Warriors' Steph Curry, Olympian Alysa Liu represent Oakland at ESPYs

OAKLAND, Calif. - Two of Oakland's sports icons represented the town at the 2026 ESPYS Awards, or the annual Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards, that happened on Wednesday at Gotham Hall in New York City. 

Golden State Warriors point guard and four-time NBA champion, Stephen Curry brought his love for Oakland's community to the stage with a shout-out after accepting the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.

Alysa Liu, an Olympic gold medalist and Oakland native, won the Best Breakthrough Athlete Award after her accomplishments, glitzy gold costume and energetic figure skating shot her into stardom.

2026 Best Breakthrough Athlete Award: Alysa Liu

What they're saying:

Before making history at the Winter Olympics in Milan back in February, Liu had retired from competitive ice skating to focus on bettering her mental health from April 2022 to when she came back to competing in March 2024.

Her return to the sport was momentous as she won gold in both Women's Singles and the Mixed Team event, making her the first woman on Team USA to win gold in singles since 2002. 

"First of all, I'm really honored to be given this award," Liu said in her acceptance speech on stage. "I've been in my sport since I was 5 years old, and I had some really rough times in it. I took two years off. So, for me, this really feels like I broke through in my own way, for myself and for my sport."

Liu took home the award as the only woman nominated in this category, winning over the other nominees: New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza and San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini. 

In her speech, she thanked her team, especially her coaches, Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali, who helped her physically and mentally get through the two-year hiatus she had. She said they truly "helped me break through." 

Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award: Stephen Curry 

What they're saying:

ESPN recognized the philanthropic work of Curry and his wife, Ayesha Curry, under their co-founded foundation "Eat. Learn. Play.," that aims to support youth development in Oakland by investing in community-driven programming. 

"When you invest in a child, you're investing in everything that's possible for their future," Curry said in his acceptance speech. "And we want to be able to make sure that every kid has the help it needs to thrive and to have the best childhood possible. And that's something that's priceless." 

According to ESPN, the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award is given to an athlete whose continuous, demonstrated leadership has created a measurable positive impact on their community through sports while embracing principles the boxer Ali embodied, like confidence, dedication and being giving. 

The foundation has since provided 35 million meals to kids and families who've experienced food insecurity, and committed more than $20 million to literacy programs and resources that have distributed over 1 million books to Oakland students. 

The foundation has transformed 24 school grounds and six gyms, creating environments where students can play and be active. According to ESPN, the Currys cover all operating costs, so all the donations received directly support Oakland youth. 

Curry said that even though they've committed a lot of money to getting the job done, he's aware that there's more work to do because what they're building was never meant to just stay in Oakland.

"Oakland is our adoptive hometown. Where I spent the first 10 years with the Warriors, where we won our first three championships and where Aisha and I grew up as adults in so many ways," said Curry in his speech. "And this city, it wrapped its arms around us from the very beginning. And this is how we continue to give back."

Curry encouraged those listening to "find their Oakland," meaning to find where they can make their own impact. He thanked the Eat Learn Play Foundation team, the fans' support, but "most importantly," the city of Oakland and the kids they are able to serve. 

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