Legendary college hoops analyst isn’t letting cancer get him down
For more than four decades, Dick Vitale has been a constant voice in college basketball.
He’s brought his sometimes-over-the-top commentary to some of the sport’s greatest games. He’s also coined several iconic catchphrases and all-star team names (All-Windex, highlighting the best rebounders; Diaper Dandies, featuring the best freshmen).
Love his style – or not – you have to admit one thing about Vitale: He has an undeniable passion for college hoops.
He advocates strongly for fans, and he is a philanthropic humanitarian, as well, having donated millions of dollars to fight cancer, mostly through ESPN’s V Foundation. Now, though, at 82 years old, Vitale is fighting the disease himself after watching it take the life of his friend, former college coach Jim Valvano, who created the V Foundation before his death.
Vitale has been diagnosed with cancer twice since August, as he has both melanoma and lymphoma, for which he is undergoing chemotherapy. He was diagnosed with lymphoma in October, just before the start of the 2021-22 season. That most recent diagnosis left his season in doubt.
But you can’t keep a good man down. He’s received lots of love from the college basketball community, including from Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes, who has reportedly texted the Hall-of-Fame broadcaster. And the legendary color commentator returned just before Thanksgiving to provide analysis for ESPN’s coverage of the showdown between No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 2 UCLA on Tuesday, Nov. 23, in Las Vegas.
The 27th all-time regular-season contest between the top two ranked teams, a rematch of last season’s national semifinal, might not have lived up to the pregame hype, as the Bulldogs blew out the Bruins by 20 points. But Vitale was back and as sharp and passionate as ever. Young Gonzaga and UCLA fans gave him jerseys, and others gave him cards. In true Vitale fashion, he asked the producers at ESPN to get the kids’ addresses so he could get them gifts to return the favor.
Dickie V gave all college basketball fans a gift when he returned to the place where he truly belongs. He gave basketball enthusiasts and sports fans a reason to be thankful, as well, as we continue through the holiday season.
Basketball is an intrinsic part of those holidays, and here’s hoping that Vitale makes a full recovery. Because without him, college hoops just isn’t the same.
