There are cancer warriors, and then there is Dick Vitale, the longtime basketball analyst and former coach who announced this week that he is cancer-free after his fourth fight with the disease in three years.
It’s a remarkable milestone and he went straight to social media to share the good news in a way that only Vitale can.
“SANTA CLAUS came early as Dr Rick Brown called & said that my PET SCAN at 7 AM came back CLEAN OF CANCER,” said Vitale. “OMG thanks so much to ALL of YOU for your (prayers). Yes I’m cutting the nets down baby it’s my National Championship!”
How can anyone not cheer for Dick Vitale? He will probably outlive us all. He is a role model, for sure. I’ve been a cancer patient four times in my life, as well. But not at virtually the same time. Mine have been spread out 25 years.
I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone who has battled four cancers in three years in his mid-80’s. It’s remarkable. It doesn’t seem possible. Vitale is The New Miracle Worker.
Vitale had four surgeries in the summer to remove cancerous lymph nodes from his neck. He was previously treated for melanoma and lymphoma, and had radiation treatments last year for vocal cord cancer, according to ESPN.
Vitale, who is in The Basketball Hall of Fame, has been with ESPN since 1979, the year the network launched. The former college and NBA coach called ESPN’s first college basketball broadcast.
Vitale was the guy who helped Coach Jim Valvano to the stage at the 1993 ESPYs, where Valvano delivered his infamous “Don’t give up” speech. Valvano died of adenocarcinoma less than two months later.
Here are some facts about Vitale that you may not know courtesy of ESPN:
Vital graduated from Seton Hall University with a degree in Business Management.
Vitale earned his Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from William Patterson College.
Vitale’s first game on ESPN was Wisconsin at DePaul in 1979.
Vitale’s first teaching job was in 1962 at Mark Twain Elementary School in Garfield, New Jersey.
Vitale is an avid tennis player and enjoys playing singles as often as he can–when he is not on the road during the season.
Vitale drove a 1955 red and white Ford Convertible in high school and still loves cars.
Vitale’s favorite actor is Denzel Washington and his favorite actress is Julia Roberts.
When Vitale was a young man, he wanted to be a lawyer. He loved going to the courthouse to watch local trials in Bergen County, New Jersey. He especially wanted to become a prosecutor.
Vitale developed his love of sports while growing up in New Jersey. Every Sunday after church he and his uncles (Frank, Joe, Tom and Mike Scarpa) would debate anything relating to sports (the Yankees vs. Mets, Willie Mays vs. Joe DiMaggio, etc.).
Vitale went to his first baseball game when he was 6 years old in 1946 at Yankee Stadium to see Joe DiMaggio. Baseball still remains one of his true passions.
