Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is no stranger to controversy, and he found himself in the thick of another public-relations pickle before he strode to the stage at the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday night.
But in accepting the Pat Tillman Award for Service at ESPN’s annual made-for-TV gala, Harry graciously acknowledged his critics — including Mr. Tillman’s mother, Mary — while citing the work that his organization, the Invictus Games, had done since its inception in 2014.
“The truth is, I stand here not as Prince Harry, Pat Tillman Award recipient,” Harry said during his speech, “but rather a voice on behalf of the Invictus Games Foundation and the thousands of veterans and service personnel from over 20 nations who have made the Invictus Games a reality.
This award belongs to them, not to me.”The awards show, which had its broadcast delayed by President Biden’s news conference, featured stars from the sports world and beyond in their formal best.
There were emotional moments, like a speech from the former Alabama football coach Nick Saban, who won the Icon Award; powerful ones, like Dawn Staley, the women’s basketball coach at South Carolina, highlighting the pay gap in men’s and women’s sports; and some laugh-out-loud moments when presenters took swipes at people like Harrison Butker and Bronny James.
Persons:
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, strode, Pat Tillman, Harry, Tillman’s, Mary —, ” Harry, ”, Biden’s, Nick Saban, Dawn Staley, Harrison Butker, Bronny James
Organizations:
Invictus Games, Invictus Games Foundation, Invictus, Alabama, South
Locations:
Los Angeles, South Carolina, men’s