Craig Sager, beloved basketball broadcaster for TNT, received a third bone marrow transplant from an anonymous donor on Wednesday in the latest episode of his battle with leukemia. Sager’s wife, Stacy, was sent away from Craig prior due to the procedure due to her having come down with a cold. The doctors were afraid that her husband would catch her illness. Hearing that Stacy would not be able to be with Craig, basketball Hall of Famer and Sager’s TNT colleague Charlers Barkley immediately flew to Houston to be with Sager. It turns out, Barkley defied orders from his doctor to visit Sager, according to Kristie Reiken of the Associated Press:
However, Sir Charles had hip replacement surgery less than a month ago and wasn’t cleared to travel. He said his doctor was livid when he learned Barkley had defied orders and flown halfway across the country. Barkley informed the doctor that it was an emergency.
“Craig Sager is one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met,” Barkley said. “We go to see Sager to cheer him up and by the time you leave you’re like, ‘Is anything wrong with him?’ He has the most positive attitude … When you go to try and cheer him up his attitude is so upbeat he cheers you up.”
This is an extraordinarily touching and heart-warming story. Huge props to Barkley for his friendship, and best wishes to the Sager family as Craig continues his fight with cancer. #SagerStrong.
