Latest news with #ShaiGilgeousAlexander
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Simone Biles Among Top Winners at 2025 ESPY Awards
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Simone Biles, the Philadelphia Eagles and Ilona Maher were among the top winners at the 2025 ESPY Awards. Comedian Shane Gillis hosted the awards ceremony, presented by ESPN, on Wednesday night live from The Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. A plethora of awards were handed out to an array of athletes in varying categories, including the coveted titles of best athlete in men's and women's sports, which went to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Simone Biles, respectively. More from The Hollywood Reporter How to Watch the 2025 ESPY Awards Online First-Time Nominee Cooper Koch Is "Devastated" Over Emmy Snubs for Two of His 'Monsters' Co-Stars Emmys: Listen to 66 Nominees on THR's 'Awards Chatter' Podcast Gilgeous-Alexander was nominated alongside the likes of Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills), Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia Eagles) and Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers), while Biles was up against Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (track and field), Gabby Thomas (track and field) and A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces). Other top winners of the night included Team USA rugby player Maher, who won the honor of best breakthrough athlete. In addition to her best athlete win, Biles picked up the title of best championship performance for her 2024 Olympics women's all-around set that saw her win the gold medal. Biles' team USA teammate, Suni Lee, was honored with the best comeback athlete award, while NFL star Barkley earned the best play win for his backwards hurdle during the Philadelphia Eagles' Nov. 3 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The title of best team went to the Philadelphia Eagles (who notably won the Super Bowl earlier this year), while additional 'best player' awards were given out to athletes in the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA and WNBA, as well as in the driving, UFC, boxing, soccer, golf and tennis categories. The full list of 2025 ESPYs winners follows. BEST ATHLETE – MEN'S SPORTSShai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder BEST ATHLETE – WOMEN'S SPORTSSimone Biles – Gymnast BEST BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETEIlona Maher – Rugby BEST RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCEAlexander Ovechkin – Washington Capitals BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCESimone Biles – 2024 Olympics Women's All-Around BEST COMEBACK ATHLETESuni Lee – Gymnast BEST PLAYSaquon Barkley's backwards hurdle – NFL (11/3/24) BEST TEAMPhiladelphia Eagles – NFL BEST COLLEGE ATHLETE – MEN'S SPORTSCooper Flagg – Duke Basketball BEST COLLEGE ATHLETE – WOMEN'S SPORTSJuJu Watkins – USC Basketball BEST ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITYNoah Elliott – Snowboard BEST NFL PLAYERSaquon Barkley – Philadelphia Eagles BEST MLB PLAYERShohei Ohtani – Los Angeles Dodgers BEST NHL PLAYERLeon Draisaitl – Edmonton Oilers, BEST NBA PLAYERShai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder BEST WNBA PLAYERCaitlin Clark – Indiana Fever BEST DRIVERMax Verstappen – F1 BEST UFC FIGHTERMerab Dvalishvili BEST BOXERKatie Taylor BEST SOCCER PLAYERChristian Pulisic – AC Milan, US BEST GOLFERScottie Scheffler BEST TENNIS PLAYERCoco Gauff GATORADE BEST FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEARJane Hendengren (cross country, track and field) GATORADE BEST MALE PLAYER OF THE YEARCameron Boozer (basketball) Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein sounds off on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's ‘ego'
The post Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein sounds off on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 'ego' appeared first on ClutchPoints. Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein reflected on his first season with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league's Most Valuable Player, scoring title champion, and NBA Finals MVP. In a recent interview with Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George, Hartenstein reflected on winning two seven-game series en route to his and the franchise's first championship, as well as what makes Gilgeous-Alexander such a special player and teammate. Amid Gilgeous-Alexander's accolades, national praise, and ascension to stardom in the 2024-25 season, Hartenstein says the MVP's humble approach to leading the Thunder's offense stands out most, per Podcast P with Paul George. 'He has no ego. There's no I'm just gonna score, I'm trying to make it by myself — it's never that,' Hartenstein said. 'There were even times at the beginning of the season where he threw me a pass, he got trapped, and I threw it to the next man to get a shot. And I'm like, 'Sorry. I'll finish it next time to get you an assist,' and he's like I don't care. I just wanna win. So, do whatever you need. Even if he's putting up those huge numbers, he's not searching them.' Gilgeous-Alexander's effort on defense sets the right example in his role as the Thunder's leader. 'He's trying to make the team as best as possible,' Hartenstein added. 'Him playing on both ends of the court — I think that's something that's super underrated. He plays defense. You can't just go pick on him, and he tries on defense. It's not like I settled for five seconds. I'm tired. I'm gonna just chill on defense. He doesn't do that. When you see that, it just gives us the push, gives us the confidence that he's gonna do it on both sides of the court, for sure.' Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.3 points on 44.3% shooting, 5.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game in the Thunder's seven-game NBA Finals series against the Indiana Pacers. Isaiah Hartenstein on the Nuggets, Pacers en route to Thunder title Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein addressed Stephen A Smith's old take and why the Nuggets were a tougher series compared to the Pacers in the NBA Finals. 'We were always confident throughout the series,' Hartenstein said. 'I think the only series where we were kind of a little bit against the ropes was Denver — just Jokic. The way they play. They've been there before, and that's probably the only series where we were like, even if we do everything right, they probably still have a chance. Every other series, we were like, if we do the right things, we're good.' Hartenstein helped the Thunder win its first championship in franchise history. Related: Thunder star Jalen Williams roasted by fans for recreating Kobe Bryant injury photo Related: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 10 greatest accolades, ranked
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tyrese Haliburton breaks down Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander path to becoming MVP
The post Tyrese Haliburton breaks down Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander path to becoming MVP appeared first on ClutchPoints. Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton recently offered high praise for Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander while appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, reflecting on the Thunder's dominance and Gilgeous-Alexander's ascension to MVP status during the 2024–25 NBA season. Haliburton, who is currently recovering from a torn Achilles sustained in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, commended Gilgeous-Alexander for his ability to control games and efficiently score at all three levels. The two All-Star guards faced off in the NBA Finals, where the Thunder defeated the Pacers in a tightly contested seven-game series. When asked whether Indiana expected Oklahoma City's offensive explosiveness and whether Gilgeous-Alexander is the best offensive player in the league, Haliburton acknowledged the Thunder's strength and Gilgeous-Alexander's elite skill set. 'I mean we definitely expected it. They were the best team in the NBA all year,' Haliburton said. 'Shai is the MVP for a reason – he gets paint touches at an elite level… He doesn't come across stature-wise as this big, bulky guy, but he does a great job. He gets to his spots, can score at all three levels, he's MVP for a reason. I mean the season he put together [is] one of the greatest seasons in NBA history.' Tyrese Haliburton reflects on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP rise after Finals clash Gilgeous-Alexander, 27, averaged 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, five rebounds, 1.7 steals, and one block per game while shooting 51.9% from the field and 37.5% from three over 76 games. His consistency and late-game execution helped power Oklahoma City to a franchise-best 68–14 regular-season record, earning him the 2025 NBA Most Valuable Player award. The Thunder's postseason run further cemented Gilgeous-Alexander's place among the league's elite. In the 2025 NBA Finals, he averaged 30.3 points, 5.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 44.3% from the field across seven games against the Pacers. His Game 7 performance — 29 points, 12 assists, five rebounds, two blocks, and a steal — was pivotal in Oklahoma City's 103–91 championship-clinching win. The Finals MVP award capped off a historic year for the Thunder guard. Days after winning the title, Gilgeous-Alexander signed a four-year, $285 million contract extension to remain the face of Oklahoma City's franchise. Haliburton's praise adds to the growing admiration Gilgeous-Alexander has received from peers across the league. The Pacers guard, who played a central role in Indiana's first Finals appearance since 2000, had averaged 17.3 points, 8.6 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game in the 2025 postseason before suffering his injury in the decisive Game 7. As both franchises look toward the future, the Finals matchup between Gilgeous-Alexander and Haliburton may mark the beginning of a budding rivalry between two of the NBA's premier young guards. For now, Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP campaign and title run stand as the defining story of the 2024–25 season. Related: Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein's 'funny' response to Stephen A. Smith diss Related: Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joins Stone Cold Steve Austin with rare honor
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shares wisdom and 'aura' with aspiring basketball players
It was a very special day for some young basketball players in Toronto, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was in town for an event hosted by his father Vaughan's non-profit. The NBA all-star, MVP, and champion shared some words of wisdom, as well as his 'aura' with those who attended. CBC's Lane Harrison has the story.
CBC
4 days ago
- Sport
- CBC
NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shares wisdom and 'aura' with aspiring basketball players
It was a very special day for some young basketball players in Toronto, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was in town for an event hosted by his father Vaughan's non-profit. The NBA all-star, MVP, and champion shared some words of wisdom, as well as his 'aura' with those who attended. CBC's Lane Harrison has the story.
