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ESPY Awards 2024: Serena Williams roasts Harrison Butker, Steve Gleason receives standing ovation

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ESPY Awards 2024: Serena Williams roasts Harrison Butker, Steve Gleason receives standing ovation

The 2024 ESPYs had a lot of awards, an abrupt ending for many and some interesting moments, with some of the latter coming straight from host Serena Williams.

The tennis legend definitely seemed to be having fun cracking Caitlin Clark jokes in the opening monologue and singing a song dedicated to friend/rival Maria Sharapova, but the spiciest moment of the night came from a segment alongside her sister Venus Williams and “Abbott Elementary” star Quinta Brunson.

The trio delivered a tongue-in-cheek seminar on how fans can embrace the rising world of women’s sports, and went for the throat while doing so. At one point, they told fans they could call the athletes “athlete,” “champion” or even “dumbass,” but they said in unison “”Just don’t use the b-word.” The line was a clear call-out of ESPN’s own Pat McAfee, who apologized for calling Clark a “white b**** from Indiana.”

Then the group ended it with Venus urging fans to enjoy women’s sports as just sports. Serena’s response: “Except you, Harrison Butker. We don’t need you.” Brunson’s addition: “At all, like ever.”

Add that to the pile of blowback the Kansas City Chiefs kicker received for his highly controversial commencement speech. Among those in attendance at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles was Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who defended Butker in the aftermath.

The ESPYs also featured their usual assortment of moments designed to tug at heartstrings and urge action. Dawn Staley and Nick Saban both delivered stirring speeches, Prince Harry dedicated his Pat Tillman Award to the veterans behind the Invictus Games he founded and a Maui surfing community leader urged for action against climate change in light of the latest devastating wildfire.

The most emotional moment came via Steve Gleason, the former NFL safety who was diagnosed with ALS in 2011. Despite being told he only had a few years to live, he is still with us, surviving in a wheelchair with his wife and children. He received a standing ovation as he took the stage with his son to accept the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.

A tear could be seen running down Gleason’s cheek as his speech began.

The ending of the show, however, had less grace. That was because at about 11:30 p.m. ET, some viewers reported the ending of the show getting abruptly cut off, with the late evening news taking over. The telecast started several minutes late due to ABC’s coverage of President Joe Biden’s news conference, and that might have come with consequences for ESPN.

The telecast jumped from a segment on the Maui surfing community to a speech about Prince Harry, both of which were already aired, followed by an ending montage despite the Best Team award still waiting to be revealed.

There were also awards to be given out, some in advance of the show itself. Here’s the full list.

Best athlete, men’s sports: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Best athlete, women’s sports: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Best team: South Carolina women’s basketball

Best college athlete, men’s sports: Jayden Daniels, LSU football

Best college athlete, women’s sports: Caitlin Clark, Iowa basketball

Best breakthrough athlete: Juju Watkins, USC women’s basketball

Best comeback athlete: Simone Biles, gymnast

Best record-breaking performance: Caitlin Clark breaking NCAA scoring record, Iowa

Best championship performance: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics

Best play: Lamar Jackson’s AFC championship self-catch, Baltimore Ravens

Best NFL player: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Best MLB player: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels/Los Angeles Dodgers

Best NHL player: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

Best WNBA player: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Best NBA player: Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks

Best driver: Max Verstappen, Red Bull F

Best golfer: Scottie Scheffler

Best athlete with a disability: Brenna Huckaby, snowboarder

Sports humanitarian team of the year: Angel City

Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: Steve Gleason

Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Dawn Staley

Icon Award: Nick Saban

Pat Tillman Award for Service: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award: Maui surfing community

Here’s how it all went down on Yahoo Sports:

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER22 updates

  • The ESPYs really just ended like this

    Absolutely bizarre.

  • The ESPYs telecast just abruptly ended for some people

    The ESPYs were being broadcasted on ABC, but many viewers reported around 11:30 p.m. ET that the end of the show got cut off. Keep in mind the whole thing started airing a half-hour late (on a tape delay) due to President Joe Biden’s news conference ending late. What a mess.

  • Simone Biles wins Best Comeback Athlete

    The four-time Olympic gold medalist overcame the “twisties” and returned to competition last year. She has since won four world championship titles and a full sweep of this year’s U.S. championships. Next stop: Paris.

  • Angel City co-owner Jennifer Garner accepts the team humanitarian award

    The Golden Globe winner pledged no shortage of work in the Los Angeles area and ended it with “That’s when you know a team is run by women.”

  • Another nice moment: the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award

    The Maui surfing community accepts the honor after aiding the recovery from he 2023 wildfire that ravaged Lahaina, with their leader urging viewers to take climate change more seriously.

  • Patrick Mahomes wins Best Athlete, Men’s Sports

    Andy Reid is accepting the award on the three-time Super Bowl champion’s behalf. Mahomes beat out Shohei Ohtani, Connor McDavid and Scottie Scheffler.

  • Serena Williams sings an extremely mean love song directed at old friend/rival Maria Sharapova

    Sure, why not.

  • Steve Gleason gets standing ovation while accepting Arthur Ashe Award for Courage

    Former NFL safety Steve Gleason has become one of the faces of ALS after being diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disorder in 2011. Doctors initially thought he only had a few years to live, but he’s still here, living life in a wheelchair with the support of his wife, children and other caregivers.

