Championships. MVPs. Scoring titles. Broken records. This year's nominees for Best Athlete - Men's Sports did all of the above to dominate their respective sports. We broke down the numbers. Here's how they did it.
Saquon Barkley: Philadelphia Eagles
The former New York Giants running back signed a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in March 2024 and didn't look back, powering his new team to a Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Led by Barkley, the Eagles' 179.3 rushing yards per game were the most by a Super Bowl champion since the 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers.
Barkley finished the year with 2,504 rushing yards, breaking Terrell Davis' record for most over the regular season and postseason.
With the 40-22 win over the Chiefs, Barkley became just the second player in NFL history to win a rushing title, Offensive Player of the Year award and Super Bowl in a single season. Barkley's historic season translated into a lucrative contract extension: A year after first signing with Philadelphia, the 28-year-old became the highest paid running back in league history with a two-year, $41.2 million contract extension.
In a tight MVP race, Allen edged out Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson with 27 of the 49 first-place votes, just five more than Jackson. It was Allen's first career MVP award and the third in Bills history. O.J. Simpson was named MVP in 1973, Thurman Thomas in 1991.
Despite losing a primary target in Stefon Diggs over the offseason, Allen racked up impressive numbers and limited errors. The quarterback became the first in league history to have at least 25 passing touchdowns, 10 rushing touchdowns and less than 10 interceptions in a season.
In December, the quarterback became the first in NFL history to record at least 40 touchdowns in five consecutive seasons. Allen's MVP-performance carried the Bills to a 13-4 record and AFC Championship appearance in what was slated to be a rebuild year for Buffalo.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Oklahoma City Thunder
First-team All-NBA. Scoring title. NBA regular season MVP. Western Conference finals MVP. NBA Finals MVP. NBA championship. It was a busy season for the guard, who became the first player since Stephen Curry in 2014-15 to net a regular-season MVP award and the title. He was also the first to win the scoring title and championship since Shaquille O'Neal in 1999-00.
Gilgeous-Alexander's historic season placed the 26-year-old among elite company: He was the first player to score at least 18 points in every regular season game since Michael Jordan in 1988-89.
Gilgeous-Alexander's 212 points during the NBA Finals were the most by any player since LeBron James in 2015 and powered the Oklahoma City Thunder past the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the Finals.
Shohei Ohtani: Los Angeles Dodgers
In his first season with the Dodgers, Ohtani put together historic numbers last summer, becoming the first player in MLB history to record 50 or more homers and steal 50 or more bases in a single season.
Ohtani capped off 2024 with his third career MVP award to become the only player to win unanimously multiple times. He was the first full-time designated hitter to be named MVP.
Ohtani's dominance has carried over into 2025: As of July 3, the 30-year-old leads the National League in home runs, slugging percentage and runs scored.
Your vote helps determine ESPY winners. So let your voice be heard! Cast it now and tune in July 16 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC to find out who brings home an ESPY.
ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this report.