Lakers’ LeBron James earns ESPYs nomination for breaking NBA scoring record
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James has won 15 individual ESPYs during his 20-year NBA career.
He’s been honored by ESPN as top male athlete three times, best NBA player eight times, top championship performance three times and breakthrough athlete once.
This year, he’s a first-time nominee in the category for best record-breaking performance, after passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer on Feb. 8. He scored 38 points during the Lakers’ 133-130 loss to Oklahoma City that night at Crypto.com Arena.
In the nominations announced Wednesday morning, James is up against Dutch-Belgian driver Max Verstappen, who set the record with 15 wins in a Formula One season; Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic, who won his men’s record 23rd Grand Slam title at the French Open earlier this month; and U.S. skier Mikaela Shiffrin, whose 88 World Cup wins is the most ever in the sport.
USC’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams earned a nomination for top male college athlete and Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani is up for best MLB player. UCLA’s Ally Lemos received a nod for best play after serving a perfect corner to set up teammate Reilyn Turner’s game-tying goal with 30 seconds remaining in regulation of the Bruins’ win over North Carolina in the NCAA championship game.
NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, American League MVP Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, Super Bowl LVII MVP Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and World Cup, Golden Ball and Best FIFA Men’s Player award winner Lionel Messi of Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain are the nominees for best athlete in men’s sports.
Shiffrin is up for best athlete in women’s sports, along with Portland Thorns star and NWSL MVP Sophia Smith, U.S. Open and French Open tennis champion Iga Swiatek and WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces.
The winners will be announced July 12.
2023 ESPYs nominees
Best athlete, men’s sports
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Lionel Messi, Argentina
Best athlete, women’s sports
Mikaela Shiffrin, skiing
Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns
Iga Swiatek, tennis
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Best breakthrough athlete
Caitlin Clark, Iowa basketball
Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Angel Reese, Louisiana State basketball
Julio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners
Best record-breaking performance
Novak Djokovic, tennis
LeBron James, Lakers
Mikaela Shiffrin, skiing
Max Verstappen, Formula One
Best championship performance
Leon Edwards, UFC
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Lionel Messi, Argentina
Rose Zhang, LPGA
Best comeback athlete
Jon Jones, UFC
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
Justin Verlander, Houston Astros
Best play
Michael Block, PGA
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Ally Lemos, UCLA soccer
Trinity Thomas, Florida gymnastics
Best team
Denver Nuggets, NBA
Georgia Bulldogs, NCAA football
Kansas City Chiefs, NFL
Las Vegas Aces, WNBA
LSU Tigers, NCAA women’s basketball
Oklahoma Sooners, NCAA softball
Vegas Golden Knights, NHL
Best college athlete, men’s sports
Zach Edey, Purdue basketball
Duncan McGuire, Creighton soccer
Brennan O’Neill, Duke lacrosse
Caleb Williams, USC football
Best college athlete, women’s sports
Jordy Bahl, Oklahoma softball
Caitlin Clark, Iowa basketball
Izzy Scane, Northwestern lacrosse
Trinity Thomas, Florida gymnastics
Best athlete with a disability
Erica McKee, sled hockey
Zach Miller, snowboarding
Aaron Pike, wheelchair racing and cross-country skiing
Susannah Scaroni, wheelchair racing
Best NFL player
Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Best MLB player
Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
Justin Verlander, Houston Astros
Best NHL player
Jonathan Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
David Pastrnák, Boston Bruins
Linus Ullmark, Boston Bruins
Best NBA player
Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Best WNBA player
Skylar Diggins-Smith, Phoenix Mercury
Candace Parker, Chicago Sky
Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Best driver
Brittany Force, NHRA
Kyle Larson, NASCAR
Josef Newgarden, IndyCar
Max Verstappen, F1
Best UFC fighter
Leon Edwards
Jon Jones
Islam Makhachev
Amanda Nunes
Best boxer
Gervonta Davis
Devin Haney
Claressa Shields
Shakur Stevenson
Best soccer player
Aitana Bonmatí, Spain/Barcelona
Erling Haaland, Norway/Manchester City
Lionel Messi, Argentina/PSG
Sophia Smith, USWNT/Portland Thorns
Best golfer
Wyndham Clark
Nelly Korda
Jon Rahm
Scottie Scheffler
Best tennis player
Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic
Aryna Sabalenka
Iga Swiatek
Adam Silver, from left, poses with LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, after James passes Kareem to become the all-time NBA scoring leader, passing him at 38388 points during the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
