Joined by his wife Meghan and receiving a standing ovation, the Duke of Sussex accepted the trophy from three military veterans who were injured in the line of duty. Harry served in the British Army for 10 years, including two tours in Afghanistan as a helicopter pilot.

He launched the Invictus Games in 2014, a multi-sport, Paralympic-style games for injured or disabled soldiers and veterans.

“This award is theirs, not mine,” Harry said from the stage at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre.

Tillman’s mother, Mary Tillman, criticized the network’s selection of Harry, saying recipients who had worked in the veterans community would have been more appropriate. Harry thanked Tillman’s widow, Mary, for her attendance and also thanked Mary Tillman.

“Her advocacy for Pat’s legacy is deeply personal and I respect that,” he said. “The bond between a mother and son is eternal and transcends even the greatest loss.”

A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces won the Best Female Sports Athlete award.

“It’s crazy to think that a young girl who didn’t even want to play basketball is now in the running for an ESPY,” she said in the video.

JuJu Watkins won the award for best breakthrough athlete, her first award, as the show started 30 minutes late due to President Joe Biden’s news conference.

The Southern California basketball star had a stellar freshman season, leading the Trojans to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in decades.

“It’s crazy,” Watkins said. “I want to thank all of the great, powerful women who came before me and who made this possible.”

host Serena Williams joked during her monologue after Sierra kicked off the show with a musical performance.

The three-hour program on ABC started late, as Biden’s nationally televised news conference began late and ran 30 minutes over schedule.

Sports: /hub/sports

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