Legendary ESPN announcer Dick Vitale revealed the sad news on Friday, announcing that his cancer had returned after a lymph node biopsy.
“I got the results of my neck lymph node biopsy. It was cancer,” he wrote to X. “Thanks to all the (prayers) I’ve received and the loving support of my family, friends and @espn colleagues, I will win this battle. (Pray) for a successful surgery on Tuesday.”
“Thank you so much for all your prayers.”
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Dick Vitale during the men’s Champions Classic college basketball game between the Kentucky Wildcats and Michigan State Spartans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Nov. 15, 2022 in Indianapolis. (Zach Bollinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Vitale, 85, has been battling cancer since 2021.
In 2022, Vitale underwent surgery due to his battle with vocal cord dysplasia. The surgery in February 2022 caused him to take a temporary break from broadcasting duties.
Vitale announced he was cancer-free in December. Given the favorable prognosis, Vitale was scheduled to return to the operating room on Nov. 28, but doctors advised him to take more time off.
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College basketball legend Dick Vitale is photographed before the SEC Tournament game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Arkansas Razorbacks at Amalie Arena on March 11, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Peter Johnneright/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
He said the cancer was gone by November, but “the treatment has affected my voice and I need more treatment.”
Vitale is a Basketball Hall of Fame member and has been a game announcer for ESPN for more than 40 years.
Dick Vitale attends the 2022 ESPYS at the Dolby Theatre on July 20, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
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Prior to broadcasting, he was an assistant coach and then coach at Rutgers University in the 1970s, then coached at the University of Detroit Mercy before being named head coach of the Detroit Pistons.
Fox News’ Ryan Mollick contributed to this report.
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