The life of beloved ESPN anchor Stuart Scott was commemorated Wednesday night as the network debuted “Boo-Yah: A Stuart Scott Portrait,” the latest installment of the 30 for 30 series.
10 years after Scott’s passing from cancer, his legacy is still clearly felt throughout the hallways of Bristol. And those that caught Wednesday’s 30 for 30 saw a glimpse of what Scott was all about, and why he’s so fondly remembered a decade after his death.
“Boo-Yah” ended with a heart-wrenching scene. A young Scott, in a self-recorded clip, says ““Hi there — surprise! You’re not surprised, are you? It’s me. I’m gonna walk off into the sunset. Well, it’s a cloudy day, so I’m gonna walk off into the cloudy day sunset, and I want you to walk with me, all right? I’m serious. I’m walking into the sunset. Take my hand. Take my hand as I walk.”
The video was not Scott foreshadowing his own death decades later, but a “love letter” to his then long-distance girlfriend Kim, according to a report by Tony Maglio in The Hollywood Reporter. The duo would later marry in 1993, have two children together, before divorcing in 2007.
Incredibly, the archival footage was found “on a perfectly preserved VHS in [Kim Scott’s] personal, climate-controlled collection.” Andre Gaines, who directed “Boo-Yah,” called it “a gift as a filmmaker.”
The scene appeared in the film as-shot aside from one creative decision from Gaines and his team. Rather than showing Scott run back to the camera and adjust the angle to film another take (he did this several times), Gaines chose the best take and then had Scott vanish from the picture “because his physical self is no longer with us, only his spirit.”
It proved a very powerful ending to what was ultimately a return to form for the 30 for 30 franchise. Scott’s former SportsCenter co-host Scott Van Pelt summed it up perfectly during a monologue on his show following the film’s debut.
.@notthefakeSVP reflects on Stuart Scott’s lasting legacy ❤️
If you’re able, consider donating at https://t.co/MvczDLQx5A. When you give to @TheVFoundation, 100% of your donations go directly to cancer research organizations nationwide. pic.twitter.com/NLTDc0ptu1
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 11, 2025
“I suppose that I’m like Red in Shawshank. I guess I just miss my friend,” he said.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.