In his own words, Christmas came early for ESPN’s Dick Vitale.
Doctors diagnosed the venerable college basketball commentator with cancer earlier this year. But on Thursday, Vitale emerged with fantastic news: He’s now cancer-free.
Vitale broke the news of his good health on X, the popular website formerly known as Twitter.
“Santa Claus came early for me & my family,” Vitale said. “Just was on the phone with Dr. Rick Brown (my oncologist), Dr. Ken Meredith (bloodwork). They gave me super news that the PET SCAN was clean (NO CANCER) & my bloodwork was all very good. TO many of you I send [heart emojis, read: love] & THANK YOU for ur [prayer emojis, read: prayers]!”
Vitale’s news brightened the mood among his peers in the sports media world. Plenty chimed in to keep the good vibes going:
Awesome baby!
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) December 14, 2023
https://twitter.com/PaulBiancardi/status/1735423900211712437
In July, Vitale revealed that he was diagnosed with cancer: A form of lymphoma and vocal cord dysplasia. Vitale battled this form of cancer for the last five months and it took its toll on the longtime sportscaster. ESPN, his longtime employer, released a statement last month saying he would need time to heal as his cancer dissipated.
Vitale has said that he plans to be in the broadcast booth again. When he does, he will be warmly met by his peers and fans. He has been a tremendous ambassador for college basketball and one of the sport’s most visible faces for nearly six decades.
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022