This is What’s Trending Today:
The National Basketball Association is in the middle of its championship series.
The Golden State Warriors have won three games. The Cleveland Cavaliers have won two. The first team to win four games will be the NBA champion.
Game 6 is Thursday night in Cleveland.
Craig Sager acknowledges the crowd during a timeout in a game between the Chicago Bulls and the Oklahoma City Thunder in Chicago. Sager is going to work his first NBA Finals game. The longtime sideline reporter has been added to ESPN’s broadcast team for
If Steph Curry and Golden State win the game, the series will be over. The Warriors will be the league champions for the second season in a row.
ESPN is the broadcaster that produces the games for television in the U.S.
Because the series could end on Thursday night, ESPN made a unique announcement on Wednesday. It trended on social media.
Craig Sager, a long-time reporter for a rival television network, is going to be a guest reporter.
That is because he has never covered a Finals game. And this could be his last chance to do it.
Sager has a blood cancer called leukemia. He will be 65 years old later in June.
Sager works for Turner Sports. He has been receiving cancer treatments since 2014. After he found out he had cancer, he missed almost one year of work.
He returned to work during the 2015 basketball season after his cancer went into remission. But it came back recently.
Sager says he has tried blood transfusions, chemotherapy, stem cell and bone marrow transplants.
Two months ago, his doctor told Sports Illustrated “what he’s done is almost miraculous.”
Because doctors are not sure of his prognosis, this could be his only chance to cover one of the NBA championship games.
Sager has covered the NBA for 34 years. He is known for the colorful suits and sport coats he wears to the games.
One person on social media called the decision by ESPN “cool and beautiful.”
And that’s What’s Trending Today.
Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.
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Words in This Story
wacky – adj. amusing and very strange
miraculous – adj. very wonderful or amazing like a miracle
remission – n. a period of time during a serious illness when the patient’s health improves
rival – n. a person or thing that tries to defeat or be more successful than another
unique – adj. very special or unusual