After missing many games during the 2021-2022 college basketball season after bouts with lymphoma and melanoma, legendary ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale returned to the broadcast booth during last night’s Champions Classic after being declared cancer-free in April.
“It’s been a tough year, I can’t hide it,” Vitale said. “But I know many people have it a hell of a lot tougher than me. I got a vision of what others go through with the scans, the blood work, the chemotherapy and all the doctors. It’s made me more obsessed than ever with helping kids who go through this.”
Vitale told USA Today’s Scott Gleeson he’ll ease into his college basketball schedule for the network this winter.
“ESPN will have me start slow, one game a week, then maybe two later on so I can be there throughout the season. I’ve already won my national championship by getting cancer free. Everything else I do now will be a victory on top.”
Vitale also said he’s feeling young at heart ahead of the basketball season picking up.
“I finally feel like I’m back to being me again,” Vitale told USA TODAY Sports. “Instead of 83, I feel like I’m 23. I just have to avoid a mirror, that’s all.”
Im very glad he beat the cancer. I really miss his voice on tv.