MIC DROP! | Stephen Curry ESPY Max Dissed Lebron, Celtics | Jonas Valanciunas MOCKS Lebron James
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The Golden State Warriors were front and center at Wednesday night's ESPYS, with host Stephen Curry taking home multiple awards and bringing attention to the plight of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who is being detained in Russia.
Curry, who won ESPYS for Best NBA Player and for Best Record-Breaking Performance, joined WNBA players Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith to address Griner's status during the show. The United States considers Griner wrongfully detained.
"It's been 153 nights now that BG has been wrongfully detained thousands of miles away from home, away from her family, away from her friends, away from her team,'' Diggins-Smith said at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. "All throughout that time, we've kept her in our thoughts and in our hearts even though we know that ain't nearly enough to bring her home, y'all."
Wearing Griner's Phoenix Mercury jersey under his tracksuit, Curry noted the effort being made to free Griner.
"But as we hope for the best, we urge the entire global sports community to continue to stay energized on her behalf,'' he said. "She's one of us, the team of athletes in this room tonight and all over the world. A team that has nothing to do with politics or global conflict."
They were applauded by Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner, who was in the audience.
In accepting her ESPYS award for Best Play, U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe also drew attention to Griner.
"I think honestly what we've witnessed tonight is the importance of sport and how much we can bring and how much we can get done in the world with our collective power," Rapinoe said. "Every time we say her name, it puts pressure on everyone -- puts pressure on the administration, puts pressure on Russia. The most striking thing is that BG isn't here. BG deserves to be free.
"We can support her more and let her know that we love her so much."
In addition to Curry's two awards, his teammate Klay Thompson won the award for Best Comeback. Thompson made his triumphant return to action Jan. 9, after being sidelined for more than two years while rehabbing a pair of career-altering injuries.
"It's just an incredible honor," Thompson said.
The Warriors also took home the award for Best Team.
It was the 29th year of the ESPYS, an event that helps raise awareness and funds for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. That charity was founded by ESPN and the late basketball coach Jim Valvano at the first ESPYS in 1993.
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry hosted the ESPYs on Wednesday night, and he couldn’t help but get a perfect jab in during his opening monologue.
Curry, who hosted ESPN’s annual awards show at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, almost immediately took aim at Los Angeles Lakers star and former ESPYs host LeBron James.
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