LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mega-sports stars Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Alex Morgan, Cam Newton, Ronda Rousey, Odell Beckham Jr., Rob Gronkowski, Leticia Bufoni, Usain Bolt, Simone Biles and this year’s host, Russell Wilson, were the winners at Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Sports 2016, the only show where kids celebrate their favorite athletes and the year’s most unforgettable sports moments. Kids’ Choice Sports 2016--helmed for a second straight year by Seattle Seahawks two-time Super Bowl quarterback Wilson--was taped Thursday, July 14, from UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, and will premiere Sunday, July 17, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) as a simulcast on Nickelodeon, TeenNick and Nicktoons.
Entering the arena greeted by hundreds of kid fans, NBA All-Star Kobe Bryant was presented with the gold-mohawked Kids’ Choice Sports Legend Award by Zendaya, in recognition of his record-breaking achievements, unrivaled talent and outstanding sportsmanship on and off the basketball court. Upon receiving his award, Bryant was doused from head to toe in glistening gold slime.
Throughout the event, three kids competed in Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Sports 2016 “Triple Shot Challenge” for an opportunity to each win $50,000. Pro-athletes cheered on Reynaldo Fernandez, of Los Angeles, Calif., Oliver Callanan, of Portland, Ore., and Jake Lombardo, of Wayne, N.J., as they each attempted to make their shot across basketball, soccer and football, respectively. Callanan took home the big win on his first try, with a 30-yard kick that hit the crossbar and earned him $50,000.
The slime-filled celebration also featured five grand-scale, sports-themed challenges:
- CC Sabathia and Von Miller zipped their way through the KCS 500, an obstacle-ridden race around the perimeter of the entire arena, on high-speed pedal racing carts;
- Tony Hawk and Jagger Eaton went head to head in a skateboard challenge and rolled down an epic 65-foot long ramp inside slime-filled Zorb balls in the Human Bowling Challenge;
- Victor Espinoza, Emanuel Sanders, Nikki and Brie Bella, Andre Drummond and Jamie Anderson took competitive eating to a new level in the Key Slime Pie Challenge;
- In the Smash Mountain challenge, Rob Gronkowski and fellow footballer Russell Wilson battled obstacles, scaled a nearly vertical 65-foot ramp and wielded sledgehammers to smash their way to the Kids’ Choice Sports medal;
- And teammates Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson faced off in the Big Slime Ballers Challenge, a three-point contest where each shot triggered slime-filled nets above kid rebounders.
Additional show moments included: a glitter-filled celebratory entrance at the top of the show by J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, Richard Jefferson, Tristan Thompson, and Dahntay Jones of the Cleveland Cavaliers toting their 2016 NBA Championship trophy; a dance-off featuring Rob Gronkowski going toe to toe against Ciara; the hockey-themed Celebrity Headshot with LA Kings Tyler Toffoli and Nick Cannon; and, of course, multiple slimings. Michael Strahan, and stars of Nickelodeon’s Game Shakers also made special appearances throughout the show.
Nickelodeon will have a robust digital offering for Kids’ Choice Sports 2016, supplying content before, during and after the big show on Nick.com/sports, the Nick App on iOS and Android devices, as well as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Kids and families from around the country showed their support for their favorite athletes, teams and sports moments by casting votes in 12 categories, from May 23-July 11.
On Sunday, July 17, kids will be able to interact with the show and play along throughout the broadcast, engaging with photos and videos from the event, as well as vote live to impact the show and create memes. Nick.com/sports will provide exclusive access to all the stars and athletes all night long.
Kids’ Choice Sports 2016 will simulcast on TeenNick and Nicktoons on Sunday, July 17, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). Encore presentations, include Sunday, July 17, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT) and Monday, July 18, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon, Tuesday July 19, at 2 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nicktoons, and Wednesday, July 20, at 8 a.m. (ET/PT), on TeenNick. The telecast will also be available via Nickelodeon on Demand beginning Friday, July 17.
Kids’ Choice Sports 2016 sponsors are Always®, FCA US LLC, Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes®, Nationwide® and Popsicle®.
The following are Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Sports 2016 winners:
BEST MALE ATHLETE
LeBron James
(NBA, Cleveland Cavaliers)
BEST FEMALE ATHLETE
Alex Morgan
(NWSL, Orlando Pride)
FAVORITE NEWCOMER
Simone Biles
(Professional Artistic Gymnast)
HANDS OF GOLD
Odell Beckham,
Jr. (NFL, New York Giants)
CLUTCH PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Stephen
Curry (NBA, Golden State Warriors)
SICKEST MOVES
Stephen Curry
(NBA, Golden State Warriors)
DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME AWARD
Ronda
Rousey (UFC, MMA Fighter)
KING OF SWAG
Cam Newton (NFL,
Carolina Panthers)
QUEEN OF SWAG
Leticia Bufoni
(Professional Skateboarder)
BEST CANNON
Russell Wilson
(NFL, Seattle Seahawks)
BIGGEST POWERHOUSE
Rob
Gronkowski (NFL, New England Patriots)
NEED FOR SPEED
Usain Bolt
(Professional Track & Field Athlete)
