Dick Vitale breaks down during ACC championship game as he reflects on cancer journey

Legendary college hoops announcer Dick Vitale was brought to tears during Saturday night’s Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title arsenic helium reflected connected his latest crab conflict and what it meant to beryllium backmost courtside aft announcing helium was cancer-free successful December. 

Sitting alongside ESPN’s Dave O’Brien and Cory Alexander, the 85-year-old announcer became affectional during the last moments of the archetypal fractional of the Duke-Louisville final. 

Dick Vitale astatine Coleman Coliseum for the crippled betwixt Alabama and Kentucky connected Feb. 22, 2025. (Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News)

"It's my past crippled this twelvemonth and I'm praying, hopefully, I tin beryllium backmost adjacent year, possibly adjacent amended – possibly adjacent better," Vitale said, thanking each those who person helped done this process.  

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"I anticipation and commune my doc truly helps maine with my voice."

Vitale underwent country past summertime to remove cancerous lymph nodes from his neck. He was antecedently treated for melanoma and lymphoma, and had radiation treatments past twelvemonth for vocal cord cancer.

Tennessee players observe with Dick Vitale aft the Alabama crippled astatine Thompson-Boling Arena astatine Food City Center, March 1, 2025. (IMAGN)

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"It's been like, to me, a occurrence truly to beryllium present with you guys," Vitale continued, tearfully. "I can't archer you however overmuch it meant to me. It's been unbelievable. A pugnacious 3 years. Those 4 crab battles. I don't privation it connected anybody. Cancer sucks."

"I’ll archer you this, anybody battling cancer, delight listen: Think affirmative ever and person religion and believe." 

ESPN expert Dick Vitale earlier the crippled betwixt the Tennessee Volunteers and the Alabama Crimson Tide connected March 1, 2025. (Randy Sartin-Imagn Images)

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Vitale said that Saturday’s ACC last would beryllium his past of the season. He said earlier connected X that helium was lone capable to denote 1 crippled per week owed to doctor’s orders. 

"Those asking y I americium not doing much than 1 crippled per week – it is the orders of my aesculapian squad aft 5 large vocal cord crab surgeries. Blessed to bash a game!"

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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