ESPY 2016 Winners: Highlights from Wednesday's Awards Show and Results

WWE Superstar John Cena hosted the 2016 ESPYs on Wednesday night from Los Angeles, and the proceedings did not disappoint as sports' biggest stars gathered for the annual awards show. 

So without further adieu, here's a rundown of Wednesday's biggest winners and a recap of some of the evening's best moments:     

Award	Winner
Record-Breaking Performance	Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Breakthrough Athlete	Jake Arrieta, Chicago Cubs
Best NBA Player	LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Pat Tillman Award for Service	Elizabeth Marks, Paralympic Swimmer
Best Comeback Player	Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs
Best Moment	Cleveland Cavaliers win NBA Title
Best Play	Aaron Rodgers/Richard Rodgers Hail Mary
Arthur Ashe Award for Courage	Zaevion Dobson
Best Championship Performance	LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Best Coach	Tyronn Lue, Cleveland Cavaliers
Icon Award	Kobe Bryant, Peyton Manning, Abby Wambach
Best Team	Cleveland Cavaliers
Jimmy V Award	Craig Sager, Turner Sports Broadcaster
Best Female Athlete	Breanna Stewart, UConn Huskies
Best Male Athlete	LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

A complete list of winners can be viewed here, courtesy of ESPN. 

The show opened with NBA superstars LeBron James, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade on stage, and the talented group stepped in front of a national audience to deliver a poignant message, as ESPN's Rachel Nichols explained: 

Good Morning America's Twitter account relayed James' segment of the statement regarding violence that has enveloped parts of the nation in recent weeks: 

Once the awards portion of the show got underway, basketball dominated the early proceedings. 

Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry won Best Record-Breaking Performance after he drilled 402 three-pointers during a regular season that saw him take home a second consecutive MVP, and James followed up by nabbing a share of Best Moment for the Cleveland Cavaliers' title, per ESPN Stats & Info on Twitter: 

James also bested Curry for Best NBA Player and Best Male Athlete honors. And unfortunately for the Golden State floor general, the hits kept coming, via Good Morning America: 

The NFL also got in on the party when Kansas City Chiefs safety and cancer survivor Eric Berry (61 tackles, two interceptions) graciously accepted the Best Comeback Player award with a beautiful speech, as documented by Good Morning America on Twitter: 

Shortly thereafter, Green Bay Packers teammates Aaron Rodgers and Richard Rodgers secured Best Play honors thanks to their miraculous last-second touchdown connection against the Detroit Lions last season:

In the second hour of the program, a trio of legends was honored with the ESPYs Icon Award.

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, two-time Super Bowl winner Peyton Manning and United States women's soccer team star Abby Wambach all stepped to the stage following a presentation by Justin Timberlake, and his reaction upon their arrival was appropriate, as SportsCenter noted on Twitter:

According to Good Morning America, Bryant poked some fun at himself when he approached the microphone to accept the hardware: 

Toward the conclusion of the ceremony, Turner Sports broadcaster Craig Sager accepted the Jimmy V Award from Vice President Joe Biden, and he gave an impassioned speech laced with plenty of positive thought.

"I will never give up," Sagger said, per Nichols. "And I will never give in. I will continue to suck the marrow out of life, as life sucks the marrow out of me." 

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt was among those in attendance who appeared touched by Sager's vibrant and beautiful speech:

The broadcasting icon's brilliant words capped off an evening filled with messages of hope, and the inspirational moment should endure for years to come.