Mere days after announcing his intention to return to broadcasting this fall, beloved college basketball analyst Dick Vitale shares that he once again will battle with cancer.
ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale announced on Friday that a biopsy of his lymph nodes revealed cancer, just days after sharing that he was preparing for a return to broadcasting this season. Vitale will undergo surgery on Tuesday.
The legendary announcer has faced a litany of health issues in recent years, including lymphoma, melanoma, vocal cord dysplasia, and later cancer of the vocal cords. The latter kept him sidelined the entirety of last year despite efforts to return. Vitale revealed last October that he spent seven months without talking in an effort to heal his vocal cords.
Despite the laundry list of health issues, Vitale’s progress had seemed mostly positive this year. Vitale had revealed he was cancer free as recently as last December. Just this March, Vitale’s doctor said his “left vocal cord is now tremendous,” following surgery he had underwent last year. On social media earlier this month, Vitale shared that a PET scan had revealed the lymph node was benign, while still awaiting results of the ultrasound.
Unfortunately, Vitale’s plans to return to broadcasting will likely take a back seat after these new developments.
Vitale is, of course, well-known for his work with the V Foundation for Cancer Research, having held an annual gala for the charity since 2005 and being the face of ESPN’s annual Jimmy V Week. In 2022, Vitale won the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the ESPYs, which is awarded to “a deserving member of the sporting world who has overcome great obstacles through perseverance and determination.” He has been a staple of ESPN’s college basketball coverage since the network aired its first college basketball game in 1979. (Vitale, 6.28)
