# Craig Sager
**Craig Graham Sager** (June 29, 1951 – December 15, 2016) was an American sports broadcaster who served as a sideline reporter for Turner Sports' NBA on TNT coverage for 26 seasons and became known for his flamboyant, colorful suits and his interviews with NBA coaches and players[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/craig-sager) • [2](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/about-us/craig-sager-biography/). He died in Atlanta at age 65, two days after his induction into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, following a public battle with acute myeloid leukemia[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/craig-sager) • [2](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/about-us/craig-sager-biography/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 1951, Batavia, Illinois; December 15, 2016, Atlanta, Georgia, age 65[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/craig-sager) |
| Signature role | Sideline reporter for Turner Sports' NBA on TNT coverage for 26 seasons[2](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/about-us/craig-sager-biography/) |
| Early fame | Interviewed Hank Aaron at home plate immediately after Aaron's record-breaking 715th home run, April 8, 1974[3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/craig-sager-tv-sports-reporter-known-for-colorful-wardrobe-dies-at-65/2016/12/15/a7981aa4-58f2-11e6-831d-0324760ca856_story.html) |
| Illness | Diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2014; underwent three bone marrow transplants, the first from his son Craig Jr.[4](https://www.nba.com/nets/news/2016/12/01/craig-sager-night) |
| Major honors | Jimmy V Award for Perseverance (2016); Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame (2016); Curt Gowdy Media Award (2017); posthumous Sports Emmy (2017)[2](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/about-us/craig-sager-biography/) |
| Legacy award | The Sager Strong Award, first given to Monty Williams at the inaugural NBA Awards in 2017, is presented annually with a multicolored blazer as its trophy[5](https://www.nexttv.com/news/craig-sager) |
| Memoir | *Living Out Loud: Sports, Cancer and the Things Worth Fighting For*, published November 2016[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/craig-sager) |
## Early life and education
Sager was born in Batavia, Illinois, and graduated from Batavia High School before attending [Northwestern University](https://www.edgepedia.org/northwestern-university), where he earned a bachelor's degree in speech[2](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/about-us/craig-sager-biography/) • [6](https://basketballmuseumofillinois.com/hall-of-fame/media/20-hof-media/1362-craig-sager/). He walked on to the university's football and basketball teams and served as the school's "Willie the Wildcat" mascot for three years[2](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/about-us/craig-sager-biography/). He later told The Washington Post that he carried a small trampoline in his car and performed flips at bars while in the mascot role[3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/craig-sager-tv-sports-reporter-known-for-colorful-wardrobe-dies-at-65/2016/12/15/a7981aa4-58f2-11e6-831d-0324760ca856_story.html).
## The Hank Aaron interview
In 1974, Sager was working for $95 a week as news director at WSPB, an AM radio station in [Sarasota, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/sarasota-florida), affiliated with the [Atlanta Braves](https://www.edgepedia.org/atlanta-braves)[3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/craig-sager-tv-sports-reporter-known-for-colorful-wardrobe-dies-at-65/2016/12/15/a7981aa4-58f2-11e6-831d-0324760ca856_story.html) • [7](https://www.easternnewmexiconews.com/home/cms_data/dfault/photos/stories/id/6/4/564/4559672.pdf). He talked his boss into letting him cover an Atlanta Braves game on April 8, 1974, the night [Hank Aaron](https://www.edgepedia.org/hank-aaron) hit his 715th home run to break Babe Ruth's career record[3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/craig-sager-tv-sports-reporter-known-for-colorful-wardrobe-dies-at-65/2016/12/15/a7981aa4-58f2-11e6-831d-0324760ca856_story.html). Sager ran onto the field and reached home plate as Aaron arrived, interviewing Aaron and family members while television crews yelled at him to get out of the shot[3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/craig-sager-tv-sports-reporter-known-for-colorful-wardrobe-dies-at-65/2016/12/15/a7981aa4-58f2-11e6-831d-0324760ca856_story.html). A recording of that first interview is held in the Baseball Hall of Fame[8](https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-sp-craig-sager-dead-65-story.html).
## Broadcasting career
**Local and regional work.** Sager began his broadcast career in 1972 at WXLT-TV in Sarasota, Florida, and had stints at WSPB-Radio, WTSP-TV in St. Petersburg, and WINK-TV in Fort Myers, where he was sports director and won a Sportscaster of the Year Award from the Florida High School Coaches Association[2](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/about-us/craig-sager-biography/). He then spent two years at KMBC-TV in Kansas City as sports director, handling play-by-play for the Kansas City Kings, Royals spring training, and Chiefs preseason games[2](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/about-us/craig-sager-biography/).
