NBA sideline reporter Craig Sager has had a turbulent couple of years. The extravagantly dressed TV personality was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2014 and has lived with the condition ever since, continuing to cover basketball when possible.

Despite the numerous complications and copious amount of treatment, Sager reached a milestone this year; he covered the NBA Finals for the first time in his long career. Many players and basketball personalities have spoken out in support of Sager as he continues to battle cancer, which flared back up in a big way a few months back. He is now due to be honored by someone outside of the sporting community, from the White House.

During this year’s installment of the annual ESPYs on Wednesday, Vice President Joe Biden will present the Sager with the Jimmy V Award For Perseverance. Biden paid tribute to Sager in a statement, as reported by Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated:

“Like Jimmy Valvano, Craig Sager embodies the best of who we are as Americans,” Biden said. “For four decades Craig's been the go-to-guy on the sidelines for us to better understand a game we love and its place in our culture. But in the real game of life, he's teaching all of us something bigger – how to live life with purpose, determination, and love. On behalf of all Americans, and cancer patients and their families who he inspires every day, I'm honored to be presenting Craig with an award that reminds us as a nation that we can never give up in our fight to end cancer as we know it.”

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Los Angeles Lakers, Max Christie, LeBron James

Eva Geitheim ·

Mina Kimes, Nick Sylvester, ESPYs

Josh Silverstein ·

LeBron James, Lakers

Abhinav Kini ·

The award itself is in honor of the late NCAA basketball coach Jim Valvano, who also battled through cancer treatment in his life and gave a moving speech during the first ESPYs event.

[button width=”full” button size=”bigger” color=”custom” align=”center” textcolor=”#ffffff” texthcolor=”#ffffff” bgcolor=”#8b0000″ link=”https://clutchpoints.com/video-lebron-james-ecstatic-part-craig-sagers-first-nba-finals-game/”]NEXT: LeBron James was ecstatic to be a part of Craig Sager’s first NBA Finals game[/button]