Lakers’ LeBron James earns ESPYs nomination for breaking NBA scoring record

LeBron James has won 15 individual ESPYs during his 20-year NBA career.

He’s been honored by ESPN as top male athlete three times, best NBA player eight times, top championship performance three times and breakthrough athlete once.

This year, he’s a first-time nominee in the category for best record-breaking performance, after passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer on Feb. 8. He scored 38 points during the Lakers’ 133-130 loss to Oklahoma City that night at Crypto.com Arena.

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In the nominations announced Wednesday morning, James is up against Dutch-Belgian driver Max Verstappen, who set the record with 15 wins in a Formula One season; Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic, who won his men’s record 23rd Grand Slam title at the French Open earlier this month; and U.S. skier Mikaela Shiffrin, whose 88 World Cup wins is the most ever in the sport.

USC’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams earned a nomination for top male college athlete and Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani is up for best MLB player. UCLA’s Ally Lemos received a nod for best play after serving a perfect corner to set up teammate Reilyn Turner’s game-tying goal with 30 seconds remaining in regulation of the Bruins’ win over North Carolina in the NCAA championship game.

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NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, American League MVP Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, Super Bowl LVII MVP Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and World Cup, Golden Ball and Best FIFA Men’s Player award winner Lionel Messi of Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain are the nominees for best athlete in men’s sports.

Shiffrin is up for best athlete in women’s sports, along with Portland Thorns star and NWSL MVP Sophia Smith, U.S. Open and French Open tennis champion Iga Swiatek and WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces.

The winners will be announced July 12.

2023 ESPYs nominees

Best athlete, men’s sports

Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Lionel Messi, Argentina

Best athlete, women’s sports

Mikaela Shiffrin, skiing
Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns
Iga Swiatek, tennis
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Best breakthrough athlete

Caitlin Clark, Iowa basketball
Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Angel Reese, Louisiana State basketball
Julio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners

Best record-breaking performance

Novak Djokovic, tennis
LeBron James, Lakers
Mikaela Shiffrin, skiing
Max Verstappen, Formula One

Best championship performance

Leon Edwards, UFC
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Lionel Messi, Argentina
Rose Zhang, LPGA

Best comeback athlete

Jon Jones, UFC
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
Justin Verlander, Houston Astros

Best play
Michael Block, PGA
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Ally Lemos, UCLA soccer
Trinity Thomas, Florida gymnastics

Best team

Denver Nuggets, NBA
Georgia Bulldogs, NCAA football
Kansas City Chiefs, NFL
Las Vegas Aces, WNBA
LSU Tigers, NCAA women’s basketball
Oklahoma Sooners, NCAA softball
Vegas Golden Knights, NHL

Best college athlete, men’s sports

Zach Edey, Purdue basketball
Duncan McGuire, Creighton soccer
Brennan O’Neill, Duke lacrosse
Caleb Williams, USC football

Best college athlete, women’s sports

Jordy Bahl, Oklahoma softball
Caitlin Clark, Iowa basketball
Izzy Scane, Northwestern lacrosse
Trinity Thomas, Florida gymnastics

Best athlete with a disability

Erica McKee, sled hockey
Zach Miller, snowboarding
Aaron Pike, wheelchair racing and cross-country skiing
Susannah Scaroni, wheelchair racing

Best NFL player

Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Best MLB player

Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
Justin Verlander, Houston Astros

Best NHL player

Jonathan Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
David Pastrňák, Boston Bruins
Linus Ullmark, Boston Bruins

Best NBA player

Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Best WNBA player

Skylar Diggins-Smith, Phoenix Mercury
Candace Parker, Chicago Sky
Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Best driver

Brittany Force, NHRA
Kyle Larson, NASCAR
Josef Newgarden, IndyCar
Max Verstappen, F1

Best UFC fighter

Leon Edwards
Jon Jones
Islam Makhachev
Amanda Nunes

Best boxer

Gervonta Davis
Devin Haney
Claressa Shields
Shakur Stevenson

Best soccer player

Aitana Bonmatí, Spain/Barcelona
Erling Haaland, Norway/Manchester City
Lionel Messi, Argentina/PSG
Sophia Smith, USWNT/Portland Thorns

Best golfer

Wyndham Clark
Nelly Korda
Jon Rahm
Scottie Scheffler

Best tennis player

Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic
Aryna Sabalenka
Iga Swiatek