**CNN and Turner.** Sager joined CNN in 1981 after handling the network's first live remote report from the 1980 MLB Postseason[2](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/about-us/craig-sager-biography/). At CNN he co-anchored *Sports Tonight*, anchored *College Football Scoreboard* from 1982 to 1985, and won a CableAce award in 1985[2](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/about-us/craig-sager-biography/). He spent more than three decades with Turner overall[9](https://www.nba.com/news/craig-sager-memorial-service-nba-tv-nba-com-release).
**NBA on TNT.** Sager served 26 seasons as sideline reporter for Turner Sports' exclusive Thursday night [NBA on TNT](https://www.edgepedia.org/nba-on-tnt) doubleheader coverage, becoming identified with his colorful wardrobe of plaids, stripes, swirls, and bright hues; he tried never to wear the same outfit twice on air[2](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/about-us/craig-sager-biography/) • [1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/craig-sager). Former NBA commissioner [David Stern](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-stern) once joked that he had put a dress code on players but should have added one for broadcasters[10](https://www.si.com/nba/2016/04/26/craig-sager-nba-playoffs-tnt-lebron-james-stephen-curry). Nets broadcaster [Ian Eagle](https://www.edgepedia.org/ian-eagle) described him as a dogged reporter who built a connection with players unmatched in the profession[4](https://www.nba.com/nets/news/2016/12/01/craig-sager-night).
**Other assignments.** Sager's coverage extended well beyond basketball: TNT NFL studio shows from 1990 to 1997, TBS MLB Postseason coverage from 2007 to 2013, NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship coverage with Turner and CBS starting in 2011, the 2002 World Championships of Basketball, multiple [Goodwill Games](https://www.edgepedia.org/goodwill-games) from 1986 to 2001, the [PGA Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/pga-championship) in 2009, and [NBC Sports](https://www.edgepedia.org/nbc-sports)' Olympic basketball coverage at the 2012 London Games[2](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/about-us/craig-sager-biography/). He also covered World Cup soccer, Wimbledon, the Kentucky Derby, and auto racing[11](https://www.investing.com/news/general-news/colorful-u.s.-sports-broadcaster-craig-sager-dies-at-65-448154).
## Illness and final appearances
Sager announced in 2014 that he had acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive cancer first discovered that April[4](https://www.nba.com/nets/news/2016/12/01/craig-sager-night) • [12](https://www.si.com/media/2016/12/18/media-circus-craig-sager-mike-greenberg). He missed 11 months of work while undergoing treatment, and his absence turned the popular reporter into what [Sports Illustrated](https://www.edgepedia.org/sports-illustrated) called in an April 2016 cover story "perhaps the most revered figure in the league"[3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/craig-sager-tv-sports-reporter-known-for-colorful-wardrobe-dies-at-65/2016/12/15/a7981aa4-58f2-11e6-831d-0324760ca856_story.html). He underwent nearly 100 procedures, including three bone marrow transplants, the first donated by his son Craig Jr. in the summer of 2015[4](https://www.nba.com/nets/news/2016/12/01/craig-sager-night) • [13](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/craig-sager-dies-dead-obit-nba-tnt-cancer/10acsx2gcqst919tmqobimzv1i).
In June 2016, through a partnership between Turner and ESPN, Sager worked his first [NBA Finals](https://www.edgepedia.org/nba-finals) game, sideline reporting with Doris Burke for Game 6 between the [Cleveland Cavaliers](https://www.edgepedia.org/cleveland-cavaliers) and [Golden State Warriors](https://www.edgepedia.org/golden-state-warriors)[14](https://abcnews.com/Sports/longtime-turner-broadcaster-craig-sager-dies-age-65/story?id=44220669). At the 2016 ESPYs that July he accepted the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, telling the audience that "time is something that cannot be bought, it cannot be wagered with God, and it is not in endless supply"[2](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/about-us/craig-sager-biography/) • [5](https://www.nexttv.com/news/craig-sager). His last game broadcast came in June 2016[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/craig-sager).
## Honors and legacy
Sager was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame on December 13, 2016, two days before his death[2](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/about-us/craig-sager-biography/). The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences posthumously awarded him his first Sports Emmy, for Outstanding Sports Personality, Sports Reporter, at the 2017 ceremony, and during the 2017 [NBA All-Star Game](https://www.edgepedia.org/nba-all-star-game) he was named the recipient of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Media Award[2](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/about-us/craig-sager-biography/).
