While Craig Sager might not be a household name, you’ve probably recognized him on one of TNT’s many, many NBA broadcasts over the years. He’s the guy with the wild ass suits, stunting in any and all colors, patterns and fabrics. He has also battled leukemia for the past two years, and even sent the deadly form of cancer into remission last year. However, in a recent interview with HBO’s “Real Sports,” Sager revealed that he is no longer in remission.
TNT’s sideline reporter says he’s in “uncharted waters” in the clip (which you can watch below), since he’s already had two stem cell transplants, and very few people ever undergo a third. A typical diagnosis is 3-6 months unless you are able to undergo intensive treatment, which Sager will do. At this point it’s very much like Stuart Scott, who continued working through his grueling chemotherapy before finally succumbing to a different form of cancer last year.
Sager gave the following statement:
“I’m grateful to HBO for telling my story and I’d like to thank everyone for their ongoing support. 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.
“Again, I would like to thank everyone for your generosity and encouragement. I sincerely appreciate it and it means so much to me and my family. I look forward to continuing my work on the sidelines for Turner Sports.”
In honor of Craig Sager, I’ve included one of my favorite clips of Kevin Garnett telling him to burn his suit.