Craig Sager was an inspiration to many as he battled cancer without leaving his sideline reporting duties for TNT in these playoffs. He’s gotten a deserved outpouring of love and support for his strength and grace under this kind of awful news, and now he’s getting an honor long overdue (thanks to broadcast rights restrictions). He’s going to call his first ever NBA Finals game on Thursday night for Game 6.
Thanks to a one-time-only agreement between Turner Sports, Sager’s employer, and ESPN, which carries the NBA Finals games on ABC, Sager will share sideline reporter duties with Doris Burke. In a press release, Sager mentioned that he “[doesn’t] want to distract in any way from the event itself,” which is classic Sages, but for such a rare occasion for a special guy like him, it would be a shock if there wasn’t a moment in which the NBA community paid tribute to the beloved sideline figure. It will certainly embarrass him with attention, but as he perseveres in the face of long odds, it’s everything he deserves.
The only question remaining, then, is what kind of special suit Sager will bring out for the occasion. I mean, it’s the NBA Finals. He’s got to come correct.
(Via ESPN)
