By Ian Casselberry on

Turner Sports reporter Craig Sager was not manning his usual place on the sideline for Tuesday night’s NBA season opener, while undergoing treatment for leukemia. But he was most definitely a presence, thanks to tributes throughout the league as the 2016-17 season tipped off.

That was especially true in Oakland, California as the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors played their opener against the San Antonio Spurs. Coming off a historic 73-win season while also debuting the NBA’s newest superteam with Kevin Durant joining Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, the Warriors and their fans could have noted those occasions for their first game of the season. Instead, the team gave out t-shirts with Sager’s likeness (nattily attired, of course) on the front for everyone in attendance at Oracle Arena.

#WarriorsGround is #SagerStrong 💪🏽

A photo posted by Golden State Warriors (@warriors) on

Warriors officials wore a different t-shirt honoring Sager, resembling a multi-colored jacket, shirt and tie that the famed broadcaster might favor as he worked the sidelines and filed reports for the TNT audience. Golden State head coach Steve Kerr wore one of the shirts during a pregame press conference.

The TNT crew also got in the spirit for their colleague. Reporter Kristen Ledlow sported a pair of Nike’s limited edition #SagerStrong Air Force 1s while she was on the scene in Oakland. 100 pairs of the shoes are being auctioned off, with proceeds benefiting the SagerStrong Foundation.

The multi-colored Sager t-shirts, one of which was shown during the TNT broadcast by Kenny Smith, are also available for purchase to benefit the SagerStrong Foundation.

And with the Spurs in town to play the Warriors, Sager “nemesis” and San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich also paid tribute to Sager.

https://twitter.com/spurs/status/791074452905701376

“He’s somebody who’s endured more than I can even imagine,” Popovich told NBA.com’s Scott Howard-Cooper. “All the treatment he’s gone through and it seems to go up and down and up and down. He’s high and then he’s dejected because of what’s going on with his health. He’s been through it all and he still smiles, he still jokes, he’s still got a great sense of humor, you can still talk to him about anything. He’s just an iconic and a weird and wonderful guy all at the same time, and I mean that lovingly.”

The support for Sager wasn’t just limited to Oracle Arena on Tuesday. Tribute was paid throughout the league.

The love and support shown toward Sager is truly touching, and a reflection of the impression he’s left upon players, coaches and executives around the NBA, in addition to everyone he’s worked with at Turner Sports. Best wishes for a safe and speedy recovery for a personality we all enjoy.

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About Ian Casselberry

Ian is a writer, editor, and podcaster. You can find his work at Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He's written for Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation.

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