Trey Mancini beat cancer, but apparently that’s not enough of an achievement to win an ESPY.
Mancini, who missed all of the 2020 MLB season while battling stage three colon cancer, lost out on the “Best Comeback Athlete” award to Warriors’ star Klay Thompson.
Mancini revealed that he was officially cancer-free in November of 2020, setting the stage for his return to the Orioles’ lineup in 2021. The slugger played in 147 games for Baltimore, hitting .255 with 21 home runs and 71 RBIs. He was soon after awarded American League Comeback Player of the Year for his efforts.
But, at Wednesday’s ESPY Awards, Thompson took home the honor, having returned from a 941-day absence due to a combination of a torn ACL and ruptured Achilles. Other nominees included Joe Burrow, who led the Bengals to the Super Bowl off a torn ACL, and Chicago Sky guard Diamond DeShields, who had a grape-sized tumor removed from her spinal cord.
Mancini defeated colon cancer in 2020. Getty Images
Thompson (far right) at the ESPYs with Golden State teammates. Getty ImagesMancini’s snub caused an uproar on social media, especially since the award was announced immediately after an emotional 15-minute speech by Dick Vitale, who recently defeated cancer and has devoted much of his life to raising money for cancer research.
Thompson helped lead the Warriors to their fourth NBA title since 2015, averaging 19 points per game in 22 playoff contests. After making his long-awaited return on Jan. 9, he averaged 20.4 points per game in 32 regular season matchups.
