-griner\/","url_meta":{"origin":21258,"position":1},"title":"Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry hosts ESPYS, brings awareness to detained WNBA star Brittney Griner","date":"July 21, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The Golden State Warriors were front and center at Wednesday night's ESPYS, with host Stephen Curry taking home multiple awards and bringing attention to the plight of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who is being detained in Russia.Curry, who won ESPYS for Best NBA Player and for Best Record-Breaking Performance, joined\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":20685,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2022-espys\/","url_meta":{"origin":21258,"position":2},"title":"Everything you need to know about the 2022 ESPYS","date":"July 20, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The ESPYS, ESPN's annual awards show celebrating the year in sports, is set to air Wednesday night. Here's everything you need to know about the show.Fresh off his fourth NBA championship, Golden State Warriors' star Steph Curry will be trying out his comedy chops as the host of Wednesday's awards.\"It's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":21605,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/russia-calls-out-united-states-in-brittney-griner-case-as-stephen-curry-others-speak-out-at-espys\/","url_meta":{"origin":21258,"position":3},"title":"Russia calls out United States in Brittney Griner case as Stephen Curry, others speak out at ESPYs","date":"July 21, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Russia is speaking out against the United States in the Brittney Griner case, just one day after the Phoenix Mercury star was front and center at the ESPYs.Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that the United States classifying Griner as \u201cwrongfully detained\u201d shows blatant disrespect for Russian\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/07\/21\/USAT\/f28b8996-c6ab-41f7-9525-2f3ff4ca13a1-GTY_1409978278.jpg?crop=3518,1979,x0,y0&width=660&height=372&format=pjpg&auto=webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21258"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21258"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21258\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}