Kyle Korver remembers his trip to China with Basketball Without Borders several years ago in part because Craig Sager and his father were part of the contingent.
And the yards of colorful silk that Sager brought home. The famous Sager wardrobe benefitted greatly from the trip where the long-time TNT sideline reporter brought his personality with him.
“We all have a job and do a job and you can do it with joy,” Korver said Friday morning before the Hawks played at the Raptors. “You can do it and find the fun in it. Find the relationships that are possible. He is an incredible example of someone who loved what he did and took the time to find out who people were and shared experiences.”
Sager died Thursday at the age of 65 after a lengthy battle with leukemia. All NBA teams will hold a moment of silence in honor of Sager.
The way Sager handled his illness showed just the kind of person he was, Korver said.
“The years that he probably impacted the most people were the years that he was sick,” Korver said. “That’s an amazing thing. For someone to go through cancer the way he did and the rounds of chemo and the remission and to come back. But for the impact that you had on this world be during those years, really says something about your character, who you are and what you stood for in life. There aren’t a lot of people who can say that.”
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer remembers Sager from his days working in the video room with the Spurs, including running to him exploring on the street.
“It’s a big loss,” Budenholzer said. “It was pretty incredible on how he fought to the end.”
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