Turner Sports and the NBA today announced that broadcasting legend Robin Roberts will be the recipient of this year’s Sager Strong Award at the 2019 NBA Awards presented by Kia on TNT, airing Monday, June 24, at 9 p.m. ET.
The Sager Strong Award, named for iconic Turner Sports sideline reporter Craig Sager, is presented annually to an individual who has been a trailblazer while exemplifying courage, faith, compassion and grace. The award is bestowed upon the recipient in the form of a colorful suit jacket, a replica of the one worn by Sager during his unforgettable “Time is simply how you live your life” speech in 2016. Past Sager Strong recipients include NBA legends Monty Williams in 2017 and Dikembe Mutombo in 2018.
As anchor for ABC’s Good Morning America, Roberts has been recognized with numerous awards due to her leadership, courage, sustained excellence and contributions to the show including several Daytime Emmy awards. In addition, Roberts is the President of Rock’n Robin Productions which creates original broadcast and digital programming ranging from informational shows and documentaries to live events. Prior to being named co-anchor for ABC’s Good Morning America in May 2005, Roberts’ career thrived at ESPN, where she was well-known for her prominent role as SportsCenter host. Before joining ESPN in 1990, she began her broadcasting career as a sports reporter and anchor in Mississippi before moving on to Nashville and then Atlanta.
Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 triggering an outpouring of support from across the nation, and again five years later with myelodysplatic syndrome (MDS). She aligned with Be the Match to inform the public about the need for more donors and, since her diagnosis, the bone marrow registry has seen a tremendous increase. Her battle has been recognized with awards and honors from organizations around the country including The Susan G. Komen Foundation and The Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program.
A 2016 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductee, Roberts has also been honored with the George Foster Peabody Award in 2012 and the Gracie Award in 2019. The recipient of the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism in 2014, she was recognized with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYS in July 2013 for the strength and courage she has displayed throughout her life and career.
Roberts, who graduated cum laude from Southeastern Louisiana University in 1983, where she was a standout performer on the women’s basketball team, received the WNBA Inspiration Award in 2008. In 2012, she was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
The 2019 NBA Awards on TNT – presented live from historic Barker Hangar in Los Angeles – will honor all of the league’s top performers from the 2018-19 NBA season, including the exclusive unveiling of the Kia NBA MVP, Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Kia NBA Rookie of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award, among others.
The third annual NBA Awards on TNT will once again feature current and former NBA players, coaches and celebrity presenters throughout the evening. Additional details will be announced at a later date.
The NBA Awards on TNT, created by Turner Sports and the NBA, is produced by dick clark productions.
