ESPY Awards 2016: List of Known Presenters for Wednesday's Show

It's all about honoring the past before turning an eye toward the future at Wednesday's 2016 ESPY Awards.

The event, hosted by WWE's John Cena, will shine a spotlight not only on the biggest events and people of the past year but also on inspirational, generation-encompassing presences such as Craig Sager and Muhammad Ali.

As usual, the biggest names will attend during the quiet week of MLB's All-Star Game and serve as anything from nominees to presenters to award recipients and more.

Day	Time (ET)	Location	TV
Wednesday	8 p.m.	Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles	ABC

It's a historic occasion, with the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles serving as the backdrop for a stacked slate of awards with little in the way of clear-cut winners. 

For context's sake, here's a look at the awards and nominees:

Award	Nominee	Nominee	Nominee	Nominee	Nominee
Best Male Athlete	Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors	Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers	Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals	LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers	N/A
Best Female Athlete	Breanna Stewart, UConn women's basketball	Elena Delle Donne, Chicago Sky	Katie Ledecky, swimming	Simone Biles, gymnastics	N/A
Best Championship Performance	Von Miller, Denver Broncos	Carli Lloyd, U.S. women's national soccer team	Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins	LeBron James, Cavaliers	N/A
Best Breakthrough Athlete	Jake Arrieta, Chicago Cubs	Conor McGregor, MMA	Chloe Kim, snowboarding	Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves	N/A
Best Record-Breaking Performance	Stephen Curry's 402 three-pointers	Geno Auriemma's 11th national championship with UConn women's basketball	Christian McCaffrey's 3,864 all-purpose yards	N/A	N/A
Best Upset	Holly Holm's KO of Ronda Rousey	No. 15 Middle Tennessee win over No. 2 Michigan St. in NCAA tournament	Roberta Vinci's win over Serena Williams at U.S. Open	N/A	N/A
Best Game	UNC vs. Villanova in NCAA men's basketball final	Arizona Cardinals vs. Green Bay Packers, NFC Divisional Playoffs	Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors, NBA Finals	N/A	N/A
Best Team	Cleveland Cavaliers	Pittsburgh Penguins	Kansas City Royals	Denver Broncos	Villanova men's basketball
Best Team (cont.)	Alabama football	UConn women's basketball	N/A	N/A	N/A
Best Coach/Manager	Ned Yost, Kansas City Royals	Geno Auriemma, UConn women's basketball	Jay Wright, Villanova men's basketball	Nick Saban, Alabama Crimson Tide football	Tyronn Lue, Cleveland Cavaliers
Best MLB Player	Bryce Harper, Nationals	Jake Arrieta, Cubs	Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays	Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels	Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
Best NHL Player	Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks	Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals	Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins	Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks	Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
Best Fighter	Conor McGregor, MMA	Gennady Golovkin, Boxing	Canelo Alvarez, Boxing	Robbie Lawler, MMA	Roman Gonzalez, Boxing
Best NFL Player	Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers	Tom Brady, New England Patriots	J.J. Watt, Houston Texans	Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers	Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons
Best NBA Player	Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors	Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs	LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers	Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder	Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Best WNBA Player	Elena Delle Donne, Chicago Sky	Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx	Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta Dream	Tina Charles, New York Liberty	DeWanna Bonner, Phoenix Mercury
Best Driver	Scott Dixon, IndyCar	Kyle Busch, NASCAR	Lewis Hamilton, Formula One	Erica Enders-Stevens, NHRA	Alexander Rossi, IndyCar
Best Jockey	Mario Gutierrez	Kent Desormeaux	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Javier Castellano	N/A
Best Bowler	Jason Belmonte	Jesper Svensson	Anthony Simonsen	Ryan Ciminelli	N/A
Best MLS Player	Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto FC	Kei Kamara, Columbus Crew	Laurent Ciman, Montreal Impact	Luis Robles, New York Red Bulls	N/A
Best International Athlete	Cristiano Ronaldo, soccer	Novak Djokovic, tennis	Lydia Ko, women's golf	Luis Suarez, soccer	Canelo Alvarez, boxing
Best Male Golfer	Jason Day	Dustin Johnson	Danny Willett	Jordan Spieth	N/A
Best Female Golfer	Lydia Ko	Inbee Park	Brooke Henderson	Ariya Jutanugarn	N/A
Best Male Tennis Player	Novak Djokovic	Andy Murray	Roger Federer	N/A	N/A
Best Female Tennis Player	Angelique Kerber	Flavia Pennetta	Serena Williams	Garbine Muguruza	N/A
Best Male College Athlete	Derrick Henry, Alabama football	Buddy Hield, Oklahoma basketball	Jordan Morris, Stanford soccer	Jarrion Lawson, Arkansas track and field	Alex Dieringer, Oklahoma State wrestling
Best Female College Athlete	Breanna Stewart, UConn basketball	Raquel Rodriguez, Penn State soccer	Samantha Bricio, USC volleyball	Taylor Cummings, Maryland lacrosse	Sierra Romero, Michigan softball
Best Male Athlete with a Disability	Richard Browne, track and field	Joe Berenyi, cycling	Aaron Fotheringham, WCMX	Nikko Landeros, ice hockey	Brad Snyder, swimming
Best Female Athlete with a Disability	Tatyana McFadden, marathons	Heather Erickson, volleyball	Oksana Masters, cross-country skiing	Shawn Morelli, cycling
Best Male Action Sports Athlete	Ryan Dungey, motocross	Gus Kenworthy, freestyle skiing	Nyjah Huston, skateboarding	Pedro Barros, skateboarding	Mark McMorris, snowboarding
Best Female Action Sports Athlete	Chloe Kim, snowboarding	Keala Kennelly, surfing	Jamie Anderson, snowboarding	Carissa Moore, surfing	N/A
Best Play	Aaron Rodgers Hail Mary vs. Cardinals	Kris Jenkins buzzer-beater vs. UNC	LeBron James Game 7 block vs. Warriors	Michigan St. blocked punt vs. Michigan	N/A

