What other athletes have hosted the ESPYs before Steph Curry?
In the 29 editions of the ESPYs there have now only been six occasions where an athlete hosted. Let’s take a look at who they were!
On Wednesday night, the Warriors star joined the ranks a variety of other sporting stars who have hosted the prestigious event over the years and he didn’t disappoint.
Steph Curry had a busy night at the 2022 ESPYs
Juggling between host and awards recipient, Steph Curry had his hands full on Wednesday night at the 2022 ESPYs. The Warriors star picked up the awards for Best NBA Player, Best Record-Breaking Performance and also the group award for Best Team which the Golden State Warriors won on the back of their fourth title a month ago. Yet, it was his gift of the gab that caught the eye on a night when the sporting world’s best and brightest stars were celebrated at the 29th edition of the sports award show. Indeed, in his opening monologue the NBA’s three-point king had a host of things to say, but perhaps the best was the joke he made at LeBron James’ expense. Take a look below before we get into what other famous athletes have enjoyed the honor of hosting the big night.
Which athletes have hosted the ESPYs?
While it may come as a surprise, Curry is only the ninth athlete to host the ESPYs in its 29-year history. Controversial cyclist Lance Armstrong was the first to do so, when he hosted the 14th edition of the award show back in 2006. Armstrong was then followed by Lakers star LeBron James, who co-hosted the event with comedian Jimmy Kimmel in 2007. A few years would go by, with the likes of Justin Timberlake and Samuel L. Jackson taking on hosting duties to name a few, before we returned to athletes once again.
It was the inimitable John Cena, who got things running once again in 2016, followed by NFL legend Peyton Manning the next year and NASCAR icon Danica Patrick in 2018. Interestingly, Curry disclosed that he actually reached out to Manning, along with former host Drake, for advice on how to perform his duties. Then we had the 2020 ESPYs, which were co-hosted by WNBA star Sue Bird, women’s soccer great Megan Rapinoe and one of the NFL’s most prolific quarterbacks, Russell Wilson. It marked the second time that the ESPYs were hosted by more than one person since Kimmel and James did it back in 2006.
Which athletes have hosted the ESPYs while still active?
Being a retired legend of a sport, likely brings a unique perspective when given the opportunity to speak on fellow athletes at an award show. On the other hand, the same can obviously be said for those who are still active, which makes for an interesting look into how athletes from differing sports think of and interact with each other. It’s curious to note the hosts of the ESPYs who were still active when they were given the mic’ and the stage.
Among the eight athletes who previously handled the show, five of them were still playing their respective sport at the time: James, Cena, Bird, Rapinoe and Wilson. With that said, Curry is now the sixth active athlete to host ESPSYs and one can imagine it was all the more special given that he just won an NBA title.