Craig Sager

Try to imagine Craig Sager without a wild plaid sport coat or something in a screaming pastel.

Can’t do it.

Try to imagine the NBA without Craig Sager, in one of those memorable jackets, on the sidelines of a playoff game.

Can’t do it.

But we must. Sager, 64, has been treated several times for leukemia. In an interview with HBO’s Real Sports that aired on Tuesday night, Sager confirmed that he is no longer in remission and that doctors have given him three to six months to live.

Sager says he has no intention of giving up his job on the sidelines or with TNT’s “NBA on TNT” broadcasts. “Still kicking, still fighting,” he told HBO. “I haven’t won the battle. It’s not over yet. But I haven’t lost it, either. There have been some victories and some setbacks, but I still have to fight it. A lot of work to do.”

He has already done so much. He was initially diagnosed with leukemia in April of 2014. The disease went into remission following treatment and he was back working NBA games the following March. The cancer recurred last spring but went into remission several months later.

Sager knows he’s battling the clock. All we can do is hope he takes this thing to overtime.

Update
Turner Sports and Craig Sager issued a clarification of his medical condition on Wednesday morning: “I have acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive type of cancer. The typical prognosis is 3-6 months to live, but I would like to stress that is for a patient who is not receiving treatment. Fortunately, I am receiving the best treatment in the world and I remain fully confident I will win this battle.”

Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman