Legendary basketball coach and TV analyst Dick Vitale will be honored with the "Jimmy V Award for Perseverance" during the ESPYS on July 20.
The 82-year-old Vitale, who did college basketball on ESPN for 4 decades, underwent multiple surgeries a year ago to remove a melanoma.
Then, a few months later, was diagnosed with lymphoma, and underwent 6 months of chemotherapy. He was declared cancer-free in March.
In a statement, Vitale said “When I received the call from Jimmy Pitaro about receiving this award, I was absolutely blown away. I remember that day almost 30 years ago, when I stood on stage at the first ESPYS, introduced Jimmy V and witnessed him give that incredible speech we all remember. I reflected on his speech many times during my seven month battle - ‘don’t give up, don’t ever give up Dickie V’ - and I remembered my mother and father, who taught me never to believe in ‘can’t’. Jimmy V was special and his legacy lives on. I am so grateful to receive this tremendous award in his honor.”
Vitale’s history at ESPN goes back to the very beginning. He called the first-ever college basketball game the network aired, Wisconsin at DePaul on December 5, 1979. Since then, he’s called more than a thousand games, his thorough knowledge of the sport brought forth in an enthusiastic, passionate, and never boring style. His “Vitale-isms” have taken on a life of their own, with “Awesome, baby!,” “Get a T.O., baby!”, “PTP’er” (primetime player), M&M’er (a mismatch), “Diaper Dandy” (freshman star), and many more all becoming part of the vernacular.
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