Ever since Jim Valvano delivered quite possibly the most moving acceptance speech of all time at the 1993 ESPY Awards, the sporting world’s answer to the Oscars have had a thing for tear-jerking oration.
And last night’s edition didn’t disappoint, with a trio of speeches that ran the gamut from the tragic to the triumphant to the regrettably topical.
If you missed the broadcast, here are the three speeches you need to know.
#1. Lebron, D-Wade, Melo and CP3 call on athletes to renounce violence and lead the conversation in their communities on improving race relations in America.
#2. Sideline goofball sideline reporter Craig Sager — who has been publicly battling leukemia since 2014 — tearfully accepts the Jimmy V Perseverance Award.
#3. Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry, who won Comeback Athlete of the Year after defeating Hodgkins lymphoma and returning to the Pro Bowl, on the importance of “honor and legacy.”
And because you’re likely now lap-deep in a pool of sweet, salty man tears, here’s Craig Sager showing off the fresh kicks Nike sent him for the ceremony:
Image via Kevin Winter/Getty Image
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