The 2024 ESPYs paid tribute Thursday night to the many great athletes who passed away in the last 12 months … but one name was notably left out — O.J. Simpson.
The annual award show took place at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles … and as they do every year, ESPN officials ran their “In Memoriam” segment to reflect on the stars the sports world lost since the last iteration of the event.
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Willie Mays, Jerry West, Larry Allen and Bill Walton, among others, were shouted out during the impactful portion of the show. Simpson, however, was not.
It was unclear if ESPN would choose to omit the Pro Football Hall of Famer … as less than two weeks earlier, the former Buffalo Bills tailback was placed in the BET Awards’ remembrance segment.
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When his name popped up at that show … it was hit with an awkward silence, before some began to clap. In the days after, the families of Nicole Brown Simpson or Ron Goldmanslammed the decision.
As you know, O.J. died in April from prostate cancer after spending several months in hospice care.
He was 76 years old.
