Craig Sager is one of the most notable figures in the NBA, and he’s never stepped foot on the court. Well, not for a professional team, anyway.
The TNT broadcaster, known for his vibrant suits and compelling interviews, has worked for Turner Sports for more than 30 years but has never had the opportunity cover the NBA Finals, which typically is broadcast on ABC or another cable network.
But Sager, 64, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2014 and has seen it return twice since. So ABC reached out to Sager and invited him to join the broadcast team for Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.
He did not disappoint.
Sager did an interview on SportsCenter with Lindsay Czarniak.
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who worked with Sager at TNT, weighed in on Sager’s opportunity.
“I was excited,” Kerr said, via The Associated Press. “Having worked for TNT for eight years, Craig’s a good friend and that was the one thing that we never got to do with TNT. We got to do the Final Four, got to do the playoffs all the way through the conference finals but never the NBA Finals. So I’m thrilled.”
It certainly will be a terrific night for Sager and all of us watching at home. Game 6 tips off at 9 p.m. ET.
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Thumbnail photo via Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports Images
