Nowitzki, Griffin, Fredette, Vonn Among ESPY Winners
The awards keep piling up for Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks. Almost a month to the day after winning the franchise's first NBA championship in stunning fashion, the Mavericks claimed yet another victory, winning three ESPY awards Wednesday night, including the big one that could not have been more aptly named -- Best Team.
"I'm so humbled and honored by this. It's been an unreal year for all of us on the Mavericks," a still starry-eyed Nowitzki said after receiving the award.
The Mavericks' future Hall of Famer also walked away as the recipient of the Best Male Athlete award for his role in the stunning six game NBA Finals upset of the Miami Heat. Dallas' always calm and collected coach, Rick Carlisle, was awarded the trophy for Best Coach/Manager.
All in all, the ceremony was a perfect capper to a dream year for the embattled NBA franchise. A full list of the night's honors can be read below.
- Best Team: Dallas Mavericks.
- Best Male Athlete: Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki.
- Best Female Athlete: reigning Olympic downhill champion and three-time overall World Cup ski champion Lindsey Vonn.
- Best Championship Performance: Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas.
- Best Coach/Manager: Dallas Mavericks' Rick Carlisle.
- Best Play: Abby Wambach's crunch time header against Brazil to keep the U.S. woman's soccer team alive in the World Cup.
- Breakthrough Athlete: Los Angeles Clippers rookie Blake Griffin.
- Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: Dewey Bozella.
- Best NBA Player: Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki.
- Best Male College Athlete: BYU's Jimmer Fredette
- Jimmy V Award: NCAA wrestling champion Anthony Robles of Arizona State.
- Best Game: DeSean Jackson leading the Philadelphia Eagles' to a stunning comeback, 38-31, over the New York Giants. Philadelphia scored 28 points over the last 7 minutes, 18 seconds, capped off with a brilliant Jackson punt return touchdown, to topple the Giants from first in the NFC East.
- Best Upset: VCU men's basketball team's run to the Final Four.
- Best NFL Player: Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers.
- Best MLB Player: pitcher Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies
- Best Moment: pitcher Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies
- Best Driver: five-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.
- Best WNBA Player: Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury.
- Best Fighter: Manny Pacquiao.
- Best Male Golfer: U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy.
- Best Record-Breaking Performance: U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy.
- Best Female Golfer: Cristie Kerr.
- Best Male Tennis Player: Rafael Nadal.
- Best Female Tennis Player: Serena Williams.
- Best Female College Athlete: Maya Moore of Connecticut.
- Best Male Action Sport Athlete: Shaun White.
- Best Female Action Sport Athlete: Stephanie Gilmore.
- Best Jockey: John Velasquez.
- Best Male Athlete with a Disability: Arizona State wrestler Anthony Robles.
- Best Female Athlete with a Disability: swimmer Mallory Weggemann.
- Best Bowler: Jason Belmonte.
- Best MLS Player: Landon Donovan.
- Best Track and Field Athlete: sprinter Tyson Gay.
- Best Comeback: former Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich.
- Strongest NFL Performance: Arian Foster of the Houston Texans.
- Capital One Cup: Stanford women's athletics and Florida men's athletics.
- Best Sports Movie: "The Fighter".
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