PHOTO: Craig Sager back on sidelines for Pelicans-Warriors broadcast
It's been a trying 18 months for Craig Sager, but the beloved TNT sideline reporter is ready to put the trauma of his cancer battle behind him and get back to doing what he does best: Lighting up television screens with both his personality and his sartorial flair.
Back in front of the camera for the opening-night tilt between the defending champion Golden State Warriors and upstart New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, Sager got in the Halloween spirit like only he can.
WELCOME BACK CRAIG! #KiaTipOff15 pic.twitter.com/eBwLxwSOPl
— NBA (@NBA) October 28, 2015
...and tonight's @PelicansNBA vs. @Warriors reporter? The one and only Craig Sager. #WelcomeBack pic.twitter.com/F8UpwtAso9
— TurnerSportsPR (@TurnerSportsPR) October 28, 2015
It was a visibly slimmer Sager holding the microphone. He was first diagnosed with Leukemia in April 2014 and suffered a relapse 11 months later. During the two protracted rounds of treatment, he had chemotherapy, multiple blood transfusions, and two bone marrow transplants. His recovery was complicated at one point by a bout of pneumonia. He lost 50 pounds and all of his hair.
But there he was Tuesday night, on a national TV broadcast, conducting a post-quarter interview with Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry.
Said Gentry: "It's great to have you back."