ESPY 2022 Winners: Awards Results, Recap, Top Moments and Twitter Reaction

The 2022 ESPY Awards took place Wednesday at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, with some of the best players, teams and moments in sports being honored.

This year, Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry was tabbed to host after winning his fourth NBA title in a Finals victory over the Boston Celtics.

Curry was one of the show's many highlights. Here's a look at the award winners, top moments and reaction from one of the most memorable nights in sports.

Award Winners

Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Dick Vitale

Pat Tillman Award for Service: Gretchen Evans

Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: Vitali Klitschko

Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year: Denver Broncos

Sports Humanitarian League of the Year: WNBA

Best MMA Fighter: Charles Oliveira

Best College Athlete, Women's Sports: Jocelyn Alo, Oklahoma softball

Best College Athlete, Men's Sports: Bryce Young, Alabama football

Best MLB Player: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels

Best NFL Player: Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

Best NBA Player: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Best Game: Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Buffalo Bills in OT (AFC Divisional Game)

Best Championship Performance: Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams—Super Bowl LVI

Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award: Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals

Best Breakthrough Athlete: Eileen Gu, Olympic freestyle skier

Best Athlete, Women's Sports: Katie Ledecky, Olympic swimmer

Best Record-Breaking Performance: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors—three-point record

Best Play: Megan Rapinoe, USWNT

Best Comeback Athlete: Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors

Best Athlete, Men's Sports: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels

Best Team: Golden State Warriors

Full results available at ESPN

Recap, Top Moments and Reaction

Curry kicked off the evening by roasting Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and explaining that he understands why Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady un-retired.

Curry also roasted the Boston Celtics' Grant Williams, telling him he might let him wear a championship ring. The four-time NBA champion also took a few other jabs at the Celtics throughout the night.

St. Louis Cardinals veteran Albert Pujols was the winner of the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award for his charitable work, including the Pujols Family Foundation:

"Our mission is to live and share our commitment to faith, family and others. To promote awareness, provide hope and meet tangible needs for children and families who live with Down syndrome. To improve the standard of living and quality of life for impoverished people in the Dominican Republic through education, medical relief and tangible goods. To provide extraordinary experiences for children with disabilities and/or life threatening illnesses."

Retired Army Command Sergeant Major Gretchen Evans was this year's winner of the Pat Tillman Award for Service after founding Team UNBROKEN, which is "an adaptive racing team of mostly veterans who have experienced life-altering injuries, illness or traumas," per Owen Simpson and Evan Nemec of KTXS.

Eileen Gu, who is an American-born Olympic freestyle skier, was the winner of this year's Breakout Athlete of the Year Award after winning three medals at the Beijing Games.

Gu opted to compete for China at the Olympics instead of the United States. Her mother is from Beijing, and she hoped to inspire millions of young people in China by competing for the country.

"I am proud of my heritage and equally proud of my American upbringings," she wrote on Instagram when announcing her decision to compete for China. "Through skiing, I hope to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations. If I can help to inspire one young girl to break a boundary, my wishes will have come true."

Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky, who won the ESPY for Best Athlete, Women's Sports, had a special message for young athletes.

Vitali Klitschko, a former boxer and the current mayor of Kyiv, Ukraine, won this year's Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. He was elected mayor of Kyiv in 2014 and is helping lead Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian military invasion.

Throughout the evening, various athletes used their time at the podium to express support for Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia since February (153 days). Curry, Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Megan Rapinoe all pushed for Griner's return.

Legendary ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale won the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance after announcing in April that he was cancer-free and returning to the sideline to call games.

Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson won the Best Comeback Athlete Award and dedicated his acceptance speech to Kobe and Gianna Bryant, who were among the nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, in January 2020.

Thompson won the award after missing the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons with a torn ACL and a torn Achilles. He returned to the court in 2021-22 and helped lead the Warriors to an NBA title.

With the 30th annual ESPYs in the books, athletes will now begin their quest to reach the big stage again in 2023.