Serena Williams did an exceptional job of hosting the 2024 ESPY Awards. Opening the award ceremony with a hilarious speech, she earned praise for acing some well-timed jokes. However, before the event, her sister Venus Williams turned to the siblings of some former ESPY hosts to “prepare” herself for dealing with her sister after the event. She wondered if her sister’s ego would take off after hosting the high-profile event.
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In ESPN’s hilarious promo video for the ceremony, she interacted with the likes of Elijah Manning, Seth Curry, and Jason Kelce on a video call to understand how their ESPY host brothers acted after they were done hosting the event. After talking to Elijah and Jason, Venus’ exchange with Seth Curry turned into a shot galore at Stephen Curry.
When the Golden State Warriors guard caught a whiff of this exchange, he showcased his hurt hilariously.
After Venus and Elijah Manning trolled Peyton Manning for his head size, the tennis legend turned to Seth Curry. She asked the 33-year-old, “Did Steph change after he hosted ESPYs?”
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Seth Curry played on the two meanings of the word ‘change’. Instead of talking about changing personalities, Seth joked about his brother feeling so giddy after his experience that he won’t take off his suit for many days in a row. It seemed like Curry was really proud that he made the audience laugh while wearing them.
Seth Curry told Venus, “I wish [he changed]. He won’t take off that suit for like two weeks. Kept saying, ‘I did comedy in these. These are my funny pants.’”
This reply prompted a quick shot from Venus as well who brought up Steph’s Golden State Warriors’ underwhelming showing in the past two seasons, “Yeah, that explains the last couple of Warriors seasons.”
After listening to this conversation, Stephen Curry lamented being at the receiving end of these strays. He posted a barrage of “crying emojis” in the comments to showcase his gloom after the joke parade between Venus and his brother Seth.
Steph reacts as Seth talks about post ESPYS Steph 🤡 pic.twitter.com/miVkh13myJ
— What are (W)NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) July 12, 2024
At any rate, Venus Williams would be proud of the way her sister handled the proceedings. She showcased tremendous camera presence and knew what tones to adapt while delivering her quips.
Serena Williams sizzles as the host
Serena Williams stole the show from the beginning as she joined boisterous R&B artist Ciara in the opening act to a brilliant applause. Her clean black gown by Armani Prive immediately grabbed the attention, the bejeweled straps indeed shone brilliantly.
Serena’s opening speech celebrated the wealth of sports talent at the award ceremony. But at the same time, she made some witty remarks to keep the mood light-hearted.
Since 2024 has arguably been a breakthrough year for women’s sports, especially with the rise of Caitlin Clark, it was a major talking point for her throughout the night. Later, her sister Venus Williams and actress Quita Brunson joined her in the fun-fest. The trio threw shade at Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, who raised a storm during his commencement speech at Benedictine College in May 2024 for suggesting that women should primarily be homemakers.
They relayed that the women’s sports don’t need attention from someone like him to further their growth. Therefore, while Serena Williams kept the atmosphere easygoing for the most part, she didn’t shy away from expressing her heart-felt opinions.
