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Sights and Sounds | Backstage interviews at the 2022 Greater Cleveland Sports Awards

3News chatted with Guardians Owner Paul Dolan, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, and several others prior to Wednesday's Greater Cleveland Sports Awards.

CLEVELAND — The stars were out on Wednesday evening for the 22nd annual Greater Cleveland Sports Awards at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. NBC Sports' Maria Taylor served as the host for the festivities, which were back to being in-person after going virtual in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

RELATED: GUIDE | 22nd annual Greater Cleveland Sports Awards to be held Wednesday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse: Here's what you need to know

Before the statues were handed out on stage, we had a chance to talk to several celebrities behind the curtain. First up was a pair of former Cleveland Indians: 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award winner C.C. Sabathia and presenter Kenny Lofton. The duo talked with 3News' Dave "Dino" DeNatale about their memories of playing in Cleveland.

Sabathia was also presented by another former Tribe teammate, current Bally Sports Ohio analyst Jensen Lewis. Lewis spoke of his fond memories of being on the same pitching staff as Sabathia, plus gave his thoughts on this year's Cleveland Guardians team as they make their way through Spring Training towards the 2022 season.

We also had an opportunity to catch up with Cleveland Guardians team owner Paul Dolan. Dolan gives his memories of Sabathia pitching in Cleveland, plus the eager anticipation of the start of the 2022 season.

Just a month or so after appearing in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb was back at another sports gala event on Wednesday. Bibb couldn't hide his joy of seeing boyhood hero Kenny Lofton, while also talking about the importance of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission's work in bringing top-level athletic events to Northeast Ohio. 

You can see photos from our pre-show backstage coverage in the gallery below:

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