MUMBAI: Stuart Scott, one of ESPN’s signature SportsCenter anchors, died after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He was 49.
Scott is survived by his two daughters, Taelor, and Sydni; his parents, O. Ray and Jacqueline Scott; and his three siblings Stephen Scott, Synthia Kearney, Susan Scott and their families. His girlfriend, Kristin Spodobalski, along with support from his loving family, close friends and colleagues, were with him as he underwent through several surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation and clinical trials.
ESPN president John Skipper said, “ESPN and everyone in the sports world have lost a true friend and a uniquely inspirational figure in Stuart Scott.” Providing a few anecdotes about the man, he added, “Who engages in mixed martial arts training in the midst of chemotherapy treatments? Who leaves a hospital procedure to return to the set?” Skipper went on to add that the passing away of Scott had “left a void that can never be replaced.”
On 16 July 2014, Scott accepted the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the ESPYs. During his speech, he shared his approach to fighting cancer. “I said, I’m not losing. I’m still here. I’m fighting. I’m not losing. But I’ve got to amend that. When you die, that does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live. So live. Live. Fight like hell,” he said as he provided his mantra to live long.
For 21 years, he was arguably the most recognizable and quotable personalities and one of the most popular sportscasters around the world. His catchphrases, including his most famous “Boo-ya” and “As cool as the other side of the pillow,” have become an integral part of pop culture.
After joining the network in 1993 for the launch of ESPN2, Scott became a leading voice on ESPN’s SportsCenter, where he anchored the 11pm show. During his career with ESPN, Scott covered a slew of major events, including the NBA Finals, Super Bowl, Major League Baseball playoffs and World Series, the NCAA Final Four and more.
From 2007-2011 Scott was the host of ABC Sports’ weekly NBA Sunday studio show, ESPN’s NBA studio show, and served as a host during the NBA Finals Trophy presentation each year. Scott also hosted numerous ESPN and ABC series and specials, including Dream Job, Stump The Schwab, ESPN’s 25th Anniversary Special, and The ESPY Red Carpet Show. In addition to this busy TV schedule, he had also worked as a regular contributor to ESPN: The Magazine, ESPN Radio, and ESPN.com.
Most recently, Scott was in the anchor chair alongside his longtime partner, Steve Levy, when ESPN re-launched SportsCenter on a new set. He not only interviewed most of the world’s top athletes, but also interviewed top celebrities, newsmakers, and politicians. Scott interviewed and played a televised game of one-on-one basketball with President Barack Obama, one of his two interviews with the President, and conducted numerous one-on-one interviews with the likes of Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Denzel Washington and President Bill Clinton.
At North Carolina he played wide receiver and defensive back for a club football team.
He was diagnosed with cancer in November 2007, and dealt with recurring bouts of the disease
