Famed basketball broadcaster Dick Vitale will not make his planned return to the booth next week to call Duke vs. Wake Forest on ESPN after an accident at his Florida home.
Vitale announced Saturday that he had been hospitalized after a fall at his home. In a statement, Vitale said the incident left him with new health problems and physical limitations.
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Dick Vitale attends the ESPYs at Dolby Theater on July 20, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
“I had an accident at home in Florida, and it created new health problems and short-term physical limitations for me,” Vitale said.
“Now I’m just going to have to wait a little longer. I don’t know exactly when that will happen, but I should make a full recovery and I will provide updates when I have more information. Despite this latest setback, I I feel lucky to have the support of my family, friends and teammates at ESPN.”
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Vitale hasn’t canceled a match in two years, due to various health issues, including vocal cord cancer.
Vitale was diagnosed with melanoma in the summer of 2021, then lymphoma months later. He returned in the fall of 2021, but then had to step away to undergo vocal cord surgery.
College basketball legend Dick Vitale ahead of the SEC Tournament between the Texas A&M Aggies and Arkansas Razorbacks on March 11 in Tampa. (Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Vitale announced in the summer of 2023 that the cancer had spread to his vocal cords and then his lymph nodes, leaving him battling four types of cancer in four years.
He underwent radiation, chemotherapy and other surgeries over the past two years, before announcing he was cancer-free earlier this month.
However, after his recent fall, Vitale will have at least one more recovery to do before college basketball fans can hear him call another game.
