Dick Vitale returned to the ESPN airwaves on Tuesday night at the first ever Dick Vitale Invitational, an event launched by the network this year to honor the longtime broadcaster who has been one of the faces of college basketball for more than four decades.
Vitale, who has been battling cancer repeatedly in recent years, was understandably very emotional when he sat down next to Jay Bilas and Dave O’Brien in the ESPN broadcast booth before No. 6 Duke took on Texas in Charlotte. However, it wasn’t just the moment that moved Vitale to tears. The powerful tribute narrated by longtime Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski also touched him deeply.
“Out of all the love and everybody giving me out here, it’s just unbelievable,” Vitale said on ESPN. “Coach K, his words bring me here to tears. Jay, you played for the man. I’ve certainly learned to admire him so much. I think he’s the greatest coach ever in college basketball.”
Before the game, Vitale received a standing ovation at the Spectrum Center, further underscoring the respect and admiration he commands across the sport.
“This tonight, you know what it means to me? My grandkids are here today. My granddaughter goes to Duke, I had two graduated,” he shared. “But what it means to me is my grandkids, when they have children, I’ll be long gone. The bottom line is, they’ll tell them, ‘That was my papa, man. That’s my papa.’ I’m really touched, man, really touched.”
Vitale called the very first college basketball game for ESPN when the network initially launched and has been the iconic voice of the sport on ESPN ever since. His contributions were recognized in 2008 when he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
His battle with cancer has been challenging. Vitale was first diagnosed with melanoma in 2021, followed by lymphoma a few months later. In 2023, he announced a diagnosis of vocal cord cancer, and last year, he faced cancer again in his lymph nodes. After undergoing surgery last summer to remove cancerous lymph nodes, he revealed in January that he was once again cancer-free.
The 86-year-old broadcaster has largely stepped away from ESPN amid his health battles, but each return has been highly emotional and inspirational. A recent scan last month confirmed that Vitale remains cancer-free, enabling him to be on the call Tuesday night.
As long as his health allows, Vitale plans to continue calling games on ESPN throughout the season. ESPN executive Meg Aronowitz told The Athletic that if Vitale ever needs to take a break or skip a game, there will be “no explanations needed.” Vitale’s comeback is truly happening “on his terms.”
https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/breaking-news/article/dick-vitale-makes-emotional-return-to-espn-after-cancer-battles-at-dick-vitale-invitational-031237514.html