A SUIT tattered with a mismatch of colors. Patrolling the sidelines successfully establishing rapport with coaches, players, general managers and team owners that developed into long lasting relationships. In my opinion, the greatest broadcaster and sports reporter in league history is Craig Sager, the late Craig Sager.
Sager was a broadcaster for various networks for 35 years known for his outrageously vast collection of suits and jackets. Sager passed away on December 15, two days after being inducted into the sports broadcasting Hall of Fame.
In March 2014 doctors told Sager he only had three to six months to live.
He proved them wrong by returning to his Creator on December 15. After his demise, tributes poured in from around the league as the National Basketball Association (NBA) lost a giant among Giants in sports broadcasting. Among Sager’s more entertaining interviews were with Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich.
Popovich said, “To talk about Craig Sager being a professional or good at what he did is a tremendous understatement.
He was a way better person than he was a worker, even though he was amazing in that regard. He loved people and enjoyed pregame, during games and postgame.
He loved all the people around it and everybody felt that…what he’s endured, and the fight that he’s put up, the courage that he’s displayed during this situation is beyond my comprehension. If any of us can display half the courage he has to stay on this planet, to live every day as if it’s his last, we’d be well off.”
Indeed, Sager was not just a sportscaster, he was an authentic yet exceptional and remarkable human being who exemplified calmness amid adversity, courage and tenacity.
I claim no knowledge of his religious beliefs but I am certain that by simply offering hope and providing an inspiration to the millions of others who suffer, and based on what others have said of him, the Almighty will certainly give Sager his just reward in the life hereafter.