ESPN releases ‘Heart of Pearl’ special on former Kansas basketball star Scot Pollard

A new E60 documentary from ESPN was released Sunday featuring beloved former Kansas basketball player Scot Pollard.

The documentary, titled “Heart of Pearl,” shares the story of Pollard’s near-fatal battle with heart problems after being diagnosed with cardiogenic shock in February 2024 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The story also shows the parallels of Pollard’s health scare and that of his father Pearl “Poison” Pollard, who died waiting for a heart transplant in 1991 when Scot was just 16 years old.

The feature details how Pollard’s father’s death ended up being a catalyst for the basketball player that he would become in his later high school years and into his college years at the University of Kansas.

Former KU head coach Roy Williams was featured in the documentary, sharing how he wanted Pollard to come to Kansas because he wanted players who “cared” and “would make it (basketball) darn near the most important thing in their lives.”

When meeting Pollard for the first time on a recruiting visit, Williams told him “I will never take the place of your dad – but if you give me a chance, I think you’ll be able to trust me like a second father.”

“I wanted to make sure he knew I cared,” Williams said as he fought back tears.

Williams’ words hit home with Pollard, and he ultimately decided to come to Kansas because of that trust he formed with his future coach.

“I needed to go where there was a man in charge that I could listen to and respect the decisions that he made regarding my life, whether I played every minute or none,” Pollard said. “It was 100% Roy Williams. I knew I needed a father figure.”

The pairing ended up being a perfect match for both Pollard and Williams as KU became one of the most dominant teams in college basketball in the mid-1990s and Pollard saw his future in basketball rise.

“I fell in love with basketball after my dad died,” Pollard shared. “That’s when I said, this is going to be the thing that I do and I’m going to do it very well – for him.”

The documentary shows several flashbacks of Pollard’s top moments at Kansas and in the pros after he was drafted No. 19 overall in the 1997 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons – culminating in his 2008 NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics.

Pollard finally received the heart transplant he needed on Feb. 16, 2024.

More than a year after the successful surgery, Pollard got the chance to meet the family of his organ donor, Casey Angell, and thank them for what he did.

The documentary is an inspiring, tear-jerking story of love, hope, family, and basketball – and one that all KU fans and basketball fans alike should take the opportunity to watch.

“I’ve got a lot to do,” Pollard said. “I’m really glad I have a lot to do.”