ESPN lost a legend
on Sunday, Jan. 4. Stuart
Scott was 49 years
old and was diagnosed
with cancer in 2007.
He was the catalysis to the new century of
the way sports was broadcasted, and one of
the most memorable and inspiring faces on
television.
Scott was not only an actor starring in
television shows and movies like “Drumline,”
“Herbie: Fully Loaded” and “The Longest
Yard,” but also a father to two daughters,
Taelor and Sydni, a Jimmy V Award winner
at the 2014 ESPY Awards and, most importantly,
one of the staples to the change and
improvement of the way sports was reported
on television.
Known for his enthusiasm, love and passion
for sports, unique style and catchphrases
such as “BOO-YAH,” “as cool as the other
side of the pillow,” and “he must be the bus
driver ‘cause he was takin’ him to school,”
Scott used his inspiring and entertaining
personality to impact everyone around him
on and off the air.
In 1993, Scott entered ESPN during the
creation of ESPN2 as a frequent on SportsSmash
and SportsNight before earning a seat
in SportsCenter and covering some of the
largest events in sports.
Scott covered the NBA and NFL for
ESPN and in 2002, was named studio host
for the NBA on ESPN.
By 2008, he had earned lead host for NBA
on ESPN and ABC where he anchored the
NBA finals and SportsCenter’s prime-time.
Covering the NBA finals from 1997 until
2014, Scott became a familiar face and a
familiar voice, anchoring some memorable
sports history and using his fancy catchphrases
to capture exactly what sports is
about: passion and enthusiasm.
Scott was not only a memorable and historic
figure on ESPN and to the public, but
also an inspiration and a fighter.
In December 2012, Scott’s illness returned
and he began sharing more details with the
public, including that he only missed ESPN
for chemotherapy treatments every other
Monday and that he would train at a mixedmartial
arts gym afterwards.
For someone battling such a debilitating
disease, he was determined to prove nothing
could slow him down or decrease his experiences
in life.
“When you die, it does not mean that you
lose to cancer,” Scott said during his acceptance
speech at the 2014 ESPYS. “You beat
cancer by how you live, why you live and in
the manner in which you live.”
The impact upon athletes and colleagues
has shown bright through their public remembrances
and statements on how much
of a pioneer Scott was for this organization
and for those around him.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry
Fitzgerald expressed his thoughts on Scott’s
passing through Twitter with this statement:
“Stuart Scott was more than a great father;
he was a most cherished friend, a signature
sports anchor and entertainer, more
than a prophet for the power of mass communications.
He became the voice of daily sports on a
national level at a time when sports communication
was proliferating into a phenom
enon that changed the way we digested the
heroics of athletic prowess.”
Los Angeles Lakers and NBA legend
Kobe Bryant was also greatly impacted by
Scott’s passing.
During a post-game interview he was
asked about his reaction:
“The sports world lost a legend. I certainly
grew up wanting to be on SportsCenter just
to have him comment on a highlight or two
of mine. He’s really changed the vernacular
of sports and added such a, kind of a hip-hop
culture to the sports game. He battled hard,
I can’t say enough about what an inspiration
he’s been.”
Besides the inspiration Scott instilled
in so many young athletes, professional
athletes he was interviewing, viewers, coworkers
and public figures, he truly was a
pioneer, “Hall-of-Famer,” to SportsCenter
and ESPN.
Since the beginning, his personality and
style slowly created a positive growth to the
way we view and broadcast sports.
He will forever be remembered and continue
to inspire those around him to live life
to the absolute fullest, as cool as the other
side of the pillow.