Celebration of life for basketball legend Willie Cager to be held at UTEP
EL PASO, Texas (CBS4) —
A Celebration of Life will take place on Friday for Texas Western College basketball legend and El Paso icon Willie Cager.
The event is set for April 14 at 7 p.m. at the University of Texas at El Paso's Don Haskins Center.
The event is free and open to the public.
Cager’s family, friends and teammates will share their recollections of a life well lived at the event.
Cager died on March 19, the 57th anniversary of TWC’s historic victory over Kentucky in the 1966 men’s basketball national championship game.
He was 81 years old.
Cager appeared in 77 games for the Miners from 1964-68, averaging 8.5 points and 5.3 rebounds under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins. He collected eight points and six rebounds in TWC’s win over the Wildcats. The Miners made history by becoming the first team to start five black players in the title game.
Originally from the Bronx, New York, Cager remained in El Paso after playing for the Miners, becoming a fixture in the community as well as a frequent supporter at UTEP men's and women's basketball home games.
Bill and Cecilia Sanders knew Cager and attended the memorial. Bill went to school with Cager.
Sanders said everyone loved Cager and that he was a good person.
"We are here to honor his life and his legacy," said Sanders. " He was a very modest person and very energetic."
The event will be live-streamed here.
Check back for updates.
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