Source: Variety / Getty
ESPN’s Dick Vitale is battling cancer for a fourth time. He confirmed the news on social media this past Friday (June 28).
Vitale said a biopsy of a lymph node in his neck showed the cancer. It was found during a scan during a quarterly checkup. He’s scheduled to have surgery today (July 2). He said he’s confident it will be a success.
“With all the (prayers) I have received & the loving support of my family, friends and ESPN colleagues, I will win this battle,” Vitale said on X, formerly Twitter.
My report on the Biopsy of the Lymph Node in my neck has arrived & it is cancerous . With all the
I have received & the loving support of my family,friends & @espn colleagues I will win this battle .
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) June 28, 2024
The 85-year-old has previously been treated for melanoma and lymphoma. Last year, he underwent six weeks of radiation treatments when tests showed he had vocal cord cancer.
When Vitale was diagnosed with cancer in 2021, he broke down in tears during a game at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas five weeks after his cancer diagnosis, thanking fans for their support.
“It’s great being here, Dave. I didn’t want to cry,” Vitale told colleague Dave O’Brien and the audience at the time.
A Basketball Hall of Famer, Vitale has been a longtime college basketball analyst for ESPN. He’s been with the network since its inception in 1979. He’s also a former college basketball coach with stints at Rutgers and the University of Detroit. He had a short coaching stint with the Detroit Pistons too.
Vitale has also spent a great portion of his life as a fundraiser for cancer research. Back in 1993, he famously helped friend Jim Valvano to the stage at the ESPYs where Valvano delivered his famous “Don’t give up” speech. Valvano died of cancer less than two months later.
In a message shared by ESPN PR about this new diagnosis, Vitale said he feels “fantastic physically” and will do “everything that I can control in winning this latest new setback.”
DON’T MISS…
Pro-Sports Legend Deion Sanders Opens Up About Mid-20s Suicide Attempt
ESPN Analyst Dick Vitale Diagnosed With Cancer For Fourth Time was originally published on elev8.com
