On Thursday, December 15, 2016, the sports world lost one of its all-time greatest broadcasters, Craig Sager. The longtime Turner Sports sideline interviewer, famous for his loud attire, was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2014.
In a statement released by David Levy, the president of Turner, Levy said, “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. 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.”
Recommended for you
Sager began his career in broadcasting following his graduation from Northwestern University in 1973. At the age of 22, Sager first made a name for himself when he interviewed Atlanta Brave Hank Aaron,just after he crossed home plate following Aaron’s record-breaking 715th career home run. Sager was in the middle of all the madness as Aaron’s team waited for him at home plate to congratulate him on breaking a record that was previously held by Babe Ruth.
He went on to handle CNN’s first live remote report of the MLB playoffs in 1980 when he worked for the network. In the 1980s, Sager co-anchored “CNN Sports Tonight” and anchored “College Football Scoreboard.”
While Sager covered a large range of events throughout his career, including the Summer and Winter Olympics, the Goodwill Games, the Pan Am Games, golf, college and professional football, and the World Series, he is mainly recognized for his work in basketball, specifically the NBA. Following the news of Sager’s passing the National Basketball Association released a statement describing Sager as a “one-of-a-kind reporter who embodied the spirit of the game of basketball in a truly colorful fashion. Through his work, he was able to connect players, coaches and fans to the game we all love. The passion and fight he displayed during his battle with cancer is an inspiration to us all.”
The league’s commissioner, Adam Silver, said in his own statement that “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.”
Since the news broke of the broadcaster’s passing, tributes have been made across the league with moments of silence before each game and players wearing warm-up shirtsfrom tributes earlier in the season, that were created to look like a suit Sager would have worn. During the 2015-2016 NBA season, in what turned out to beSager’s final NBA season, reporters began dressing in colorful outfits and using the hashtag #SidelineForSager to honor Sager and show their support while he was out receiving treatment. Players and coaches made sure to tell Sager how much they admired his strength when he interviewed them.During last year’s NCAA Tournament, Syracuse men’s basketball coach, Jim Boeheim, spoke to Sager following Syracuse’s loss in their Final Four game and told him, “I'm proud of you. I'm really proud of you and what you're doing. You're a fighter. It's something we should all aspire to be, and you're setting an example that we all should be very happy to try and follow."
Sager made a comeback and reported for his first ever NBA Finals game thanks to an agreement between Turner Sports and ESPN; the Finals are shown on ABC and Sager worked for Turner Sports. In June, he reported during Game 6 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors alongside Doris Burke of ESPN. Shortly after, in July, Sager was presented the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the ESPYs, where he delivered a very emotional and heartwarming speech about the appreciation for life he gained through having a terminal disease and how he would continue to fight and live life to the fullest.Sager passed away only days after he was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
Players, coaches and fans of all sports and people who had the fortunate opportunity of working with Sager, expressed their sadness all across social media with the hashtag #SagerStrong, including Magic Johnson, Reggie Miller, Hank Aaron, the Chicago Cubs, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Odell Beckham Jr. (who wore vibrant cleats during the New York Giants’ game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, December 18 to honor Sager), Drake, Lil Wayne and Samuel L. Jackson, just to name a few.
While all NBA teams held a moment of silence prior to the game starting, the Golden State Warriors paid tribute in a different way before their start against the New York Knicks. Head coach, Steve Kerr, who, as well as the Knicks’ coach, Jeff Hornacek, wore a tie that resembled Sager’s jacket from the 2016 ESPYs, gathered the teams at center court and lead the fans in an applause for a ‘moment of joy.’ That night Warriors’ star Stephen Curry wore loud sneakers as a tribute to the broadcaster. It was an emotional night at the Oracle Arena and in every arena. As Gregg Popovich, head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, said in his pregame interview (where he declined to actually talk about the upcoming game), “On a day like this, basketball has to take a back seat as we all think about somebody who was very unique, very special.”
Although Craig Sager is no longer with us, he left behind a legacy that could never be replaced nor forgotten.
