As far as public speeches by sports figures go, it’ll be hard to top late N.C. State basketball coach Jimmy Valvano’s 1993 ESPYS speech. On Wednesday night, however, ESPN anchor Stuart Scott came close with a speech of his own after being presented with an award in Valvano’s honor.
Scott was honored with the Jimmy V award for perseverance at this year’s ESPYs in Los Angeles. The “SportsCenter” anchor has battled cancer since 2007, and that difficult fight was documented in a video package, then Scott’s unforgettable speech.
Scott’s speech wasn’t the only memorable moment from this year’s show. St. Louis Rams rookie Michael Sam, the first openly gay NFL player, also delivered an emotional, poignant speech after being presented with the Arthur Ashe Award for courage.
