The Best Comeback Athlete ESPY Award has been presented annually since 1993 to the sportsperson, irrespective of gender, contesting a team sport professionally under the auspices of one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada or an individual sport on either an amateur or professional basis primarily in the United States or internationally under the auspices of a sport governing body adjudged to have made the most significant, profound, or impressive comeback from serious illness, injury, personal or familial hardship, retirement, or significant loss of form.
Between 1993 and 2004, the award voting panel comprised variously fans; sportswriters and broadcasters, sports executives, and retired sportspersons, termed collectively experts; and ESPN personalities, but balloting thereafter has been exclusively by fans over the Internet from amongst choices selected by the ESPN Select Nominating Committee.
Through the 2001 iteration of the ESPY Awards, ceremonies were conducted in February of each year to honor achievements over the previous calendar year; awards presented thereafter are conferred in June and reflect performance from the June previous.Because of the rescheduling of the ESPY Awards ceremony, the award presented in 2002 was given in consideration of performance betwixt February 2001 and June 2002. The award wasn't awarded in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
List of winners YearSportspersonNationalityTeamCompetition,federation,or leagueSport1993Dave WinfieldToronto Blue JaysMajor League Baseball Baseball1994Mario LemieuxPittsburgh PenguinsNational Hockey League Ice hockey1995Dan MarinoMiami DolphinsNational Football League American football1996Michael JordanChicago BullsNational Basketball Association Basketball1997Evander HolyfieldThe second of Holyfield's professional fights was most prominently sanctioned by the World Boxing Association, the heavyweight championship belt of which he captured in such fight.Boxing(Heavyweight)1998Roger ClemensToronto Blue JaysMajor League Baseball Baseball1999Eric DavisBaltimore OriolesMajor League Baseball Baseball2000Lance ArmstrongUS PostalUCI ProTour Road bicycle racing2001Andrés GalarragaAtlanta BravesMajor League Baseball Baseball2002Jennifer CapriatiWTA Tour Tennis2003Tommy MaddoxPittsburgh SteelersNational Football League American football2004Bethany HamiltonSurfingAlthough a participant in organized competitions and although sponsored by Rip Curl, Hamilton was a professional neither at the time she was the victim of a shark attack nor at the time she returned therefrom, such that she did not partake of a specific league or federation.Surfing2005Mark FieldsCarolina PanthersNational Football League American football2006Tedy BruschiNew England PatriotsNational Football League American football2007No award given2008Josh HamiltonCincinnati Reds, Texas RangersMajor League BaseballBaseball2009Dara TorresSwimming2010Kim ClijstersWTA TourTennis2011Mark Herzlich Boston College Eagles NCAA (Division I FBS)American football2012Matthew Stafford Detroit Lions National Football League (NFL)American football 2013 Adrian Peterson Minnesota Vikings National Football League (NFL) American football 2014 Russell Westbrook Oklahoma City Thunder National Basketball Association (NBA) Basketball 2015 Rob Gronkowski New England Patriots National Football League (NFL) American football 2016 Eric Berry Kansas City Chiefs National Football League (NFL) American football 2017 Jordy Nelson Green Bay Packers National Football League (NFL) American football2018Not awarded 2019 St. Louis Blues St. Louis Blues National Hockey League (NHL) Ice hockey 2020 Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2021 2022 Klay Thompson Golden State Warriors National Basketball Association (NBA) Basketball 2023 Jamal Murray Denver Nuggets National Basketball Association (NBA) Basketball 2024 Simone Biles Gymnastics 2025 Sunisa Lee Gymnastics 2026 Christian McCaffrey San Francisco 49ers National Football League (NFL) American football
See also ATP Comeback Player of the Year Award Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (National Hockey League) MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award, The Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award MLS Comeback Player of the Year Award NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award WTA Comeback Player of the Year Award
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