The Sager Strong Award, created by TNT in 2017 and named for him, is presented annually at the NBA Awards to an individual who exemplifies courage, faith, compassion, and grace; its trophy is a multicolored, rose-emblazoned blazer[5](https://www.nexttv.com/news/craig-sager) • [15](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Sager-Strong-Robin-Roberts-release.pdf). The SagerStrong Foundation, formed by Sager in 2016, supports cancer research and education[4](https://www.nba.com/nets/news/2016/12/01/craig-sager-night) • [16](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/MD-Anderson-Living-Legends-Eventfinal.pdf).
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called Sager "as vital to the NBA as the players and coaches," and NBA teams observed a moment of silence in his memory[17](https://www.nba.com/news/nba-commissioner-adam-silver-statement-craig-sager).
## Personal life
Sager was married to Stacy Strebel from December 14, 2001, until his death, and previously to Lisa Gabel from 1980 to 2001[18](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1676673/bio). He was survived by his wife Stacy and five children: Craig Jr., Kacy, and Krista, and Ryan and Riley with Stacy[2](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/about-us/craig-sager-biography/). His memoir, *Living Out Loud: Sports, Cancer and the Things Worth Fighting For*, written with Craig Sager Jr. and Brian Curtis, was published in November 2016[2](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/about-us/craig-sager-biography/) • [1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/craig-sager).
## References
1. [Craig Sager, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/craig-sager)
2. [Craig Sager Biography, Sager Strong Foundation](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/about-us/craig-sager-biography/)
3. [Craig Sager, TV sports reporter known for colorful wardrobe, dies at 65, The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/craig-sager-tv-sports-reporter-known-for-colorful-wardrobe-dies-at-65/2016/12/15/a7981aa4-58f2-11e6-831d-0324760ca856_story.html)
4. [Craig Sager Night, Brooklyn Nets, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/nets/news/2016/12/01/craig-sager-night)
5. [Craig Sager, Next TV / Broadcasting+Cable](https://www.nexttv.com/news/craig-sager)
6. [Sager, Craig (2019), Basketball Museum of Illinois](https://basketballmuseumofillinois.com/hall-of-fame/media/20-hof-media/1362-craig-sager/)
7. [Print obituary, Eastern New Mexico News](https://www.easternnewmexiconews.com/home/cms_data/dfault/photos/stories/id/6/4/564/4559672.pdf)
8. [Basketball broadcaster Craig Sager dies at 65, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-sp-craig-sager-dead-65-story.html)
9. [Craig Sager memorial service to be available on NBA TV & NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/news/craig-sager-memorial-service-nba-tv-nba-com-release)
10. [Craig Sager: Always on the bright side, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/nba/2016/04/26/craig-sager-nba-playoffs-tnt-lebron-james-stephen-curry)
11. [Colorful U.S. sports broadcaster Craig Sager dies at 65, Reuters via Investing.com](https://www.investing.com/news/general-news/colorful-u.s.-sports-broadcaster-craig-sager-dies-at-65-448154)
12. [Inside the production of Turner Sports's video obit for Craig Sager, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/media/2016/12/18/media-circus-craig-sager-mike-greenberg)
13. [Craig Sager, beloved broadcaster, dies at 65 after cancer fight, Sporting News](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/craig-sager-dies-dead-obit-nba-tnt-cancer/10acsx2gcqst919tmqobimzv1i)
14. [Longtime Turner broadcaster Craig Sager dies at age 65, ABC News](https://abcnews.com/Sports/longtime-turner-broadcaster-craig-sager-dies-age-65/story?id=44220669)
15. [NBA TNT / SagerStrong Foundation release on the 2019 Sager Strong Award](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Sager-Strong-Robin-Roberts-release.pdf)
16. [The Late Craig Sager and SagerStrong Foundation Honored by MD Anderson](https://sagerstrongfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/MD-Anderson-Living-Legends-Eventfinal.pdf)
17. [NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's statement on passing of Craig Sager, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/news/nba-commissioner-adam-silver-statement-craig-sager)
18. [Craig Sager Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1676673/bio)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Broadcasting and journalism › Broadcast organizations and stations › Broadcasters as people › Sports announcers and team broadcasters › Basketball broadcasters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license