    ESPN named him the winner of the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage and he received a standing ovation as he took the stage with his son, with a tear visibly running down his face as his speech began. The ESPYs always try to deliver moments with meaning beyond sports, and that was their best of the night.

  • Cooper Flagg wins Gatorade Best Male Player of the Year, Sadie Engelhardt Best Female Player of the Year

    Cooper Flagg won the Gatorade Best Male Player of the Year. Flagg, the national high school player of the year at Montverde Academy (Florida), will play college basketball at Duke.

    Read more on Flagg from Yahoo Sports’ Krysten Peek.

    Best Female Player of the Year honors went to Ventura High (California) track star Sadie Engelhardt, who will continue her career at North Carolina State.

  • Nick Saban honored with ESPYs Icon Award

    Former Alabama stars Mark Ingram II and Bryce Young present Nick Saban with the Icon Award for his legendary career coaching the Crimson Tide.

    Saban won an astounding seven national championships during his 17 years at Alabama, compiling a record of 206–29. No coach has won more national titles in college football.

  • Serena and Venus Williams did a bit with Quinta Brunson about women’s sports and it got spicy

    The Williams sisters got on stage with “Abbott Elementary” star Quinta Brunson about how to enjoy women’s sports and they… had some things to talk about.

    That included them saying “Never use the B-word … you know who you are,” a likely dig at ESPN’s Pat McAfee, who apologized for calling Caitlin Clark a “white b**** from Indiana.” Then Serena ended it by responding to Venus’ urge for people to enjoy women’s sports by saying “Except for you Harrison Butker, we don’t need you.”

    There was also Serena saying “LeBron wants to win a title with his son on his team I won with my daughter, in my belly. I think we know which one is more impressive.”

  • LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson provides some music

    LSU basketball player Flau’Jae Johnson performed for her fellow athletes, and had a moment with Lil Wayne.

  • South Carolina coach Dawn Staley honored with Jimmy V Award for Perseverance

    Stuart Scott’s daughters Sydni and Taelor, along with “Abbott Elementary” star Quinta Brunson presented this year’s Jimmy V Award for Perseverance to South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley.

    Staley, a three-time NCAA championship coach, was honored for “her leadership in the fight against cancer,” becoming a major advocate for cancer research when her sister, Tracey Underwood, and former assistant Nikki McCray-Penson were diagnosed with cancer.

    Underwood received a life-saving bone marrow transplant from their brother, Lawrence, which inspired Staley to raise awareness for patient care, research and resources.

  • Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson wins Best Athlete, Women’s Sports

    Women’s basketball legend Candace Parker and USA track star Allyson Felix presented the ESPY for Best Athlete, Women’s Sports to Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson.

    Wilson, a two-time WNBA MVP, currently leads the league in scoring, averaging 26.9 points per game. Last season, she averaged 22.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks, leading the Aces to their second consecutive WNBA championship.

    Teammate Sydney Colson posted a video to social media of the Aces celebrating Wilson’s win.

  • Prince Harry honored with the Pat Tillman Award for Service

    Prince Harry received the Pat Tillman Award for Service for his work with the Invictus Games, an event for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women (serving and veterans).

    Prince Harry paid tribute to Tillman’s mother, Mary, in his acceptance speech.

    “Her advocacy for Pat’s legacy is deeply personal and one that I respect,” he said, via the New York Post. “The bond between a mother and son is eternal and transcends even the greatest losses.”

    The award was presented by three previous Tillman Award winners who also competed in the Invictus Games.

  • Celtics’ Jaylen Brown wins Best Championship Performance

    Halle Bailey and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson presented the ESPY for Best Championship Performance to Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown.

    Brown brought the Larry O’Brien championship trophy with him to the ceremony.

    In the five-game NBA Finals victory over the Dallas Mavericks, Brown averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and five assists.

    Is an ESPY award consolation for not being named to the USA Olympic men’s basketball team in favor of teammate Derrick White? If asked, that question should get quite a response.

  • JuJu Watkins wins Best Breakthrough Athlete

    Glorilla and Draymond Green (representing Michigan State‘s green and white with his tuxedo) presented the ESPY for Best Breakthrough Athlete to USC guard JuJu Watkins.

    Watkins averaged 27.1 points per game in her freshman season, in addition to 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocks.

  • ESPYs telecast delayed by President Biden press conference

    Viewers looking to tune in for the ESPYs were greeted with ABC News coverage of a President Biden press conference from the NATO Summit.

    The ABC telecast was delayed for 30 minutes while the press conference and brief commentary afterward was on the air.

    However, ABC is broadcasting the ESPYs broadcast in full, as of 8:33 p.m. ET. The show was delayed as the press conference occurred.

  • Jaylen Brown just gave a very unenthusiastic “no comment” to Cam Newton on why he’s not with the U.S. Olympic team. He’s been openly unhappy about getting snubbed from the U.S. Olympic team.

  • Shockingly, Caitlin Clark has won best college athlete in women’s sports.

  • And, of course, the host is here.

  • We’re still nearly an hour from the start of the ESPYs, but ESPN has already announced some smaller awards:

    Shohei Ohtani, MLB Player of the Year

    A’ja Wilson, WNBA Player of the Year

    Luka Doncic, NBA Player of the Year

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