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From:Yahoosports
R.I.P. Craig Sager
Craig Sager, the legendary sideline reporter and NBA announcer whose years-long battle with acute myeloid leukemia inspired countless fans and basketball lovers, died Thursday. He was 65.
“Craig Sager was a beloved member of the Turner family for more than three decades and he has been a true inspiration to us all,” Turner President David Levy wrote in a network 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.”
Shortly after news of his passing began to circulate, stirring scores of tributes from figures throughout the sports world, Sager’s son, Craig II, shared a heartfelt but upbeat tribute to his father via Twitter:
After several more months of treatment, including a transplant of bone marrow donated by Craig II, Sager came back for the NBA’s 2015-16 Media Day in September, returned to work on Opening Night a month later, and had his first televised post-treatment tete-a-tete with his longtime foil and close friend, Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs, less than two months later. Sager continued to make monthly trips to Houston for treatment throughout the season, and was healthy enough to resume his responsibilities at the NBA’s annual All-Star Weekend in Toronto. His status took a turn shortly thereafter, though, and he later revealed in a March interview with HBO that his leukemia was no longer in remission
Undaunted, he continued to work, juggling treatment through clinical trials, travel and broadcasting responsibilities. In recognition of his tireless fight, Sager was recognized this past summer with the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the 2016 ESPY Awards, where he delivered a stirring acceptance speech in which he reaffirmed his commitment to savoring every moment of his life for as long as he had left:
“When you are diagnosed with a terminal disease like cancer, leukemia, your perception of time changes,” Sager said. “When doctors tell you you have three weeks to live, do you try to live a lifetime of moments in three weeks? Or do you say, ‘To hell with three weeks?’ When doctors tell you your only hope of survival is 14 straight days of intense chemotherapy, 24 hours a day, do you sit there and count down the 336 hours? Or do you see each day as a blessing? Time is something that cannot be bought. It cannot be wagered with God. And it is not an endless supply. Time is simply how you live your life.
“I’m not an expert on time, or on cancer, or on life itself. I’m a kid from the small Illinois town of Batavia, who grew up on the Chicago Cubs, and made sports his life’s work, although there’s never been a day where it actually seemed like work. I have run with the bulls in Pamplona. I have raced with Mario Andretti in Indianapolis. I have climbed the Great Wall of China. I have jumped out of airplanes over Kansas. I have wrestled gators in Florida. I have sailed the ocean with Ted Turner. I have swam the oceans in the Caribbean. And I have interviewed Gregg Popovich. Mid-game. Spurs down seven.
R.I.P. Craig Sager
