Simone Biles Wins Two ESPYS, Tops Men’s Nominees Amid Mixed Host Reception

At the 2025 ESPYS in Los Angeles, Simone Biles and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander received top honors as best female and male athletes, respectively, celebrating their remarkable achievements in gymnastics and basketball. Biles, an 11-time Olympic medalist, earned awards for her performance at the Paris Games, where she won three golds and a silver, and notably commented on winning in a category with mostly male nominees amid ongoing controversies involving transgender inclusion and criticism from former teammates. Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the NBA championship and secured league MVP and scoring champion titles. Suni Lee, Biles' Olympic teammate, was recognized for her inspiring comeback from rare kidney diseases. The event's host, comedian Shane Gillis, delivered an opening monologue featuring jokes about prominent sports figures and political topics, including President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, which received mixed reactions from the audience and social media. The show also honored basketball legend Oscar Robertson with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, acknowledging his pioneering role in sports labor rights and advocacy.