Jan 25 could have been it! But the wait of two years just continues. Dick Vitale has overcome what many couldn’t, but his return to broadcasting after 2023 was delayed yet again. After successfully beating four types of cancer for over three years, Vitale was all set to do what he loves most– announcing a college basketball game. However, the legendary ESPN announcer suffered a scary fall on Friday. But he has an update for all of us!

His journey to defeat cancer was a tough one, having been diagnosed with lymphoma followed by melanoma in 2021. On top of that, pre-cancerous lesions were found in his vocal cords. His battle with melanoma continued till 2022, where he was declared cancer-free. However, luck was not on Vitale’s side as he had to undergo radiation therapy once again.

After melanoma, he suffered laryngeal cancer as well as lymph node cancer. Finally, on December 13th, 2024, Vitale announced that he was once again cancer free!

A scary fall at home, however, led to some internal bleeding and kept him away from his passion once again. Vitale shared an important update on X recently, calling a ‘medical day’ for himself. The good news is that stitches above his left eye are being removed, and the internal bleeding in his head has stopped.

While he is clear for a full recovery, the date for his return is not known yet.

“I’m devastated that I won’t be courtside with my ESPN buddy Dave O’Brien and with all the players and fans, especially because of the overwhelming response I received when news of my planned return was announced. I was anxiously awaiting the chance to feel the excitement and energy of a college basketball environment for the first time in nearly two years.”

The 85-year-old was supposed to call Duke vs Wake Forest on Jan 25 at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston Salem, North Carolina. This would have been his first time returning to air after the San Diego State vs. UConn National Championship Game international ESPN broadcast back on April 3, 2023.

Praising the legend while excited for his return, the Chairman of ESPN, Jimmy Pitaro had said, “There is no better ambassador for the sport of college basketball than Dick Vitale. Even while navigating his own health challenges, Dick continued to look for ways to give back and help others, inspiring us all. Dick is one-of-a-kind and we can’t wait to have him back doing what he loves most on ESPN on January 25.”

The former coach also couldn’t hide his joy as he thought he would finally be on air. “I am absolutely ecstatic and I can’t believe this is happening after going through five major vocal cord surgeries, 65 radiation treatments and chemotherapy for six months. It’s been a very tough journey, but all of the prayers and messages from the beautiful fans have inspired me. I just hope that I can offer the people some basketball insights that can bring even more excitement to the game.”

While the setbacks may have hit Vitale time and again, he still continues to see the bright light at the end of the tunnel, wishing to return to his ESPN family once again.

“Despite this latest setback, I feel blessed to have the support of my family, friends and ESPN teammates. I’m a lucky guy and as I’ve said before, I will continue to do whatever it takes to get back to calling the sport I love.”

Hopefully, fans can look forward to seeing Vitale in his announcing booth soon enough! But while we still await to hear the familiar voice once again, let us look at the stellar resume of the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Famer.

Dick Vitale’s illustrious announcing career!

After multiple coaching stints, Dick Vitale found his way into broadcasting at the end of the 70s. Contrary to popular belief, Vitale pushed back hard to the thought of broadcasting. His relationship with announcing was tumultuous to begin with, wanting to get back to coaching where he felt like he belonged.

Vitale has coached at every level from high school to the NBA. His tenure at the University of Detroit was highly successful, with him earning an NBA call up to the Pistons.

However, broadcasting just clicked for him. Since he joined ESPN in Dec 1979 when the broadcasting giant was just established, Vitale has announced more than a thousand games! The announcer is famous for his catchphrases and descriptive commentary. Indeed, it was heartbreaking to Detroit fans when he announced his illness.

Nevertheless, things seem to be looking up for Vitale and his supporters. With the health update that he gave today, hopefully fans can expect to see him in action soon.