Craig Sager facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Craig Sager
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Sager in 2012
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| Born |
Craig Graham Sager
June 29, 1951 Batavia, Illinois, U.S.
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| Died | December 15, 2016 (aged 65) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Northwestern University |
| Occupation | TV sports broadcaster, commentator and announcer |
| Years active | 1972–2016 |
| Employer | Turner Sports (TNT, TBS) |
| Spouse(s) |
Lisa Gabel
(m. 1980–2002)Stacy Strebel
(m. 2001) |
| Children | 5 |
Craig Graham Sager (born June 29, 1951 – died December 15, 2016) was a famous American sports reporter. He worked for TV channels like CNN, TBS, and TNT from 1981 until he passed away.
Craig Sager was well-known for his exciting sideline reports during National Basketball Association (NBA) games. He always wore bright, colorful, and unique jackets and suits. In 2016, he was honored by being added to the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. He also received the Curt Gowdy Media Award in 2017 for his great work in sports media.
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Early Life and School Days
Craig Sager was born on June 29, 1951, in Batavia, Illinois. He went to Batavia High School. When he was a teenager, he wrote an essay about respecting the American flag. This essay was even printed in the Congressional Record.
Growing up, Craig was friends with his basketball teammates Ken Anderson and Dan Issel. Both of them became very successful athletes. Ken Anderson became a star quarterback in the NFL. Dan Issel became a famous basketball player and is now in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Craig Sager graduated from Northwestern University in 1973. He studied Speech there. He also had a fun role as the school's mascot, Willie the Wildcat, for three years. This was a hint of his future career in sports entertainment.
Craig Sager's Career
Starting Out in Local TV
Craig Sager began his career as a reporter in Sarasota, Florida. In 1974, he worked as a radio news director. He also got to attend many sports events, which he loved.
A famous moment in his early career happened on April 8, 1974. He was in Atlanta when baseball legend Hank Aaron hit his record-breaking 715th home run. Craig bravely went onto the field to try and interview Hank Aaron right after the big hit!
In the late 1970s, Craig worked as a sports reporter in Kansas City, Missouri. He covered games for the Kansas City Royals baseball team and the Kansas City Chiefs football team. People remembered him as a very hard worker, often doing everything himself, from setting up the camera to doing the interviews.
Joining CNN and Turner Sports
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Craig Sager started working for CNN full-time in 1981. He helped host CNN Sports Tonight and even won an award for his work in 1985. He also hosted a college football show on TBS, which is CNN's sister channel.
In 1987, Craig moved to work full-time at TBS. He hosted a sports show and reported during halftime for Atlanta Hawks basketball games. He traveled all over the world for his job. He covered events like the Goodwill Games, the Pan American Games, and even the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He also reported on Nordic skiing and curling for TNT during the 1992 Winter Olympics.
NBA Sideline Reporter
Craig Sager's most famous job was being a sideline reporter for NBA on TNT. He was nominated for a Sports Emmy Award in 2012 for this role.
He was known for his amazing and colorful outfits. He had a huge collection of bright sport coats and suits. People often described his clothes as "loud," "colorful," and "lively." He almost never wore the same outfit twice! Someone once tried to count his jackets and stopped after finding 137 in just one part of his home.
Besides NBA games, Craig also reported on other basketball events. He covered Olympic qualifying tournaments and the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship.
Working with NBC Sports
In 1999, Craig Sager also worked for NBC Sports. He reported on baseball games, including the 1999 World Series. He also covered men's and women's basketball for NBC during the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Awards and Special Honors
In June 2016, Craig Sager got to cover his first ever NBA Finals game. He worked on the sidelines for Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals. This was the last game he worked before he passed away.
On July 13, 2016, Craig Sager received the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the 2016 ESPY Awards. This award honors people who show great strength while battling challenges, like cancer. This was his last public appearance.
Just two days before he died, on December 13, 2016, Craig Sager was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. After he passed away, he also won his first Sports Emmy Award in 2017 for being an outstanding sports reporter.
At the 2017 NBA All-Star Game, Craig Sager was named the winner of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2017 Curt Gowdy Media Award.
Since 2017, a special award called the Sager Strong Award is given out. The award is a replica of one of Craig's colorful sports coats. It honors people who are brave and inspiring.
Illness and Passing
In April 2014, Craig Sager was diagnosed with a type of blood cancer called acute myeloid leukemia. He missed the entire 2014 NBA playoffs because of this. His son, Craig II, was a match for a bone marrow transplant, which helped Craig Sager's cancer go into remission.
During this time, many people in the NBA showed their support. His son, Craig II, even filled in for him as a sideline reporter. Coaches and players wore special T-shirts that looked like Craig's famous colorful suits.
In March 2015, Craig announced that his cancer had returned. Doctors told him he had a limited time to live without more treatment. He bravely went through the transplant process a third time with the help of an anonymous donor.
Craig Sager passed away on December 15, 2016, at the age of 65. Many people in the sports world honored him. NBA teams wore tribute T-shirts, and coaches spoke about his courage and skill. His alma mater, Northwestern University, also honored him by putting stickers on their football helmets.
In 2017, his friend and former teammate Dan Issel spoke at Batavia High School to honor Craig. Dan said, "To see him have the success he had on the national level was so gratifying to all of us."
Family Life
Craig Sager had five children. His older children, Kacy, Craig II, and Krista, were from his first marriage. His younger children, Ryan and Riley, were from his second marriage.
His son, Craig II, played football at the University of Georgia. Craig II also worked as a sideline reporter when his father was sick in 2014.
See also
In Spanish: Craig Sager para niños
