Can you believe that TNT sideline reporter Craig Sager has never worked an NBA Finals game?! He’s been such an integral part of the NBA coverage on TNT over the years, and yet, because TNT doesn’t broadcast the NBA Finals, he’s never worked the sidelines for a single Finals game. It’s pretty amazing.
It’s also about to change thanks to a partnership that ESPN and TNT just formed to help bring Sager to the Finals. Sager—who has battled leukemia in recent years and was told that he likely has just months to live in March—will be on the sidelines reporting for ESPN when Game 6 of the NBA Finals takes place on Thursday night in Cleveland. Sager is scheduled to work alongside ESPN sideline reporter Doris Burke during the game.
Sager released a statement thanking TNT and ESPN for allowing this to happen on Wednesday:
I'd like to thank Turner and ESPN for approaching me with this tremendous opportunity to be part of The Finals broadcast team. 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.
And NBA fans are absolutely thrilled by the idea of Sager hitting the sidelines for the Warriors/Cavaliers game:
Game 6 starts at 9 p.m. EST on Thursday night. Expect Sager to get plenty of camera time during it.
