Craig Sager vows to keep fighting after latest leukemia diagnosis

TNT sideline reporter Craig Sager has told Bernard Goldberg of HBO that he is no longer in remission in his battle with leukemia. After already receiving two stem cell transplants previously, Sager will now receive a third, which he describes as “uncharted waters.” Nearly a year ago today, on March 29, 2015, Craig Sager’s son announced that the cancer had returned for the first time. You can watch the trailer here. The full episode will air on Tuesday, March 22 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO.

In the interview, Sager laid out the details of how he reacted to the news, per Ben Golliver.

”I go [to the doctors], ‘I know, what are the chances?’ And [the doctors said], ‘Well, you’ve got normally 3-6 months to live. But somebody may only have a week. Somebody may have five years. You could be the first one to five years.’

“I go, ‘Well, whatever it takes.’ I’m not going to be that 3-6 months. I’m going to be that five years. I’m going to make medical history ... I’m fighting this thing to the end. I have too much to do.”

Craig Sager is most commonly seen as a sideline reporter for TNT’s Thursday night NBA games and for his wild and entertaining suits he wears to games.

Sager did issue a statement through Turner on Wednesday morning clarifying his comments from the HBO segment.

“I’m grateful to HBO for telling my story and I’d like to thank everyone for their ongoing support,” Sager’s statement said, via the Washington Post. “I have acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive type of cancer. The typical prognosis is 3-6 months to live, but I would like to stress that is for a patient who is not receiving treatment. Fortunately, I am receiving the best treatment in the world and I remain fully confident I will win this battle.

We wish Craig nothing but the best in his battle.