The saddest NBA story from Monday came when news broke that doctors had told Turner Sports’ Craig Sager he had only three to six months to live.
Sager, who has been in a fight with leukemia since 2014 and who has worked sparingly for TNT and Turner’s other properties over that time, told such and more to HBO’s Real Sports, including that he is no longer in remission.
In Real Sports profile, Craig Sager says he's "fighting to the end" after doctors gave him "3-6 months" diagnosis pic.twitter.com/J725uNfbF9
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) March 22, 2016
Now, the outpouring of love for one of the sports world’s most colorful reporters — both figuratively and literally — is flowing more than ever before. And of course, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, with whom Sager has always had a playful relationship during his end-of-the-quarter interviews from the sideline during Thursday and Tuesday evening TNT games, has already expressed his appreciation for Sager.
Pop has always been the guy to jab Sager, but he’s shown just how much he loves him in the past, too. Back in December, when Sager returned to the sidelines shortly to interview the Spurs coach in-game, Pop did just that.
Craig Sager interviews Coach Pop during the break. https://t.co/F8pvWnc4U1
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 4, 2015
The affection between the two might not be evident during their in-game verbal sparring, but it’s clear in the scene from HBO’s special and their countless off-court interactions that there’s a mutual love and respect from both basketball lifers.
https://twitter.com/Kevinharlan/status/672593035922812929
Sager, like Popovich, is a fighter. Lets hope he’s got at least one more win in him.
