Turner Sports reporter Craig Sager will work his first NBA Finals Thursday night in a special partnership with the ESPN broadcast team.
Sager, known for his flashy suits and style, will share sideline reporting duties with ESPN's Doris Burke during Game 6 between Golden State and Cleveland.
The 64-year-old Sager has worked withTurner for 34 years and continued to report this season while battling the return of leukemia. He missed 11 months while undergoing treatment and a bone marrow transplant during the 2014 and 2015 NBA seasons.
"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 press release. "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."
In July, ESPN will present Sager with the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the ESPYS.
ESPN executive vice president John Wildhack said "Craig is an iconic member of the NBA family who indelibly makes his mark on each and every broadcast. I know our entire team is delighted to work with Craig for Game 6. We all agree his professional reputation is second-to-none, though it's his personal reputation – that of class, selflessness and respect – which makes this even more special for our team. We hope that this will be a special night for Craig and for NBA fans. We are grateful for his interest and for the continued collaboration with our friends at Turner."
