SARASOTA – Soon, everything again will be right with the world: Dick Vitale is returning to the ESPN microphone.
Declared cancer-free last month, his fourth bout with the disease in four years, the 85-year-old Lakewood Ranch resident has been cleared to resume broadcasting college basketball games for ESPN, where he has worked since calling the network’s first game in 1979.
Vitale, who in December was declared free of vocal cord cancer, was cleared to resume broadcasting on Wednesday after a scope of his vocal cords by Dr. Steven Zeitels.
“Just had a scope of my vocal cords & and I was very emotional with the great report by Dr. Zeitels,” Vitale posted on X. “He said the vocal cords are cancer free & he feels I can return to my love of being courtside for ESPN.”
“Dick, you’re back!” Zeitels said in a video posted on Vitale’s Facebook Watch. “Your vocal cords are not going to hold you up. We’ve been down this road a long time. I didn’t know we could get here, but we are here. And you’re ready to be with your viewers, the players, ESPN, you’re ready to be with everyone again.”
In September, Vitale finished his second round of 35 radiation treatments for a cancerous lymph node in his neck. Almost a year to the day earlier, Vitale completed his 35th dose of radiation for vocal cord cancer. In 2021, a battle with melanoma required four surgeries on his face and nose. Six months later, Vitale was diagnosed with lymphoma, necessitating six months of chemotherapy.
Awesome, baby!:ESPN’s Dick Vitale finishes final radiation treatment for cancerous lymph node in his neck
Vitale texted the Herald-Tribune that the exact date of his return remains unclear. “We are going to discuss it next week, as it will be most likely after the CFP championship,” he texted. “(Wednesday) was filled with lots of anxiety & emotion. If I didn’t feel mentally sharp about the game I love, I would simply step aside, but I have followed what is happening & social media has really kept me focused.
“I am naturally ecstatic to think I could be sitting at courtside, doing what I love, talking basketball,” he said. “It has been a really tough road, but I have had so many prayers & messages that kept me inspired. I hope all cancer patients always think positively and have faith.
Meanwhile, Vitale encourages donations to help him realize his goal of $100 million collected for cancer research through the Dick Vitale Gala. A total of $92.8 million has been raised, and the 20th Annual Dick Vitale Gala is set for May. To donate, visit v.org/Vitalefund. For Gala information, contact Mary Kenealy at 941-350-0580.
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