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Suits and Celebs and Selfies, Oh My! Getting ESPYS Ready

UMBC men's basketball at ESPY Awards
UMBC men's basketball at ESPY Awards (UMBC men's basketball at ESPY Awards)

Topping off a history-making year, the celebrations continue tonight for UMBC men’s basketball with a nomination for “Best Moment” at this year’s ESPY Awards. Before they jetted off for a star-studded night in Los Angeles, we caught up with some of the players hitting the red carpet to answer the hard-hitting questions #RetrieverNation needs to know.
ESPYs voting is open until the start of the show at 8 p.m. EST. Click here to vote for the Retrievers!
Q: It’s a night that sports enthusiasts dream of. Is there one celebrity you’re looking most forward to seeing?

  • “LeBron. Cleveland still loves him.” – Nolan Gerrity ‘19, forward/center, unofficial representative of Cleveland.
  • “LeBron James.” –  Max Curran ‘20, forward, here to state the facts and keep his eyes on the ESPY prize.
  • “The GOAT (greatest of all time), Aaron Rodgers, of course. And my celebrity crush, Rachel McAdams, was there last year. I doubt she’d go two years in a row as a non-athlete, but here’s hoping!” –  Joe Sherburne ‘18, forward, still recovering from his Aaron Rodgers Twitter shout out during March Madness.
  • “I don’t think I could pick just one, but definitely LeBron or Drake.” – Jourdan Grant ‘18, guard, ready to represent on behalf of all #UMBCalumni.

Q: The single most important question prior to any red carpet event: What will you be wearing for the big night?

  • NG: “Dark gray suit and some Gucci shoes.”
  • MC: “Black suit with white shirt and black and gold loafers.”
  • JS: “A fine suit, tailored by ATC Dry Cleaners in Annapolis, MD. If you want your clothes tailored right, the only option is to go to ATC Dry Cleaners #ad.”
  • JG: “Blue suit with some ‘drip’.” Editor’s note- we Googled “drip” for you and learned it means “immense swag.” 

Q: You’re going to have a full day ahead of you. How do you envision it going?  

  • NG: “I think I’ll be anxious but mostly excited. I imagine the day will be going very slowly.”
  • MC: “Just endless anticipation, waiting for the show.”
  • JS: “No clue. Maybe I’ll visit the pool. I might stare at my reflection for a while to focus, like Cristiano Ronaldo does before games. And I definitely have to make sure my phone and portable charger are fully juiced, since I’ll be taking lots of pictures.”
  • JG: “Very chill and relaxing. I plan to enjoy some good food and vibing with my brothers.”

Q: Inquiring minds are dying to know what’s the most important thing you packed in your suitcase?

  • NG: “Definitely my portable charger. I’m gonna be using my phone a lot taking pictures during the show.” Psst – make sure you follow @UMBClife on Instagram as Nolan takes over live from the show!
  • MC: “Cali clothes.”
  • JS: “My suit!”
  • JG: “I would say my Comme des Garçon Converse shoes.”

Don’t forget to tune in at 8 p.m. on ABC or Watch ESPN on Wednesday, July 18 and show your support for #RetrieverNation!

A diverse group of young men pose together for a photo in front of a sign that reads "The ESPYS"