Craig Sager Craig Sager ( born 1949 in Batavia , Illinois ) is a sideline reporter for TNT and TBS . Sager is a graduate of Northwestern University . He has previously covered sports for CBS and CNN . His nicknames are " America ' s Sideline Reporter " and Mr . Fancy Suit . Education and early life . Sager graduated from Northwestern University in 1973 , earning a bachelor ' s degree in speech . He is a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity . He made both the football and basketball teams as a walk - on , having grown to . He also served as Willie the Wildcat , the school ' s mascot . Broadcasting career . Before working for CBS , Sager worked in Kansas City , Missouri , for KMBC , as well as WINK - TV in Fort Myers , Florida , WTSP in St . Petersburg , Florida , and WXLT in Sarasota , Florida where he began his broadcast career in 1972 . He was sports director for WINK - TV in Ft . Myers , Fla . , where he was honored with the Sportscaster of the Year Award from the Florida High School Coaches Association . He also had a stint at WSPB radio in Sarasota , Fla . Prior to signing on with CNN , Sager spent two years at KMBC - TV in Kansas City , Missouri where he served as sports director and reporter and handled play - by - play duties for the Kansas City Kings , Royals spring training and Chiefs ' pre - season games . Sager was waiting for Hank Aaron at home plate after Aaron hit his 715th home run , breaking the record held by Babe Ruth . Sager can be easily recognized in the fracas at home plate after the home run because of the long white overcoat that he was wearing . Prior to working for Turner Sports , Sager joined CNN in 1981 after handling the network ' s first live remote report from the 1980 baseball playoffs . At CNN , Sager was co - anchor of the network ' s " CNN Sports Tonight " shows and was honored with a CableAce award in 1985 . He also served as the anchor of " College Football Scoreboard " from 1982 – 85 . Turner Sports . Sager normally works as a sideline reporter for " The NBA on TNT " . Previously , he has worked at CNN and TBS for the Goodwill Games , Pan American Games , and 1990 FIFA World Cup . Sager also called Nordic skiing and curling for TNT ' s coverage of the 1992 Winter Olympics . Sager is in his 17th season as sideline reporter for TNT ' s exclusive Thursday night NBA doubleheader coverage . Sager is also making several appearances on NBA TV during the 2008 – 09 NBA season . Sager is also known for his rather distinctive clothing style . He commonly wears velvet suits , colorful ties , nehru jacket s , and other bizarre articles of clothing on the sidelines or on the field . After the 2009 NBA All - Star Game , he interviewed Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett , who found Sager ' s suit so revolting that Garnett told him to burn the entire outfit , including the shoes and socks , when he got home . Once the interview ended , the studio team also discussed Sager ' s fashion sense . Sager works as a field reporter for TBS . While covering the 2008 MLB postseason , Sager wore a different brightly colored suit jacket to each game . He is the lead field reporter for the MLB postseason on TBS . Sager was admonished by Indiana Pacer guard Reggie Miller for prematurely reporting Miller ' s impending retirement from the game of basketball . He appears in the " NBA 2K " video game series along with fellow TNT reporters Kevin Harlan and Kenny Smith . Sager is a sideline reporter who interviews the coaches and reports on the interviews in the games . He has also served as a reporter for the network ' s coverage of golf , tennis and amateur sports . He previously hosted Atlanta Hawks telecasts for TBS Superstation , was a reporter on TNT ' s NFL pre - game , halftime and post - game from 1990 – 1997 . Among his other assignments have been the 1986 , 1990 , 1994 and 1998 Goodwill Games for TBS . In addition , Sager hosted the weekly amateur sports series " U . S . Olympic Gold " , which aired Saturdays on TNT . Sager reported from the sideline for TBS ' Pac - 10 / Big 12 college football coverage from 2002 to 2006 . He also served as the sideline reporter for the 50th annual Delchamps Senior Bowl from Ladd Memorial Stadium in Mobile , AL , and the 1998 and 2000 Micron PC Bowl , formerly known as the Carquest Bowl . Sager was a reporter for TNT ' s coverage of the 2002 World Championships of Basketball , 2000 USA Basketball Games coverage from Hawaii and Japan , as well as the 1999 Tournament of the Americas Olympic Qualifying Basketball Tournament in San Juan , Puerto Rico . Sager serves as a sideline reporter for the NCAA Men ' s Division I Basketball Championship , both for Turner Sports and CBS with Marv Albert and Steve Kerr . NBC Sports . In 1999 , he was loaned to NBC Sports where Sager served as a field reporter for both NBC ' s coverage of the National League Championship Series and World Series . He has been the men ' s and women ' s basketball reporter for NBC ' s Olympic coverage since the 2000 Olympics in Sydney . He also has filled in as a sideline reporter on NBC ' s coverage of Notre Dame football . Sager served as a reporter for NBC Sports coverage of basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing . Personal . Sager and his wife , Stacy , a former NBA Chicago Bulls dancer , have two children , Riley and Ryan . Sager also has three children from a previous marriage , including Craig Jr . , a walk - on wide receiver at the University of Georgia . Awards and honors . Sager was honored with a Georgia - area Emmy Awards for his work as co - host of the Dr . Martin Luther King , Jr . Holiday Parade from 1990 – 95 .