Walking into the press room during the 15th Annual ESPY Awards on July 11 at the Kodak Theatre, I witnessed Vince Young, quarterback of the Tennessee Titans put his arm around former USC and current Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart and proudly declare, “It’s like Magic and Bird. We’re tight. We’re next generation, baby!”

That might have been an appropriate theme for this year’s awards show as not only some of the best athletes and teams were honored for their performances during the past year, but a new generation of young superstars were presented whose names will be in headlines and commercials for years to come.

Jimmy Kimmel co-hosted the show with young superstar, LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. James was honored as Best NBA Player and showed his humorous side throughout the show. He even brought down the house with a hilarious Bobby Brown parody song-and-dance number.

“I was just being myself,” James said afterwards. “This is what I do off the court. I have fun and tell jokes, and I’m very outgoing; so this was perfect for me.”

Even Kimmel said he was impressed at how relaxed and at ease James was as co-host.

“I’d give him an A-plus,” said Kimmel, host of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

The ESPYs red carpet featured Grammy-winning rapper T.I., Grammy winner Kelly Clarkson, Rocco DeLuca and actors Dane Cook, Daniel Sunjata and Jamie-Lynn Sigler just to name a few.

“Man, I mean look at who’s here,” said T.I. “It’s not everyday when you get to see and meet athletes like them all in the same place.”

“Coming to events like this and seeing so many famous people who know who you are and want to meet you and take pictures with you is big time,” said University of Texas’ Kevin Durant, who won Best Male College Athlete and was the second overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Seattle Supersonics. “I wouldn’t trade being in this position for anything in the world.”

San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson was the biggest winner taking home four awards, including Best Male Athlete. The Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts were also big winners taking home three awards, including Best Team and Best Coach/Manager for Tony Dungy, who became the first black head coach to win a Super Bowl.

Locally, Landon Donovan of the L.A. Galaxy was honored for Best MLS Player. L.A. Sparks star Lisa Leslie, who recently gave birth, won for Best WNBA Player and the L.A. Dodgers won for Best Finish for their come-from-behind win against the San Diego Padres, hitting four consecutive home runs to tie and capping it off with a 10th inning homer by Nomar Garciaparra for one of the best finishes in history on Sept. 18, 2006.