Born in Chicago, Scott grew up in North Carolina and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He began his career with various local television stations before joining ESPN in 1993. Although there were already accomplished African-American sportscasters, his blending of hip-hop with sportscasting was unique for television. By 2008, he was a staple in ESPN’s programming,[1] and also began on ABC as lead host for their coverage of the NBA.
On the anniversary of his death, his two daughters, Taelor and Sydni, honored their late father by posting a video tribute to him.
The video was made for Dear World (a project that asks subjects to share a “meaningful message with family, friends and strangers”), and it opens with Scott’s own words.
“I can’t give up, because I can’t leave my daughters,” Stuart can be heard saying in an audio snippet from his Jimmy V Award speech at the 2014 ESPY Awards. “The best thing I’ve ever done, the best thing I will ever do, is be a dad to Taelor and Sydni. I love you guys more than I will ever be able to express. You two are my heartbeat. I am standing on this stage here tonight because of you.”
The sisters also posted a letter to their father on the Dear World site, in which they wrote, “Growing up we thought all Dads worked ‘inside the television.’ This last year, we realized the full impact you’ve had on the world, and how important you were to so many.”
Taelor and Sydni went on to say that he lived his life “with a fierce sense of authenticity, passion and competitiveness,” and they explained that by going public with his battle with cancer, “he showed the world how to fight with that same fierce passion, instilling a sense of hope and inspiration to so many.”
For more on people who fight cancer, click here.