Stuart Scott Twitter Reaction: Athletes Pay Tribute To The Longtime ESPN ‘SportsCenter’ Anchor

An outpouring of affection and condolences has spread across social media to mourn the passing of famed sportscaster Stuart Scott. After a seven-year battle with cancer, the longtime ESPN ‘SportsCenter’ anchor and reporter died Sunday morning in a Hartford, Conn.-area hospital at the age of 49.

Scott became a mainstay on ESPN, after joining the sports network in 1993. He used multiple clever lines or catch phrases while doing NFL, NBA and MLB video highlights, such as “boo-yah!” and “cool as the other side of the pillow,” or describing a player as “butter because he was on a roll.”

After hearing of Scott’s death, many athletes took to Twitter to remember the man who they watched as children and would eventually call their highlights.

“Thank you so much for being u and giving us inner city kids someone we could relate to that wasn’t a player but was close enough to them.” LeBron James wrote in an Instagram message.

Even President Obama offered his thoughts on Scott's passing.

“I will miss Stuart Scott. Twenty years ago, Stu helped usher in a new way to talk about our favorite teams and the day’s best plays. For much of those twenty years, public service and campaigns have kept me from my family – but wherever I went, I could flip on the TV and Stu and his colleagues on SportsCenter were there. Over the years, he entertained us, and in the end, he inspired us – with courage and love. Michelle and I offer our thoughts and prayers to his family, friends, and colleagues" said Obama in a White House statement.

A native of Chicago, Scott grew up in North Carolina and graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1987. He worked in Florence, South Carolina, as well as Raleigh, North Carolina, and Orlando before joining ESPN for the launch of its ESPN2 network in 1993.

He announced in January 2013 that his cancer had returned. In November, Scott responded to rumors that he was in hospice: “Not True. Airball. Swing & a miss.”

Despite multiple surgeries, radiation therapy and chemotherapy over the years, Scott continued to anchor ESPN coverage while taking periodic absences of duties.

He was a frequent anchor on “SportsCenter,” but also covered the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, World Series, NCAA basketball tournament, and "Monday Night Football."

In an emotional speech, Scott accepted the Jimmy Valvano Award for Perseverance, at the ESPY Awards in July. After honoring his children, Scott’s youngest daughter, Sydni, joined him on the stage.

"I can't ever give up because I can't leave my daughters," Scott said.

“You beat cancer by how you live. So live. Live. Fight like hell.”

An IB Times staff reporter contributed to this report.