San Antonio Spurs executive and former coach and player Monty Williams gave perhaps the most heart-warming acceptance speech at the NBA Award Show. When accepting the NBA’s first ever Sager Strong Award” Williams talked about how he responded to the tumultuous events that altered his life and the most important figures in his life.
Monty Williams accepts the first #SagerStrong Award. #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/nU4mauLRqD
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 27, 2017
Williams was announced as the Sager Strong Award winner in the beginning of June. He joined the Spurs as a high-ranking executive position not because of the tragedies he faced, but because of his sharp basketball mind and professional demeanor. TNT provided a tremendous video about Monty Williams, including interviews with Doc Rivers, Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan, and Billy Donovan.
Monty Williams is #SagerStrong. #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/y8woQy81Mr
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 27, 2017
As part of the award, Williams received a jacket that resembled one the late TNT reporter Craig Sager would have worn. TNT’s Ernie Johnson and Sager’s wife Stacey Sager helped present the award. It is hard to not get emotional watching Williams speak, as well as to hear others speak about him. Many NBA fans will only know him as a former coach, but there is much more to Monty Williams that the average fan can not see from the sidelines.
