Longtime Turner Sports Broadcaster Craig Sager Dies Of Cancer At 65

Craig Sager, the veteran Turner Sports sideline reporter known for his colorful attire, has died after a long battle with acute myeloid leukemia, the network announced Thursday.

Longtime Turner Sports Broadcaster Craig Sager Dies Of Cancer At 65

“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,” Turner president David Levy 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. Our thoughts and prayers are with Craig’s wife, Stacy, and the entire Sager family during this difficult time. We will forever be Sager Strong.”

Sager was first diagnosed with leukemia in 2014, and was admitted back into the hospital late last month.

Following his initial diagnosis, Sager, who worked for Turner for more than 30 years, missed the 2014 and 2015 NBA Playoffs and part of the 2014-15 regular season, as well as the 2015 NCAA men’s tournament.

He was also recently inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

Through a partnership between Sager Sports and ESPN, sager worked his very first NBA Finals game in June, sideline reporting with ESPN’s Doris Burke for Game 6 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors, which the Cavaliers won.

“First of all, let me ask you a question,” LeBron James said after the game. “How in the hell do you go 30-plus years without getting a finals game? That don’t make no sense.

“But I’m happy to see you, man. Much love and respect. I’m happy I was able to witness it in front of these fans. We really appreciate you.”

Shortly after that, ESPN presented Sager with the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the 2016 ESPYs.

“Whatever I might’ve imagined a terminal diagnosis would do to my spirit,” Sager said when receiving the award, “it’s summoned quite the opposite – the greatest appreciation for life itself.

“So I will never give up. And I will never give in. I will continue to keep fighting, sucking the marrow out of life, as life sucks the marrow out of me. I will live my life full of love and full of fun. It’s the only way I know how.”

Sager underwent three bone marrow transplants– the most recent via an anonymous donor in August 2016– and more than 20 chemotherapy cycles, including one that lasted for two weeks, around the clock. He’s also been hospitalized numerous times for pneumonia, among other things.

In March 2016, Sager said on HBO’s “Real Sports” that he’d been given 3-6 months to live, without treatment. However, the longtime sportscaster said he was prepared to defy the odds and fight to live much longer.

“I go, ‘Well, whatever it takes, let’s get doing it,'” Sager said. “I’m not going to be that 3-6 months. I’m going to be that five years. I think we’re going to make medical history.”

Sager also worked for CNN, handling the network’s first live remote report from the 1980 baseball playoffs. He co-anchored “CNN Sports Tonight” and anchored “College Football Scoreboard” in the 1980s.

Though he has covered several different types of events, including college football, the NFL, the World Series, the Goodwill Games, the Pan Am Games, World Cup soccer, golf, tennis, and the Winter and Summer Olympics, Sager’s true home was the NBA.

Several players and fellow broadcasters heavily supported Sager during his medical battle. Reporters began using the hashtag #SidelineForSager and dressing in colorful outfits to show their support. In April 2016, Rockets center Dwight Howard and his D12 Foundation held a blood drive to honor Sager.

After a Final Four defeat at the 2016 NCAA tournament, Syracuse coach Jim Boehim told Sager, “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 is survived by his wife Stacy– a former Chicago Bulls dancer– and five children from two different marriages: Kacy, Craig Jr., Krista, Riley and Ryan.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 13: Honoree Craig Sager accepts the Jimmy V Award for Perserverance onstage during the 2016 ESPYS at Microsoft Theater on July 13, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)