The Bay Area’s biggest stars shouted out Oakland during the ESPYs award ceremonies in New York on Wednesday night.
Warriors icon Steph Curry and Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater Alysa Liu were two of the biggest names at the annual event put on by ESPN, and each ended the night with additional accolades.
The two also shared a viral moment.
While on the red carpet, Liu told Entertainment Tonight that no fans had come up to her. A few minutes later, she was seen smiling ear to ear as Steph Curry approached her and asked for a photo.
“There’s so many to choose from,” Curry said when asked what his favorite sports moment of the year was. “Alysa Liu representing Oakland and the Bay in the Olympics.”
Curry received the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award due to work done through his “Eat. Learn. Play” foundation, which serves children in Oakland by providing them with meals, literacy programs and opportunities to play sports.
The Warriors played in Oakland until 2019.
“Oakland is our adoptive hometown. Where I spent the first 10 years with the Warriors, where we won our first three championships and where Aisha and I grew up as adults in so many ways,” Curry said. “And this city, it wrapped its arms around us from the very beginning. And this is how we continue to give back. When you invest in a child, you invest in everything that is possible for their future.”
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) signs autographs before their NBA game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on Friday, April 10, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Meanwhile, Liu won the Best Breakthrough Athlete Award after she helped the USA win the team gold in the Milan-Cortina winter Olympics this February, and she became the first American woman to win an individual figure skating gold medal since 2002.
The Oakland native’s story captivated the nation. She was a child prodigy but retired at age 16 after the 2021 Olympics after burning out.
A few years later, she decided she would return to the sport on her own terms, becoming the face of joy in high-level sports while still training at the Oakland Ice Center in downtown.
“I’ve been in my sport since I was 5 years old, and I had some really rough times in it,” Liu said. “I took two years off. So, for me, this really feels like I broke through in my own way, for myself and for my sport .. thank you guys.”
San Francisco native and Olympic gold medalist Eileen Gu also attended the ESPY’s.
Alysa Liu, 2026 Olympic gold medalist, jumps in excitement during the 2026 Stars on Ice tour at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, May 17, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)