Russell Westbrook Honored at ESPYS After Historic Season
The 25th annual ESPY Awards were filled with plenty of laughs and jokes, including one notable jab from host Peyton Manning toward Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and if you didn't see it, you can only guess what it was about. Despite Westbrook not being too fond of the joke, he had to be happy with being named Best Male Athlete later on in the night. This is after he averaged a triple-double this past season and broke Oscar Robertson's record for most triple-doubles in a season with 42 of them. He led the NBA in scoring at 31.6 points and finished third in assists with 10.4, while adding 10.7 rebounds, en route to the NBA MVP Award three weeks ago. The Thunder's star beat out the likes of Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs, and Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps for the honors. He led OKC to the playoffs seemingly by himself, and now he moves on with the major addition of Paul George, who was introduced in Oklahoma City on Wednesday afternoon.
Warriors Take Home Best Team After Another NBA Title
Kevin Durant had a laugh of his own, actually a couple, with the big one being his Golden State Warriors winning the award for Best Team in sports. This is after cruising through the Western Conference and the Cleveland Cavaliers for their second title in three seasons. Durant earned his first Finals Trophy after falling to LeBron James and the Miami Heat in his only other Finals appearance. He was also named Finals MVP, making him the first player to win it in his first season with a team since 1969, His 35.2 points per game, 50 percent shooting from the floor, and 40 percent from three-point range led him to also winning the award for Best Championship Performance. Durant, along with Steph Curry and Zaza Pachulia accepted the award on behalf of Golden State, who was also without head coach Steve Kerr for much of their playoff run. Their Game-5 win over the Cavs capped off a 16-1 record in the postseason, and despite the moves being made around the league, no one looks to be enough to stop the unbelievable Warriors.
Cubs' World Series Win Named Best Moment
Another major award was an obvious winner due to recent history, as the Chicago Cubs' World Series win over the Cleveland Indians was named the Best Moment of the Year. The series itself was award-worthy after going seven games, including Game 7 going 10 innings with a controversial rain delay in Cleveland. It ended with the Cubs snapping their 108-year title drought with an 8-7 win over the Indians in the decisive game. They also became the first team to overcome a 3-1 series deficit in a win, led by former Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon. Longtime Cubs fan and beloved actor Bill Murray accepted the award, along with former Cubs catcher, and current ESPN MLB analyst, David Ross. The veteran had a key home run off of top reliever Andrew Miller in Game 7, which was the final game of his career. He joined Murray on stage at the ESPYS, and they were joined by another Cubs' fan, and actor, Nick Offerman. Unfortunately for the fans at Wrigley Field, their team has struggled this season in their title defense, but they are still well within striking distance at the All-Star break with a record hovering around .500.
The 25th annual ESPY Awards were filled with plenty of laughs and jokes, including one notable jab from host Peyton Manning toward Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and if you didn't see it, you can only guess what it was about. Despite Westbrook not being too fond of the joke, he had to be happy with being named Best Male Athlete later on in the night. This is after he averaged a triple-double this past season and broke Oscar Robertson's record for most triple-doubles in a season with 42 of them. He led the NBA in scoring at 31.6 points and finished third in assists with 10.4, while adding 10.7 rebounds, en route to the NBA MVP Award three weeks ago. The Thunder's star beat out the likes of Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs, and Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps for the honors. He led OKC to the playoffs seemingly by himself, and now he moves on with the major addition of Paul George, who was introduced in Oklahoma City on Wednesday afternoon.
Warriors Take Home Best Team After Another NBA Title
Kevin Durant had a laugh of his own, actually a couple, with the big one being his Golden State Warriors winning the award for Best Team in sports. This is after cruising through the Western Conference and the Cleveland Cavaliers for their second title in three seasons. Durant earned his first Finals Trophy after falling to LeBron James and the Miami Heat in his only other Finals appearance. He was also named Finals MVP, making him the first player to win it in his first season with a team since 1969, His 35.2 points per game, 50 percent shooting from the floor, and 40 percent from three-point range led him to also winning the award for Best Championship Performance. Durant, along with Steph Curry and Zaza Pachulia accepted the award on behalf of Golden State, who was also without head coach Steve Kerr for much of their playoff run. Their Game-5 win over the Cavs capped off a 16-1 record in the postseason, and despite the moves being made around the league, no one looks to be enough to stop the unbelievable Warriors.
Cubs' World Series Win Named Best Moment
Another major award was an obvious winner due to recent history, as the Chicago Cubs' World Series win over the Cleveland Indians was named the Best Moment of the Year. The series itself was award-worthy after going seven games, including Game 7 going 10 innings with a controversial rain delay in Cleveland. It ended with the Cubs snapping their 108-year title drought with an 8-7 win over the Indians in the decisive game. They also became the first team to overcome a 3-1 series deficit in a win, led by former Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon. Longtime Cubs fan and beloved actor Bill Murray accepted the award, along with former Cubs catcher, and current ESPN MLB analyst, David Ross. The veteran had a key home run off of top reliever Andrew Miller in Game 7, which was the final game of his career. He joined Murray on stage at the ESPYS, and they were joined by another Cubs' fan, and actor, Nick Offerman. Unfortunately for the fans at Wrigley Field, their team has struggled this season in their title defense, but they are still well within striking distance at the All-Star break with a record hovering around .500.
