Dick Vitale turned emotional on Saturday evening while discussing his most recent battle with cancer during the broadcast of Duke’s 73-62 triumph over Louisville in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship. The 85-year-old college basketball analyst for ESPN had announced in December that he was free of cancer. This marked his fourth encounter with the disease in a little over three years.
Seated alongside fellow commentators Dave O’Brien and Cory Alexander, Vitale became visibly tearful as he addressed the audience directly through the camera. “Sitting here with you guys feels like a miracle,” Vitale expressed. “I cannot convey how much you all mean to me. It’s been an incredible journey. A difficult three years with those four battles against cancer. I would not wish it on anyone. Cancer is terrible.”
Though his voice has remained noticeably raspy throughout his return to announcing games, his trademark youthful enthusiasm continues to shine. On air, Vitale remarked, “This is my last game this year, and I am hoping, by next year, I can return, maybe even better. I pray that my doctor can really help me with my voice.”
Last summer, Vitale underwent surgery to remove cancerous lymph nodes from his neck. His previous treatments included addressing melanoma and lymphoma, along with radiation therapy for vocal cord cancer last year. A lauded member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, Vitale has been part of the ESPN family since its inception in 1979, having announced its very first college basketball game.
Vitale has also been a passionate advocate for cancer research, extensively fundraising for the cause. He played a pivotal role in supporting his friend Jim Valvano during the 1993 ESPYs, where Valvano delivered his renowned “Don’t give up” speech shortly before passing away from adenocarcinoma.
