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The ESPYS brought some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment to New York on Wednesday night, a day that typically ranks among the slowest on the sports calendar.
But this year’s ceremony was preceded by a World Cup semi-final in Atlanta, already described as an instant classic. Lionel Messi and Argentina booked their ticket to a second consecutive World Cup final with victory against England. The defending champions will meet Spain on Saturday in neighboring New Jersey, just steps across the Hudson River from where comedian Marcello Hernández opened the ESPYS.
The “Saturday Night Live” star wasted no time in attacking Jake Paul, Tiger Woods and other sports figures.
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Marcello Hernández speaks onstage during the 2026 ESPY Awards at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York. (Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
“Mike Tyson snatched my watch. Welcome to the ESPYS!” Hernández joked after making a dress boxing-style entrance with Tyson in his entourage.
“I have to say it’s an honor to be here among so many great athletes and Jake Paul,” Hernández began his roughly 10-minute monologue.
Paul appeared to take the joke in stride, laughing and clapping as cameras filmed him in the crowd. Hernández then stayed on the YouTube star turned boxer, goading him on his history of fighting older opponents.
“Jake, it’s just a joke. Don’t fight me,” Hernández continued. “My father and my father-in-law are both here. They’re over 50 and I know that’s how you like them. So fight them instead.”
Paul continued to laugh as Hernández’s piece played, eventually ending with the comedian directing his attention to his father and stepfather, who were shown in the audience.
Vibe at ESPYS 2026 at the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Square on July 15, 2026, in New York, New York. (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
Hernández then used Caleb Williams’ cover of “Madden 27” as a lead to Woods.
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“I want to congratulate Caleb Williams, the Chicago Bears quarterback, who will be on the cover of the new Madden video game. Congratulations to Caleb,” Hernández said, before adding: “And Tiger Woods will be on the cover of Grand Theft Auto.”
Woods was arrested in Florida in March for drunken driving after a car accident. The arrest report states a deputy found painkillers in his pocket and observed signs of impairment at the scene. Woods later announced he would step away from golf to seek treatment.
Hernández also incorporated North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick into the monologue, using the 74-year-old’s relationship with Jordon Hudson as part of a joke about the New York Knicks’ title drought.
“The Knicks won their first championship since 1973. And to give a sense of the times, in 1973, hockey players didn’t wear helmets, basketball didn’t have a three-point line. And in 1973, Bill Belichick was the age his girlfriend is now.”
The Knicks went on to win the ESPY for Best Team.
Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and other members of the Knicks’ 2025-26 championship team took the stage to accept the award, but Josh Hart was noticeably absent. Brunson drew laughter by joking, “I want to thank the ESPYS for pulling Josh Hart’s invite.”
Earlier in the evening, Brunson also received the “Best Championship Performance” award.
Jalen Brunson accepts the award for Best Championship Performance on stage during the 2026 ESPY Awards at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York on July 15, 2026. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for W+P)
Former NBA player Jason Collins, who died in May at age 47 following a battle with stage 4 glioblastoma, was posthumously awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Former MLB pitcher Jim Abbott received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, while Scott Ruskan received the Pat Tillman Award for Service.
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The ESPYS take place each summer and bring together top athletes and other stars to celebrate the best sporting moments of the past year while honoring individuals recognized for their courage, service and impact. In recent years, the ceremony was held in Los Angeles, but this year it moved to New York.
