The award-winning ESPN “My Wish” Series returns for its 15th season on Sunday, July 17 and will feature stars from the NFL, MLB and the NBA. Since its beginning in 2006, the series has partnered with Make-A-Wish to fulfill 75 sports-themed wishes for children with critical illnesses.
- This year’s series of wishes will feature Super Bowl champion quarterback Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, NBA champion Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors, the World Series champion Atlanta Braves and their third baseman Austin Riley and the NFL’s New York Giants.
- Working together with Make-A-Wish, ESPN produces feature segments on the wishes for airing on SportsCenter, with the first feature of this year’s series debuting in the 8 a.m. ET hour on Sunday, July 17. A new feature will debut each morning through Wednesday, July 20.
- All features will re-air multiple times in various editions of SportsCenter and will be available on ESPN.com.
- Chris Connelly has been host of the ESPN “My Wish” Series since the series began.
- The series returns this year after a two-year pause due to the pandemic.
- Versions of the wish videos also will be shared on ESPN social media platforms.
The 2022 ESPN “My Wish” on SportsCenter segments include:
- Sunday, July 17 – New York Giants: Sam Prince, a 19-year-old from North Caldwell, N.J., who received a heart transplant 11 years ago, describes himself as “The Ultimate New York Giants fan.” His wish was to announce the franchise’s first round pick at the NFL Draft, and with appearances by Eli Manning and Roger Goodell, viewers learn that Sam’s not only a superfan but also a shrewd draft prognosticator. The piece also is the weekend’s SC Featured
- Monday, July 18 – Atlanta Braves/Austin Riley: Last summer, 12-year-old Jackson Hall went from celebrating a baseball league title to learning he would be facing months of treatment for non-Hodgkin’s B-cell lymphoma. Nearly one year since his diagnosis, he’s back on the diamond, and the Macon, Ga., native wanted to be a member of the Atlanta Braves for a day. With the help of his personal tour guide, third baseman Austin Riley, he gets immersed in training with the world champions.
- Tuesday, July 19 – Patrick Mahomes: Before she was even a year old, Myka Eilers of Yorba Linda, Calif., endured two open-heart surgeries to correct the narrowing of her pulmonary artery and valve. Now a thriving 12-year-old who plays quarterback on her flag football team, Myka gets coached by Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes on the field and in the film room.
- Wednesday, July 20 – Klay Thompson: Joseph Tagaban, a 15-year-old from the tiny town of Petersburg, Alaska, learned in December of 2020 that he had a rare form of cancer, acute myeloid leukemia. After enduring treatments that sent him to Seattle, he wished to meet with newly-crowned NBA champion Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors.