Craig Sager Biography

by | Feb 19, 2019

  • Synonymous with TNT’s NBA game coverage for over two decades and known for his colorful wardrobe, Craig served 26 seasons as sideline reporter for Turner Sports’ exclusive Thursday night NBA on TNT doubleheader coverage.
  • In 2012, Sager was a first-time nominee for a Sports Emmy® Award for Outstanding Sports Personality – Sports Reporter.
  • In 2012, Sager was a sideline reporter for NBC Sports’ coverage of the XXX Olympiad in London during the Olympic basketball tournament.
  • Sager was a reporter for TBS’ coverage of the MLB Postseason from 2007-2013.
  • Sager has served as a sideline reporter for Turner and CBS’ joint coverage of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship starting in 2011.
  • In 2009, Sager served as a course reporter during the PGA Championship on TNT and PGA.com.
  • From 2002-2006, Sager was a sideline reporter for TBS’ Pac-10/Big 12 college football coverage, including the 50th annual Delchamps Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., and the 1998 and 2000 Micron PC Bowls.
  • He was a reporter for TNT’s coverage of the 2002 World Championships of Basketball, 2000 USA Basketball Games coverage from Hawaii and Japan, as well as the 1999 Tournament of the Americas Olympic Qualifying Basketball Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
  • Sager served as a reporter on TNT’s NFL pre-game, halftime and post-game shows from 1990-97.
  • A veteran of international competition, Sager reported for TNT’s 2001 Goodwill Games from Brisbane, Australia, 2000 Winter Goodwill Games coverage from Lake Placid, N.Y. and TBS’ 1998 Goodwill Games coverage from New York, 1994 Goodwill Games in Russia, 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle and 1986 Goodwill Games in Moscow.
  • Sager joined CNN in 1981 after handling the network’s first live remote report from the 1980 MLB Postseason. While at CNN, Sager was co-anchor of the network’s Sports Tonight shows and was honored with a CableAce award in 1985. He also served as the anchor of College Football Scoreboard from 1982-85.

CAREER

  • Prior to joining CNN, Sager spent two years at KMBC-TV in Kansas City, where he served as sports director and reporter and handled play-by-play duties for the Kansas City Kings, Royals spring training and Chiefs pre-season games.
  • Previously, Sager was sports director for WINK-TV in Ft. Myers, Fla., where he was honored with the Sportscaster of the Year Award from the Florida High School Coaches Association. He also had stints at WTSP-TV, St. Petersburg, Fla.; WSPB-Radio, Sarasota, Fla.; and WXLT-TV, Sarasota, Fla. where he began his broadcast career in 1972.

HONOR AND AWARDS

  • 2018 ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ from the Broadcast Cable HOF.
  • On December 13, 2016, Sager was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, a career honor which took place just two days before his death.
    The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences posthumously awarded Sager with his first Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Personality, Sports Reporter at the 2017 ceremony.
  • During the 2017 National Basketball Association All-Star game, it was announced that Sager was the 2017 recipient of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Curt Gowdy Media Award
  • Sager was named the 2016 recipient of the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, presented at the ESPY Awards. He had battled acute myeloid leukemia from 2014-2016.
  • In 2012, Sager was a first-time nominee for a Sports Emmy® Award for Outstanding Sports Personality – Sports Reporter.

PERSONAL

  • Sager was named the 2016 recipient of the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, presented at the ESPY Awards. He had battled acute myeloid leukemia from 2014-2016.
  • A native of Batavia, Ill., Sager held a bachelor’s degree in speech from Northwestern University. He walked on the football and basketball teams and served as the university’s “Willie the Wildcat” mascot for three years.
  • Craig wrote his own biography, Living Out Loud (Sports, Cancer and the Things Worth Fighting For) with Craig Sager, Jr. and Brian Curtis in 2016.
  • Sager was survived by his loving wife, Stacy, and his five children: Craig Jr., Kacy, and Krista, and Ryan and Riley, with Stacy.

See a CNN feature on Craig Sager’s life

Craig’s Bio