Legendary basketball broadcaster Dick Vitale has been in an on-again, off-again battle with cancer for nearly four years.
Vitale’s health has unfortunately kept him away from the broadcast booth.
But Vitale shared this week that his battle with cancer is finally at bay, and that he can make his triumphant return to the booth.
In a Facebook post shared this week, Vitale and his doctor shared the news that everyone has been hoping for… especially college basketball fans.
“Dick, you’re back,” Harvard Medical School Voice Surgeon Dr. Steven Zeitels said Wednesday on a Facebook video with Vitale, 85, next to him in an exam room after scoping his throat.
“You vocal cords are not going to hold you up.”
Just had scope of my vocal cords & I was very emotional with the great report by Dr ZEITELS . He said the vocal cords are cancer free & he feels I can return to my love of being at courtside for @espn . pic.twitter.com/r4tJHcTiMF
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) January 8, 2025
“We’ve been down this road a long time,” Zeitels told Vitale while comforting him. “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 June, Vitale announced that a cancerous lymph node was detected in his neck and he would be undergoing treatment. It was Dick’s fourth cancer battle.
Upon hearing the overwhelming news, Vitale become emotional saying, “I can’t believe I’ll be courtside.”
The legendary ESPN college basketball broadcaster broke down as the realization came over him that he’s been cleared to return to his job calling games.
Vitale hasn’t called a game since 2022.