Steph Curry joins select list of athletes to host prestigious ESPY Awards

Stephen Curry, Finals MVP and reigning NBA Champion, was announced as the host of the 30th edition of the prestigious ESPY Awards, to be held on July 20, 2022.

A three-time ESPY winner himself, Curry had previously attended the show, but had never hosted it.

“I’ve had the pleasure of attending The ESPYS but never imagined I’d have the privilege of hosting this special event. As someone who loves the intersection of sports and entertainment, I look forward to delivering an exciting show for the fans while we celebrate the athletes who created the top moments of the year,” the 34-year-old said in a statement.

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Curry, on July 20, is now set to join a select list of athletes who have hosted the ESPYs, a sports awards show that has, since its founding in 1993, been traditionally hosted by actors and entertainers, including the likes of Jamie Foxx and Samuel L Jackson, John Goodman, Seth Meyers, and Justin Timberlake.

Here are the other athletes who had the privilege of hosting the ESPYs.

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Lance Armstrong – 14th ESPY Awards, 2006:

Former professional cyclist Lance Armstrong, considered to be a sporting great for winning the Tour de France seven times in a row between 1999 and 2005, became the first athlete to host an ESPY Awards ceremony in 2006, when he was at the peak of his career.

LeBron James – 15th ESPY Awards, 2007:

A 22-year-old rising star at the time, basketball legend LeBron James co-hosted the 15th edition of the ESPY Awards with famed late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.

John Cena – 24th ESPY Awards, 2016:

Professional wrestler-turned-actor and WWE superstar John Cena, widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, hosted the 24th ESPY Awards in 2016, a show he described as “three hours of everything.”

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Peyton Manning – 25th ESPY Awards, 2017:

Former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, regarded as one of NFL’s greatest, hosted the 25th edition of the awards. Nicknamed ‘the Sheriff’, Peyton is a two-time Super Bowl champion and one-time Super Bowl MVP.

Danica Patrick – 26th ESPY Awards, 2018:

Danica Patrick, the must successful woman in the history of American open-wheel car racing and the only woman to win an IndyCar Series race, hosted the EPSYs in 2018.

Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Russell Wilson – 28th ESPY Awards, 2020:

Four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird, two-time FIFA World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe, and Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson became the first trio to co-host the ESPYs in 2020.