PHILADELPHIA, PA - Los Angeles Lakers coach Luke Walton had barely completed practice on the campus of Temple University when he heard the news that Craig Sager had passed.
"He's such a part of our game that even though he wasn't out there playing, you would turn on a TV on a Tuesday night, part of the fun of the entertainment of that we do is seeing Craig in one of his crazy suits, and he's phenomenal at his job," Walton said when asked about the longtime sideline reporter for the NBA on TNT.
Walton continued, "And he just brought something every night he was on TV. It's sad. It's sad. We should all mourn his loss and count our blessings for our health."
Our condolences go out to Craig’s family and his many friends. Rest in peace. #SagerStrong pic.twitter.com/l51DjJ2yUx — Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 15, 2016
Sager lost the battle with cancer but continued to fight on and turned up for work on television in between treatments far beyond the point anyone could have expected.
"(Sager) did it on a public stage," Walton said. "I can't even imagine how hard that's got to be to put on that face and come and do the job that you love and knowing that you're not at your best or feeling at your best and fighting for your life and still out there fighting that fight and not letting it beat you and not staying home all day. And he's still out there living his life as long as he can."
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Walton concluded, "He's an incredible, strong, strong man."
Los Angeles Lakers owner and president Jeanie Buss also released an official statement from the team mourning Sager's passing: "Craig was a great reporter, a wonderful person, and an absolute joy to work with. He put up a valiant and courageous fight, but unfortunately, cancer won. He will be terribly missed, and our condolences go out to Craig’s family and his many friends."
