Bill Belichick, Stephen Curry added to list of Best of OKC Preps presenters
by Staff reports
Six-time Super Bowl champion and New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and three-time NBA Champion and point guard for the Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry join the roster of guests featured in the Best of OKC Preps awards show on Thursday, June 18.
Belichick will present the coach and team of the year awards for the 2019-2020 high school sports season. Curry will announce the top players in girls and boys basketball.
"This is really shaping up to be a championship lineup to honor our Best of OKC athletes," Oklahoman sports editor Jeff Patterson said. "The resumes of Bill Belichick and Stephen Curry speak for themselves. Adding them to the show is just another treat to the teams and folks watching on June 18."
Belichick is considered by many as the greatest professional football coach of all time. He has 11 more playoff wins than any other NFL coach and is third behind only George Halas and Don Shula in regular-season wins. He’s led the New England Patriots for 20 years and in that time has won six of the team’s nine Super Bowl appearances.
Curry, 32, is known as one of the best shooters in NBA history, and has been credited with revolutionizing the game as teams and athletes have adopted and adapted to his success behind the three-point line. Curry grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, and played college basketball for Davidson, where he was a star and broke records starting in his freshman year.
Belichick and Curry round out an award-winning list of athletes who have been leaders in their sport, including Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, who was announced last month. Other professional athletes who will be featured in the awards show include Venus Williams, Michael Phelps, Drew Brees, Wayne Gretzky, Gabby Douglas, Bode Miller, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Gary Woodland, Misty May-Treanor, Jordan Burroughs, Norm Duke, Rose Lavelle, Jessica Mendoza and Keli Smith Puzo. Sports broadcasters Jesse Palmer, Sage Steele, Dr. Jerry Punch and Courtney Cronin will host the awards show.
The show will premiere at 6 p.m. CT on June 18 and is free to watch on the event website BestofOKCPreps.com.
Registration or payment is not required to watch the show thanks to presenting partners BancFirst, Integris, Love's, OG&E and Fox 25.
Not all state sanctioned sports will be included in the Players of the Year awards due to spring sports cancellations required by the COVID pandemic. Instead, there will be a recognition of seniors who missed their final sports seasons as part of a national tribute video that will be included in the broadcast. The public can also show support of seniors who missed their final games and celebrations by joining in the national movement with support messages on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag DontStopNow. One person nationally using this #DontStopNow will win $1,000 for themselves and $1,000 for the charity of their choice. See details on the event website the night of the show for additional information.
The Oklahoman will also participate in a national effort to raise funds locally for those impacted most by the COVID pandemic. Donate on event website (BestofOKCPreps.com) to the “Team Oklahoma Covid Relief.” This national effort will support the United Way, The American Red Cross and Feeding America. The community that raises the most funds by June 20 will receiving a matching donation from the USA Today Network, up to $10,000, for those local charities.
Gannett owns and operates the largest high school athlete recognition program in the U.S. Viewers can find various locations, including the Best of OKC Preps show, at: sportsawards.usatoday.com, as well as on the event website at BestofOKCPreps.com.
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