Craig Sager Is Awarded The Jimmy V Perseverance Award
As if there weren’t enough reasons to love him, Sager had one of his most memorable moments during last year’s ESPY awards.
The ESPYs are an annual awards ceremony recognizing individual and team achievements for the previous calendar year. Last year, Sager received the Jimmy V Perseverance Award in honor of the late Jim Valvano.
“The Jimmy V Award is given to someone in sports who has overcome great obstacles through perseverance and determination. It is named for Valvano, the NCAA-winning coach who gave an emotional acceptance speech at the 1993 ESPYS that included his famous words “Don’t Give Up … Don’t Ever Give Up!” He died of cancer later that year.” (via ESPN.com)
Sager won this award for battling leukemia while still providing some of the best sideline coverage the game has ever seen. His courage, perseverance and love for people and the game set Sager apart.
He will always be remembered as an extravagant dresser but more importantly, a fantastic person. He connected with everyone he came in contact with over the course of his career. Whether it was with players, coaches or fans, he treated everyone like his friend and this makes his passing that much more difficult.
Let’s not mourn the loss of a legend. Instead, let’s celebrate what a tremendous human being Sager was. He will forever be missed. #SagerStrong
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“I will live my life full of love and full of fun. It’s the only way I know how.” – Craig Sager