Entertainment Awards Shows and Events ESPY Awards Host Anthony Mackie Shows Off His Impersonations of James Harden, LeBron James ESPY Awards host Anthony Mackie also did his best impression of ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith By Rachel DeSantis Rachel DeSantis Rachel DeSantis is a senior writer on the music team at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2019, and her work has previously appeared in Entertainment Weekly and the New York Daily News. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 10, 2021 08:53PM EDT James Harden, Anthony Mackie, LeBron James. Photo: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty; Manny Carabel/Getty; Mike Ehrmann/Getty ESPY Awards host Anthony Mackie showed off his acting chops ahead of sports' biggest night. The Falcon and the Winter Solider actor, 42, shared a clip to Twitter on Friday ahead of the show in which he put forth his best impressions of some of the biggest names in sports, including Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Brooklyn Nets star James Harden. To get in the spirit of 36-year-old James, Mackie embraced an inspiring attitude, and shared an encouraging monologue. "The only way to succeed is to know you're not going to succeed all the time. And I know that. I dream as if I'll live forever. And I live as if I'll die today," Mackie, as James, said atop dramatic music and applause. "It doesn't matter what number I wear because I'm gonna give 100 no matter what. I'm LeBron freakin' James!" Anthony Mackie Calls Out Punishments on Naomi Osaka, Sha'Carri Richardson in ESPY Awards Monologue Meanwhile, for Harden, 31, Mackie got in costume, kicking things off with a fake beard, some extra weight and a cookie as "Harden" got called in to see the general manager of the Houston Rockets, his former team. Upon learning that he'd be traded to the Nets, Mackie's Harden quickly shed the weight and emerged a new man in a Nets jersey. "Let's do this!" he yelled. 5 of the Best ESPY Awards Speeches of All Time For his third and final impression, Mackie did his best to capture the essence of ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith. "I'm gonna get very quiet. Then Im'ma get very loud!" he said. "The Cowboys will give you cause to pause! Aaron Rodgers is a bad man. Knicks." The 2021 ESPY Awards, hosted by Mackie, are broadcasting live on ABC from The Rooftop at Pier 17 at the Seaport in New York City on Saturday. Close