With no games scheduled for Wednesday, the ESPYs took center stage. If you missed the show, these were the winners.
2012 ESPY Award winners
BEST TEAM: Miami Heat
BEST MALE ATHLETE: LeBron James
BEST FEMALE ATHLETE: Brittney Griner
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE: LeBron James, NBA Finals MVP
BEST BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE: Jeremy Lin
BEST RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE: Drew Brees breaks Dan Marino’s single-season record for passing yards
BEST UPSET: L.A. Kings win Stanley Cup
BEST GAME: Niners-Saints, NFC playoff game
BEST MOMENT: Tim Tebow to Demaryius Thomas in sudden-death
BEST COMEBACK: Matthew Stafford
BEST COACH/MANAGER: Tom Coughlin
BEST NFL PLAYER: Aaron Rodgers
BEST MLB PLAYER: Josh Hamilton
BEST NHL PLAYER: Jonathan Quick
BEST DRIVER: Tony Stewart
BEST NBA PLAYER: LeBron James
BEST WNBA PLAYER: Diana Taurasi
BEST FIGHTER: Floyd Mayweather Jr.
BEST MALE GOLFER: Bubba Watson
BEST FEMALE GOLFER: Cristie Kerr
BEST MALE TENNIS PLAYER: Novak Djokovic
BEST FEMALE TENNIS PLAYER: Maria Sharapova
BEST MALE COLLEGE ATHLETE: Robert Griffin III
BEST FEMALE COLLEGE ATHLETE: Brittney Griner
BEST MALE ATION SPORTS ATHLETE: Shaun White, Snowboarding/Skateboarding
BEST FEMALE ACTION SPORT ATHLETE: Jamie Anderson, Skiing
BEST JOCKEY: Mario Gutierrez
BEST MALE ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY: Kyle Maynard, Climbing
BEST FEMALE ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY: Jessica Long, Swimming
BEST BOWLER: Sean Rash
BEST MLS PLAYER: David Beckham
BEST TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETE: Walter Dix
BEST INTERNATIONAL ATHLETE: Lionel Messi
The Nets and Magic call off Dwight Howard trade talks
Unable to come up with a deal suitable for both teams, the Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic have broken off trade talks for Dwight Howard. Not wanting to be left without a big man, the Nets and restricted free agent Brook Lopez agreed to a four-year $61 million dollar deal. Under NBA rules, Lopez can now not be traded until January 15the effectively eliminating any chance of a trade between the Nets and Magic before the start of the season. The Rockets, Lakers, and Hawks now appear to the primary players in the Dwight Howard sweepstakes.
In other NBA news, with the free agency moratorium now lifted, the following players signed their previously announced deals. Ray Allen (3 years) and Rashard Lewis ( 2 years) signed deals with the Heat. Steve Nash signed his three-year deal with the Lakers. Nash will where the 10 jersey with the Lakers as his 13 is retired to honor Wilt Chamberlain. Deron Williams (5 years) and Gerald Henderson (4 years) signed their deals with the Nets. Tim Duncan’s three-year deal with the Spurs is official. Roy Hibbert will stay with the Pacers on a deal similar to the one being offered the ex-Georgetown star by Portland. The agreement occured during the moratorium so it will not count as a match. Eric Gordon signed an offer sheet from the Suns which the Hornets are expected to match. Phoenix has O.J. Mayo as Plan B if they are unable to land Gordon.
Drew Brees contract upadate
The crew at ESPN with latest lowdown on Drew Brees
Amir Khan reinstated as WBA Jr. Welterweight champ
British boxer Amir Khan has been reinstated as the WBA Jr. Welterweight champ just in time to make his fight with WBC champ Danny Garcia a unification bout. Khan had his belt returned after losing a disputed split decision to Lamont Peterson who later failed a pre-fight doping test before the scheduled rematch in May. Khan and Garcia meet at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas this Saturday, Khan is a -600 favorite.
Lamoriello, Modano, Olczyk elected to U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame
Mike Modano heads this year’s class of three elected to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Modano played 21 years scoring 561 goals and 1,374 points, and holds the record for most postseason points (145) by an American. He won the Stanley Cup with the Stars in 1999. Lou Lamoriello was the architect of the Devil dynasty over the past 20 years. Olczyk coached the Pittsburg Penguins and played from 1984 to 2000 scoring 342 goals and 452 assists for a total of 794 points in 1031 games.