The ESPYS will return on July 16, and ESPN’s annual awards show has announced several honorees who will take home their coveted awards.
ESPN announced Monday that NBA legend Oscar Robertson will receive the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, Penn State women’s volleyball head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and Los Angeles County firefighters David Walters and Erin Regan will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service.
Robertson will be honored for his fight to establish free agency in the NBA.
The Arthur Ashe Award is given to “a deserving member of the sports world who has made a difference beyond the field of play by fighting for what they believe in, ultimately impacting people worldwide.” Robertson led the charge towards what would become “restricted free agency,” paving the way for greater labor gains down the road. Past recipients of the award include the USA Gymnastics sexual abuse survivors (2018), Bill Russell (2019), and Maya Moore (2021).
Katie Schumacher-Cawley will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance after leading her team to the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship (the first female head coach to do so) while battling breast cancer. Past recipients of the award include Jim Kelly (2018), Dick Vitale (2022), and Dawn Staley (2024).
Greater Los Angeles first responders David Walters and Erin Regan will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service, presented to an individual with a strong connection to sports who has served others in a manner that embodies the legacy of the former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger, Pat Tillman.
Along with their service in the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Los Angeles City Fire Department during the recent wildfires that devastated Southern California, both are former athletes. Walters is an Olympic gold medalist, world record-holder, and NCAA champion swimmer for the University of Texas. Regan was a goalkeeper for the Wake Forest women’s soccer team, earning first-team All-ACC honors and setting several school records. Past recipients of the Pat Tillman Award for Service include Gretchen Evans (2022), the Buffalo Bills Training Staff (2023), and Prince Harry (2024).
Hosted by comedian Shane Gillis, The ESPYS will air live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 16, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and will stream live on ESPN+.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.