Over the last three-and-a-half years, Dick Vitale has faced four different types of cancer but has prevailed through the challenges and recently divulged that his vocal cords were cancer free. Vitale will now be making his return to the ESPN airwaves to call the Duke-Wake Forest men’s college basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 4:30 p.m. EST from the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C. Vitale will pair with play-by-play announcer Dave O’Brien for the ACC matchup, marking his first game broadcast in nearly two years.
Vitale joined ESPN shortly after its launch for the 1979-80 season following a coaching career that spanned high school, college basketball and the NBA. Throughout his time with the network, he has called over 1,000 games and received numerous industry honors. Vitale is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a broadcaster, and he was also inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame this past September.
“I am absolutely ecstatic and I can’t believe this is happening after going through five major vocal cord surgeries, 65 radiation treatments and chemotherapy for six months,” Vitale said in a statement. “It’s been a very tough journey, but all of the prayers and messages from the beautiful fans have inspired me. I can’t thank Jimmy Pitaro and all of my ESPN colleagues who I consider my second family enough for the love they showed me through such a tough time. I just hope that I can offer the people some basketball insights that can bring even more excitement to the game.”
In addition to his basketball analysis, Vitale serves as a voice for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, which was founded by the late Jim Valvano in 1993. The organization has raised approximately $400 million in cancer research grants in North America, and ESPN partners with the charitable organization for an annual week of programming dedicated to defeating cancer. Vitale is embarking on the 20th anniversary of his gala that has raised $93 million for the Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fund from the V Foundation.
“There is no better ambassador for the sport of college basketball than Dick Vitale,” Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN, said in a statement. Even while navigating his own health challenges, Dick continued to look for ways to give back and help others, inspiring us all. Dick is one-of-a-kind and we can’t wait to have him back doing what he loves most on ESPN on January 25.”
In a previous interview with Barrett Sports Media, Vitale discussed his winning formula of “passion plus pride plus perseverance,” and he also indicated a desire to broadcast college basketball games at 100 years old. Vitale has documented his journey battling melanoma and lymphoma, along with receiving radiation to treat vocal cord cancer and then facing a cancerous lymph node in his neck. Dr. Steven Zeitels, Vitale’s laryngeal doctor, explained in a video that his patient was cancer free but would have some of his activity restricted while calling games.
“After all of the battles and challenges that Dick has been through over the past several years, we should all feel lucky that we’re able to have him back courtside again,” David Ceisler, vice president of production at ESPN, said in a statement. “He has fought tirelessly for everybody else and it is so rewarding to see that he’s won another battle.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
