Hall of Fame broadcaster Dick Vitale made his return to broadcasting Saturday when No. 2 Duke faced Clemson in a marquee ACC clash. Vitale had been on a nearly two-year long hiatus from television as he’s battled four different types of cancer in the last four years. He was scheduled to be back on TV last month but suffered an accident at his home that further delayed his return.
“This is like my Super Bowl, being able to be sitting courtside and do a game,” Vitale said on the ESPN broadcast. “It beats the hell out of chemotherapy and radiation. I want to say to all cancer patients out there, please, listen to me, think positive, and have faith.”
Vitale announced on Jan. 8 that he is cancer free after undergoing five major vocal cord surgeries, 65 radiation treatments and six months of chemotherapy. He most recently underwent surgery in the summer of 2024 after a biopsy of a lymph node in his neck showed cancer.
His return comes 22 months after his last assignment with ESPN when he was on the international broadcast of the UConn vs. San Diego State national title game on April 3, 2023.
Vitale has been with ESPN since the 1979-80 season and called more than 1,000 games over the course of his illustrious career. His career accomplishments include enshrinement to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the College Basketball Hall of Fame, and he has been instrumental in raising tens of millions of dollars over the years for pediatric cancer research through the V Foundation.
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