With a marquee matchup between No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 2 UCLA this evening, longtime commentator Dick Vitale made his triumphant return to the sideline for the first time since his Oct. 12 cancer diagnosis.
Before tipoff at 10 p.m. ET in Las Vegas, Vitale shared a message of thanks to all those who sent him well wishes during his time of need over the past few weeks.
While addressing the nation, Dickie V broke down in tears with a touching moment.
“I didn’t want to cry,” Vitale pushed out through the tears. “I can’t believe I’m sitting here. This is really a thrill for me. I want to thank all you people — sent me so many great messages.”
Take a look at the moment here:
An emotional Dick Vitale returns to the booth. pic.twitter.com/zSK4OLNZWy
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 24, 2021
Later on in the game, two young fans of both Gonzaga and UCLA presented Vitale with custom jerseys that read “Dickie V” and “Never Give Up.”
Following his diagnosis with Lymphoma last month, Vitale has undergone chemotherapy treatments over the last few weeks. Seeking what he called “The medicine of sitting courtside,” the Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer paused his treatments to fly out to Las Vegas for tonight’s contest
Tonight’s game has not quite lived up the the hype so far. Midway through the first half, the No. 1 Bulldogs already lead the No. 2 Bruins by more than 20 points.
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