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Dick Vitale fights back tears in emotional message to those diagnosed with cancer during final game
Iconic ESPN broadcaster Dick Vitale paid tribute to fellow cancer fighters after calling his final game of the season. Duke beat Louisville 73-62 in Saturday night’s ACC Tournament final and an emotional Vitale broke down during the final few minutes. Vitale sent an emotional message to people fighting cancerESPN The 85-year-old returned to the booth after fighting against four different types of cancer but has been advised to rest by his doctor. Before he took his break, the legendary figure made sure to thank his fellow broadcasters and producers. “It’s my last game this year and I’m praying, hoping I can be back next year, maybe even be better, hope and pray my doctor helps me with my voice,” he said. “I have to listen to my doctor. Right now, he told me voice rest right after this game for a week. “I want to thank all of the fans, all of the people who have been so beautiful, all my people at ESPN tolerating and putting up with me in terms of issues I’ve had. “You’ve been great. Jimmy Pitaro, David Seisler, Mike McQuaide, all of you have been so good to me. I can’t thank you enough. “It’s been to me a miracle, really, to sit here with you guys, I can’t tell you how much it meant to me. It’s been unbelievable. Tough three years, those four cancer battles, I don’t wish on anybody. “Cancer sucks. I’ll tell you this, anybody battling cancer, please listen. Think positive, always, and have faith and believe, and if you’re out there, a person who knows somebody with cancer, send them a text message. Make a phone call. The bottom line, it means so much. “I know it meant a lot to me in my darkest moment when I was in the hospital doing chemo. Had a bad, bad day and man, it was a tough, tough time. I had to stay overnight. My family left and I broke up crying like crazy. “That nurse came in and she cheered me up, and then I went to my phone and on my phone were messages from all over the country. Rick Barnes, Tom Izzo, [John] Calipari, coaches.” GettyVitale is a hugely popular figure in college sports[/caption] GettyDuke won despite Cooper Flagg sitting out through injury[/caption] Vitale took a break from broadcasting after covering the international feed of the 2023 national championship game between UConn and San Diego State. He came back on February 8 and will now hope to return next season. Vitale was diagnosed with melanoma in the summer of 2021 and was later found to be suffering with a lymphoma. He returned late in 2021 before being forced away to undergo surgery on his vocal cords after the cancer reached them. With Vitale’s lymph nodes later affected, he has undergone radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery but revealed he was cancer-free in January. No.1 seed Duke powered past No.13 Louisville despite talisman Cooper Flagg’s absence. Freshman Kon Knueppel dropped 18 points to take the ACC Tournament MVP award. “I wouldn’t be here without my guys,” the Milwaukee, Wisconsin-native said via Deacons Illustrated. “We’ll keep fighting.” “I see it every day, and I know how valuable they are,” head coach Jon Scheyer said. “But you do have to step up to do more. Cooper just does so much for us. Kon’s really been our go-to guy. To see the versatility of other guys stepping up like Khaman [Maluach]. “But I told them, you don’t have to do anything special. You have to do the simple things really well, and those special plays will naturally happen, and that’s exactly what happened for Khaman and Kon.” Flagg suffered an ankle sprain in Thursday’s win over Georgia Tech and was held out. But he is expected to suit up in the NCAA tournament, with Duke assuring the selection committee he would be fit to project its seeding.
Iconic ESPN broadcaster Dick Vitale paid tribute to fellow cancer fighters after calling his final game of the season.
Duke beat Louisville 73-62 in Saturday night’s ACC Tournament final and an emotional Vitale broke down during the final few minutes.
The 85-year-old returned to the booth after fighting against four different types of cancer but has been advised to rest by his doctor.
Before he took his break, the legendary figure made sure to thank his fellow broadcasters and producers.
“It’s my last game this year and I’m praying, hoping I can be back next year, maybe even be better, hope and pray my doctor helps me with my voice,” he said.
“I have to listen to my doctor. Right now, he told me voice rest right after this game for a week.
“I want to thank all of the fans, all of the people who have been so beautiful, all my people at ESPN tolerating and putting up with me in terms of issues I’ve had.
“You’ve been great. Jimmy Pitaro, David Seisler, Mike McQuaide, all of you have been so good to me. I can’t thank you enough.
“It’s been to me a miracle, really, to sit here with you guys, I can’t tell you how much it meant to me. It’s been unbelievable. Tough three years, those four cancer battles, I don’t wish on anybody.
“Cancer sucks. I’ll tell you this, anybody battling cancer, please listen. Think positive, always, and have faith and believe, and if you’re out there, a person who knows somebody with cancer, send them a text message. Make a phone call. The bottom line, it means so much.
“I know it meant a lot to me in my darkest moment when I was in the hospital doing chemo. Had a bad, bad day and man, it was a tough, tough time. I had to stay overnight. My family left and I broke up crying like crazy.
“That nurse came in and she cheered me up, and then I went to my phone and on my phone were messages from all over the country. Rick Barnes, Tom Izzo, [John] Calipari, coaches.”
Vitale took a break from broadcasting after covering the international feed of the 2023 national championship game between UConn and San Diego State.
He came back on February 8 and will now hope to return next season.
Vitale was diagnosed with melanoma in the summer of 2021 and was later found to be suffering with a lymphoma.
He returned late in 2021 before being forced away to undergo surgery on his vocal cords after the cancer reached them.
With Vitale’s lymph nodes later affected, he has undergone radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery but revealed he was cancer-free in January.
No.1 seed Duke powered past No.13 Louisville despite talisman Cooper Flagg’s absence.
Freshman Kon Knueppel dropped 18 points to take the ACC Tournament MVP award.
“I wouldn’t be here without my guys,” the Milwaukee, Wisconsin-native said via Deacons Illustrated. “We’ll keep fighting.”
“I see it every day, and I know how valuable they are,” head coach Jon Scheyer said. “But you do have to step up to do more. Cooper just does so much for us. Kon’s really been our go-to guy. To see the versatility of other guys stepping up like Khaman [Maluach].
“But I told them, you don’t have to do anything special. You have to do the simple things really well, and those special plays will naturally happen, and that’s exactly what happened for Khaman and Kon.”
Flagg suffered an ankle sprain in Thursday’s win over Georgia Tech and was held out.
But he is expected to suit up in the NCAA tournament, with Duke assuring the selection committee he would be fit to project its seeding.