One could go on for days about the awards themselves. Something such as "Best Team" is almost impossible to predict, given the award requires one to compare the best of the best from various sports with one another.

It's much of the same story for something such as "Best Game," with fans of various sports having to assign values across games—while classics—boasting varying entertainment values.

The people make the event. Cena is as iconic as it gets in a WWE ring this side of The Rock, but even more important outside of it, he boasts more than 500 Make-A-Wish events. ESPN couldn't have picked a better lead man for an event that honors people such as Sager and Ali.

Cena is just the beginning. According to an ESPN press release, many familiar faces will take the stage and help dish out awards, as well as offer a few wisecracks directed at the crowd and those in contention:

"

This year’s scheduled presenters include (in alphabetical order): Chris Berman (ESPN Sportscaster), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Skylar Diggins (Dallas Wings), Lisa Leslie (retired WNBA player), David Oyelowo (Queen of Katwe), Usher Raymond IV (Hands of Stone) Lindsey Vonn (American World Skier), Dwyane Wade (Chicago Bulls) and JJ Watt (Houston Texans), among others.

"

Talk about a star-studded list. The Golden State Warriors didn't get it done in the NBA Finals, but Stephen Curry is still a back-to-back MVP. Dwyane Wade is an iconic player, too, and more interesting than usual after he left the Miami Heat to join the Chicago Bulls.

Not listed above but also scheduled to present is a guy by the name of Justin Timberlake. A former host himself, he will present the Icon Award to a trio of legends.

ESPN revealed the news on social media:

Normally, the award goes to one athlete, but with a legendary trio hanging it up at the same time, ESPN decided it was only right to bring them all onto the stage together, ushered onward by one of the award show's better former presenters.

Even Timberlake cannot match a vice president, though.

ESPN has called on Vice President Joe Biden to give Sager the Jimmy V Perseverance Award, an acknowledgment of the Turner Sports broadcaster's inspirational work while fighting leukemia.

Sure to be one of the top moments of the night, Biden makes for an interesting story given his other, well, commitments. CBS Los Angeles detailed his post-show responsibilities: "After presenting the award, Biden is expected to fly to Honolulu, Hawaii, for a trilateral meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama and Republic of Korea First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam."

Biden passed along a statement to Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch about Sager's importance:

"

Like Jimmy Valvano, Craig Sager embodies the best of who we are as Americans. For four decades Craig’s been the go-to-guy on the sidelines for us to better understand a game we love and its place in our culture. But in the real game of life, he’s teaching all of us something bigger—how to live life with purpose, determination, and love. On behalf of all Americans, and cancer patients and their families who he inspires every day, I’m honored to be presenting Craig with an award that reminds us as a nation that we can never give up in our fight to end cancer as we know it.

"

How's that for an enticing lead-in to what should be a heartwarming, iconic moment?

The tribute to Ali will pair with Sager's honor to form one unforgettable night. What's sure to be an incredible presentation chronicling Ali's impact on the world gets a special appearance from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who took to Twitter to announce his first trip to the show:

It doesn't get bigger than this.

A historic and sometimes sad year fueled by those in the sporting realm and supported by their loving fans deserves the best presentation possible at the annual award show before the cycle can start again.

ESPN has hit this mark in one of the best ways, with Cena and a jaw-dropping list of presenters ready to honor those transcendent leaders of the sporting world.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.