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RNN) – Longtime ESPN anchor Stuart Scott died Sunday after a bout with cancer. He was 49.









Scott joined ESPN in 1993 and was known for his colorful expressions. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2007. The cancer had gone into remission but recurred in 2013.

He was honored with the Jimmy V Award at the ESPYs last summer in honor of the late basketball coach Jim Valvano who died of cancer in 1993.

In accepting the award, Scott revealed he had undergone four surgeries in the week prior to the award ceremony and was suffering from numerous complications of the disease. He spoke directly to his daughters and expressed humility over receiving the award and showed footage of him undergoing clinical trials to treat the disease.

"I listened to what Jim Valvano said 21 years ago: 'Don't give up. Don't ever give up.' To be honored with (this award), I now have a responsibility to not ever give up," Scott said. "When you die, that does not mean you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live and the manner in which you live."

Scott joined ESPN when it launched ESPN2 as an anchor and rose to be one of the most prominent faces of the network. During his 21-year career, he hosted the network's studio coverage of the NBA Finals and NFL studio shows. He also hosted the network's foray into game shows with Stump the Schwab and Dream Job.

However, it was his role as a SportsCenter anchor for which he is most known. Scott infused the highlights of the broadcasts with humor and a plethora of catchphrases, which have become not just an enduring part of SportsCenter, but found their way into the general sports lexicon. Among his most famous are, "Booya" and "cool as the other side of the pillow."

While Scott was one of the most popular personalities on TV, he was also one of the most divisive due to his penchant for using hip hop slang and sometimes seemingly nonsensical ramblings to punctuate the action.

Scott was born in Chicago but grew up in North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His broadcast career started at WPDE in Florence, SC. He worked in Raleigh, NC, and Orlando, FL, before moving to ESPN. He followed Keith Olbermann as the host of SportsNight on ESPN2 and quickly gained a following among the younger crowd ESPN had targeted with the program.

ESPN first reported his death Sunday morning and quickly abandoned its scheduled ESPN2 programming in favor of a lengthy, tribute to Scott's career with pre-recorded features and live commentary featuring many of his ESPN colleagues, including Dan Patrick and Chris Berman.

"I'm sure he would want us to remember him for his passion and dignity," Berman said on air. "We will. We love you, Stu."

ESPN president John Skipper released a statement calling Scott, "a true friend and a uniquely inspirational figure."

"His energetic and unwavering devotion to his family and to his work while fighting the battle of his life left us in awe and he leaves a void that can never be replaced," the statement reads.

Copyright 2015 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.

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