former NBA star Scott Pollard He was admitted to the intensive care unit of a Tennessee hospital on Tuesday and will likely remain there until he receives a much-needed heart transplant.
former sacramento kings In a recent interview with The Associated Press, the center revealed that he was admitted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s ICU this week and will remain there until a donor is found as his health has recently deteriorated.
Former Scottish king Pollard addresses fans before a San Antonio Spurs game at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento on February 27, 2015. (Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
“I’ll stay here until I find my heart,” he told the outlet in a text message Wednesday night. “My heart has weakened, and (doctors) agree that this is the best way to speed up the heart’s recovery.”
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The 48-year-old 11-year NBA veteran said his health has been a long-standing concern and that he discovered the same thing that helped propel his pro career: height. suitable donor challenge.
“You don’t see a lot of 7-year-olds walking around. So I knew that all my life because it was burned into my brain when I was 16. So yeah, it exists. “It’s great to be tall, but you can’t look 80.”
According to the Associated Press, Pollard’s deteriorating health is due to a genetic disorder likely caused by the virus he contracted in 2021. The disease causes his heart to beat more than 10,000 times a day. This was the same condition as his father, who died when Pollard was 16 years old.
Scott Pollard of the Indiana Pacers walks to the basket surrounding Rasheed Wallace of the Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills on February 23, 2006 in Auburn Hills, Michigan. (Allen Einstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Pollard’s large size, about 7 feet tall and 260 pounds, makes it more difficult to find a heart that can support him. The reality of what it means to transplant makes it even more difficult.
“The fact is, that person will end up saving someone else’s life. They will become a hero,” he told The Associated Press. “That’s the way I look at it. I understand what has to happen to get what I need. So it’s a really difficult mix of emotions.”
Mr. Pollard said his doctor told him to take medicine. 3 ablations The situation he was in wouldn’t go away.
“I need a transplant.”
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Ms Pollard told the show that doctors could not say for sure but expected her to receive a transplant within “weeks, not months”.
Scott Pollard of the Kings smiles before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Arco Arena in Sacramento, circa 1999. (Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
A first-round draft pick out of Kansas State in 1997, Pollard played for 11 seasons with five NBA teams, most notably with the Kings and The League. Indiana Pacers. He retired in 2008 after playing one year with the Boston Celtics.
celtics Although he won the NBA championship that year, Pollard suffered an ankle injury in February that sidelined him for the rest of the season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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