SAGER LAUDED FOR COURAGE
Cheerful, colorful sideline reporter kept humor intact as he battled cancer
Longtime NBA sideline reporter Craig Sager, who was known for his colorful attire and was admired for his determination to return to the sidelines after being diagnosed with cancer, died Thursday.
Sager, 65, battled a rare form of cancer for more than two years, undergoing multiple rounds of chemotherapy and other treatments. He worked 26 seasons as a sideline reporter for Turner Sports’ NBA broadcasts on TNT, making a name for himself with his colorful suits and often-stilted interviews with longtime San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich during TNT’s NBA broadcasts.
“Even though he does what he does design- and fashion-wise, it’s part of the shtick,” Popovich told HBO’s Real Sports. “But his questions are always sensible. They’re answerable, and he does it with fun. He does it with humor. I react to that very positively, so we have a good time together.”
Sager worked his first NBA Finals as a sideline reporter in June as ESPN added him to its broadcast of Game 6. He talked with University of Pittsburgh running back and cancer survivor James Conner before the game.
“I lost 57 pounds and about 100 yards off my tee shot,” Sager told Conner.
Sager was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2014, which forced him to miss 11 months of work. His sense of humor, however, didn’t take a break.
“My favorite time of year — city to city, round by round, 40 games in 40 nights,” Sager said in a statement in April 2014. “A dramatic turn has matched me with acute myeloid leukemia. From the sidelines to being sidelined, 40 veins and 40 electrolytes. Too bad, I had some probing questions for (Popovich).”
After chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, Sager was in remission and returned to TNT’s NBA broadcasts in March 2015. He also covered the NCAA men’s basketball tournament for Turner Sports that year. Just weeks after his return, Sager suffered a relapse.
More chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant again pushed his leukemia into remission. Like the bone marrow transplant, the stem cells were harvested from his son, Craig Sager Jr.
The disease was again in remission before a recurrence, which Sager announced in March. This time, he underwent a clinical trial and continued to work for Turner Sports.
“Well, I’ve been lucky all of my life,” Sager Sr. told the USA TODAY Sports Network. “Maybe I was due for an unlucky situation.”
Sager, a native of Batavia, Ill., attended Northwestern University, where he was a walk-on on the school’s football and baseball teams. He also served as Northwestern’s mascot, Willie the Wildcat, for three years.
Sager was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame this week.
“Craig Sager was a beloved member of the Turner family for more than three decades, and he has been a true inspiration to all of us,” David Levy, president of Turner, said in a statement.
“There will never be another Craig Sager. His incredible talent, tireless work ethic and commitment to his craft took him all over the world covering sports. While he will be remembered fondly for his colorful attire and the TNT sideline interviews he conducted with NBA coaches and players, it’s the determination, grace and will to live he displayed during his battle with cancer that will be his lasting impact.”
NBA teams will be observing a moment of silence in Sager’s memory.
“I, along with the entire NBA family, am deeply saddened by the passing of Craig Sager,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “Craig was as vital to the NBA as the players and coaches. A true original and an essential voice on Turner Sports’ NBA coverage for 26 seasons, Craig chronicled some of the most memorable moments in league history and was a ubiquitous presence with his splashy suits and equally colorful personality. Craig earned widespread respect for his insightful reporting and inspired so many most recently with his courage.”