Michigan State basketball coaching legend Tom Izzo has been known as a great person and he proved it yet again.
On December 5, 1979, Dick Vitale was on the call of ESPN’s first-ever college basketball broadcast. The game was DePaul vs. Wisconsin, in which the Blue Demons prevailed 90-77. Though it may not seem like it, this game was highly touted, as Depaul was ranked No. 10, and finished the season with an astounding record of 26-2. Vitale was an immediate presence, with a bright personality and some hilarious expressions.
Over the next 44 years, nothing changed. Vitale continued to be an incredibly fun announcer, on big-time college basketball matchups. As ESPN grew, so did Vitale. Players, coaches, and fans adore him, and he would arguably be the most iconic announcer in the sport today.
In the year 2021, Vitale underwent surgery for “dysplasia on his vocal cords,” which held his legendary voice back for a chunk of time. Following this surgery, he battled through diagnoses of melanoma and lymphoma, which prevented him from calling his usual number of games during the 2021-22 basketball season.
Fast forward to July of 2023, and Vitale announced that his vocal cord cancer had reappeared to the dismay of millions of college basketball fans. By Oct. 16, however, Dickie V announced that he was once again cancer free. He had initially targeted a Nov. 28 return date but has pushed that back to an unannounced date, citing “additional rest” as the cause.
As all college basketball fans anticipate the return of Vitale’s thunderous voice through our TV speakers, it’s clear that there is another man waiting upon his arrival. That man is Tom Izzo.
Earlier on Tuesday morning, on the 44th anniversary of Dick Vitale’s first-ever game called on ESPN, Izzo reached out.
“Jimmy V week” that Izzo refers to is an homage paid to legendary coach Jim Valvano, who unfortunately passed of cancer in 1993. This year will be the 17th year of “V week” which Valvano’s foundation puts on in cooperation with ESPN.
Izzo’s message should be described as nothing other than heartwarming. He reminds Dick of how vital he has been not only to college basketball but the world. Vitale brings the utmost amount of energy to every TV appearance, and it seems that Izzo has an unwavering respect for that.
In a day and age where people love to focus on the negative, a message like this is truly uplifting.
Just as Tom Izzo said, we hope you’re doing better every day, Dickie V.
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