Who Is Craig Sager? TNT Sideline Reporter Known For Colorful Suits Dies After Cancer Battle

Craig Sager, a longtime TNT sideline NBA reporter, died Thursday after years of battling cancer and just days after he was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. He was 65.

Well known and respected in the sports orbit, Sager died after a two-and-a-half year battle with cancer. He made a mark with interviews that were as flamboyant as his outfits while on camera.

Reacting to his death, David Levy, the president of TNT's parent company, Turner Broadcasting System, spoke of the late reporter's importance in the broadcasting world.

"Craig Sager was a beloved member of the Turner family for more than three decades and he has been a true inspiration to all of us. There will never be another Craig Sager. His incredible talent, tireless work ethic and commitment to his craft took him all over the world covering sports," Levy wrote in a statement. "While he will be remembered fondly for his colorful attire and the TNT sideline interviews he conducted with NBA coaches and players, it's determination, grace and will to live he displayed during his battle with cancer that will be his lasting impact."

Sager’s bout with acute myeloid leukemia began in 2014. While he went into remission during that time following a bone marrow transplant from his son, he announced in March 2016 that the cancer had returned. He received a rare third bone marrow transplant in September.

"I like to gamble,” he told the Associated Press that month, expressing his confidence in the face of such low odds of survival. “I like to bet on horses, I like to bet on dogs, I like to bet on a lot of things. I've bet on a lot of things with a lot higher odds than this."

For his refusal to back down from his fight with cancer, Sager received the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the ESPYS in July. He was presented the award by Vice President Joe Biden, whose son died last year after a fight with cancer.

“I will continue to keep fighting, sucking the marrow out of life as life sucks the marrow out of me,” Sager said when accepting the award.