Popular and lovable TNT NBA reporter Craig Sager underwent a rare third bone-marrow transplant on Wednesday. He wore his usual eye-catching garment and familiar smile.
Sager’s son, Craig Jr., had been the donor for his first two bone marrow transplants, one in each of the past two years, following a 2014 diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia. However, a third donation from his son wouldn’t hold up long. This time, Sager received the bone marrow from an anonymous benefactor, one the Associated Press described as a 20-year-old who “was considered a perfect match.” Shortly after the procedure began, Sager said, “Okay, third time’s the charm.”
From the AP report:
Sager was in good spirits on Wednesday morning as the process began. He playfully rolled his eyes at his wife, Stacy, when she chided him for not smiling for a photo where he lifted his shirt to show where the fluid was entering his body in a tube above his left pectoral muscle.
“I’m supposed to be smiling for this?” he asked with a laugh. “Oh yay!”
The doctor in charge of Sager’s stem cell transplantation told the news service that “less than one percent of the total number of transplants” are performed as the third procedure for a given patient. “It’s very rare,” he said.
Sager was unable to cover basketball at the Rio Olympics for NBC, as doctors advised him to get chemotherapy treatments in preparation for Wednesday’s procedure. Sager did however cover the NBA Finals for the first time in June, and received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the ESPYs.
Sager has been a fixture on TNT’s telecasts of the NBA for 20 years. He’s known for wearing bright, colorful suits and establishing friendly rapports with players including the biggest in the game. He has expressed hope that he will back to conducting sideline interviews this fall.
source: Washington Post
