TNT reporter Craig Sager finally gets to cover his first NBA Finals, after Turner Sports inked a deal with ESPN.
The popular TNT sideline reporter, known for wearing flashy suits, has continued to work, despite facing a recurrence of the leukemia he has been battling for the past few years.
During his career, he has never worked an NBA Finals series, but will finally share sideline reporting duties with Doris Burke for Game 6 on Thursday (June 16) in Cleveland between the Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors (ABC, 9 PM ET).
“I’d like to thank Turner and ESPN for approaching me with this tremendous opportunity to be part of The Finals broadcast team,” Sager said in a statement. “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.”
Burke sent a message to Sager, via video and released by ESPN, saying: “Welcome to our team. It’s our honor.”
Sager missed 11 months while undergoing treatment for leukemia and a bone marrow transplant from his son, but would return to the sideline during TNT’s NBA coverage in March 2015. However, this March, via an interview with HBO, he revealed that his cancer has returned and has been given a short time to live… but is “fighting to the end”.
