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Vitale 2, Cancer 0!

He’s baaaaaack, baby!

By JD King
/ new
UCLA v Gonzaga
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 23: ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale displays a Vegas Golden Knights jersey he was given with his catchphrase “Awesome baby!” on it as he calls a game between the No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs and the No. 2 UCLA Bruins at T-Mobile Arena on November 23, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Vitale, who is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, got clearance from his doctor to start his 43rd season at ESPN by calling the game alongside Dave O’Brien.
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Dick Vitale has been part of ESPN since the beginning. If you want to see something funny, look up some early clips when he’s playing it straight. Bill Walton did it too until, like Vitale, his inner freak could not be contained.

The funniest thing was when Vitale and Keith Jackson did their first game together. Whoa, Nelly!

But eventually, as he usually does, Vitale won Jackson over and they had a great chemistry.

Vitale has had a long and honorable career and no one loves college basketball quite the way he does.

Unfortunately the last few years haven’t been easy for Dickie V. He’s had two bouts of cancer and two serious issues with his voice (he’s currently resting it).

The man has overcome it all.

Well, not the second voice issue - he’s still on doctor-ordered rest for that - but on Tuesday, Vitale announced that his cancer is in remission.

We could not possibly be more thrilled. Congratulations to the voice of college basketball. We hope we can hear you call another game again soon.

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