Craig Sager begins new round of chemotherapy

The sight of Craig Sager at Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals between the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets on Tuesday night was a welcome one; the beloved TNT sideline reporter hadn't been seen at an NBA event since discovering in late March that his leukemia had returned.

Sager, who was first diagnosed in April 2014, was able to attend the game in Houston because he is beginning a new round of chemotherapy Wednesday at the city's renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center, according to Sports Illustrated.

"My doctor told me don’t fall, don’t get hurt, stay away from people who are sick, and we'll see you tomorrow," Sager said.

After his initial diagnosis, Sager spent 11 months battling the disease, his path to recovery including several rounds of chemo, multiple blood transfusions, and a bone marrow transplant. With his cancer seemingly in remission, he finally found himself back on the sidelines for an NBA on TNT broadcast in Chicago on March 5.

Sager said his plan now is to spend five days in chemotherapy, then, if the treatment succeeds, receive a second bone marrow transplant from one of his family members.

He's thankful for all the support he's received as he's gone through the unbelievably trying process, and said he's continued to watch NBA basketball as a kind of therapy.

"It's nice that so many people care, and it's been very therapeutic and supportive," Sager said. "And it's been great that we've had so many games on TV, not only on TNT but ABC and ESPN. There's a lot of long hours where you can't do anything but lie and bed and get IVs, so the basketball has been very therapeutic."

Asked about his prognosis in the wake of the relapse, Sager was characteristically optimistic.

"Odds are for a whole group. It's not for me individually," he said. "I've defied odds before. I've got a lot of confidence in these doctors, I have all the faith in the world in M.D. Anderson, and that's why I'm here, and I expect to get through this."