After nearly 44 years in sports broadcasting, Craig Sager will finally get the chance to cover an NBA Finals game from the sideline. On Wednesday, ESPN announced Sager would join their broadcast team for Game 6 of the championship series.
TNT sideline reporter Craig Sager is joining ESPN’s broadcast for his 1st NBA Finals game
Craig Sager is battling leukemia, but that won’t stop him from his first-ever NBA Finals assignment.
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Sager has been a sideline fixture of NBA broadcasts thanks to his gregarious personality and penchant for eye-grabbing attire. However, he’s never been on the floor to watch the Larry O’Brien trophy be raised. As an employee of Turner Sports, his broadcasts have been mostly limited to TNT.
With the longtime reporter battling leukemia, ESPN and Turner worked out a deal that would put Sager inside Quicken Loans Arena for tonight’s showdown between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
I'd like to thank Turner and ESPN for approaching me with this tremendous opportunity to be part of The Finals broadcast team. I've been watching the series very closely and, while I do not want to distract in any way from the event itself, I look forward to being in the building for what will be an incredibly exciting Game 6. The NBA community is a very special one and this is a great honor.
Sager’s public battle with cancer has failed to keep him from his courtside duties. He’s been a fixture of the 2015-16 season even after he announced he was no longer in remission from leukemia this spring. Sager has been an inspiration for icons like Steph Curry and Allen Iverson as he battles the illness. On Wednesday night, he’ll have the opportunity to inspire even more.
See More:
