R.I.P Stuart Scott

Longtime ESPN anchor and reporter Stuart Scott died of cancer January 4th, 2015. An iconic figure at ESPN and in the sports world in general, Scott, who was 49, had battled the disease since late 2007. There was an outpouring of tributes on social media and conventional media from athletes and other sports reporters to a degree that has seldom if ever been seen.

Scott’s work received high praise over the years, but perhaps his greatest legacy was the speech he made at last year’s ESPY awards. Scott received the Jimmy V Perseverance Award that day, and his acceptance speech was one for the ages:

The Jimmy V Perseverance Award is named in honor of former North Carolina basketball coach Jim Valvano. Valvano was 47 when he passed away from cancer in late April 1993. In March of ‘93, Valvano spoke at that year’s ESPY awards, and his speech that evening was another inspiring, powerful oration on dealing with cancer.