Gregg Popovich reacts to the passing of ‘special’ Craig Sager (Video)

Gregg Popovich has reacted to the news of Craig Sager’s death

Earlier today, Turner Sports sideline reporter Craig Sager passed away at the age of 65 following one of his multiple battles with leukemia.

While the basketball world mourned the loss of such an icon, the one voice everyone one was looking for was San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. The future Hall of Famer broke his silence in a media scrum Thursday night ahead of his team’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns.

“On a day like this basketball has to take a backseat as we all think about somebody who was very unique and very special,” an emotional Popovich told reporters. “Whether you knew Craig or not, you just got he feeling that he was a special person in a lot of different way. Right now I just feel for his family.”

Sager, who became synonymous with his unique and ever present smile, will forever be linked to Popovich due to his always entertaining halftime interviews. While Popovich always allowed his colleague to get his two questions in, they were more often than not a single word on a menacing glare.

But when Sager’s battle with the deadly disease forced him from his interviewing duties for 11 months, a smiling Popovich was one of the first to welcome him.

“To talk about him being a professional and everything he did is just a tremendous understatement,” said Popovich. “All of us who knew him understood that was what he was all about as far as work was concerned. But he was a way better person than he was a worker, even though he was amazing in that regard. He loved people and he enjoyed pre-game, during during, post-game. He loved all the people around it and everybody felt that.”

Sager was originally diagnosed with leukemia back in 2014. After months of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, Sager revealed he was in remission and returned to TNT’s NBA broadcasts in March 2015. He was also spotted court side during that year’s March Madness. But just a few weeks after his triumphant return, Sager suffered a relapse.

After more chemotherapy therapy and a stem cell transplant again pushed his leukemia into remission Sager once again returned to active duty before finally succumbing to the disease

“The most amazing part of him is his courage,” said Popovich. “What he’s endured, the fight he’s put it and the courage he displayed during his situation is beyond my comprehension. If anyone of us can display half the courage he has, to stay on this planet, to live every life as if it was his last. We’d be well off. We will all miss him very much.”

It should be noted, Sager was also inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame this week.