On the night that broadcaster Craig Sager passed away, Inside the NBA aired a segment remembering their dear friend and colleague, narrated by Ernie Johnson.
During Sager's funeral service on Tuesday, Johnson revealed that the piece was written by Turner Sports creative director Drew Watkins. Earlier today, Ernie decided to share some words of his own, remembering Sager through a poem, which has become a Turner Sports tradition for him over the last 25 years.
While injecting some humor into his poem, Ernie remembered Sager's life, including interviewing Hank Aaron shortly after hitting his 715th home run ("when Aaron connected on Al Downing's pitch, Craig ran on the field that son of a...gun"), the eccentric outfits ("years at TBS followed and then TNT, where his wardrobe some nights was must not see TV), and his willingness to remain strong through the darkest of times ("that vibrant, thankful part of Craig was never lost or hidden, even when his illness laid him low, and I'm not kidding, you'd visit him and hope to cheer him up or lift his spirit, he expressed his hopeful outlook and make you glad that you can hear it").
“And so amid the tears and all the memories we cherish now,” an emotional Johnson said. “We say farewell to our friend Sages and make this humble vow: There’s no way to gauge the days we have, no way to know how long. But know this, Craig, we’ll do our best to live ’em Sager Strong."
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