Former C Scot Pollard undergoes heart transplant surgery

Former Kansas standout and NBA player Scot Pollard was undergoing heart transplant surgery on Friday, his wife Dawn told FOX40.com in Sacramento.

Pollard, who played five seasons with the Sacramento Kings, was undergoing the procedure at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn.

"He's going to be in the OR (operating room) for another few hours but they are nearing the end of the surgery. Recovery is going to be crucial. This is just the beginning," Dawn Pollard told FOX40.com.

Scot Pollard, who turned 49 on Monday, has been hospitalized since Feb. 7 when he was admitted to intensive care at Vanderbilt. He was diagnosed with heart disease in March 2021.

The 6-foot-11 Pollard was in need of a transplant due to a genetic condition that was possibly triggered by a virus he caught in 2021. That same condition killed his father at age 54.

"Please keep the prayers coming for Scot, the surgeons, for the donor and his family who lost their loved one," Dawn Pollard said on social media. "This donor gave the most amazing gift of life and we are forever grateful."

Scot Pollard helped Kansas go 110-26 during his four college seasons (1993-97). The center's teammates included Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz and Jacque Vaughn, but the Jayhawks never reached the Final Four in any of Pollard's seasons.

Pollard has career averages of 9.4 points and 6.6 rebounds in 128 games with the Jayhawks before being a first-round pick (19th overall) by the Detroit Pistons in 1997 and embarking on an 11-season NBA career.

Pollard played one season for Detroit before spending 1998-2003 with Sacramento. He also played for the Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. Pollard earned a championship ring when the Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals.

He had career averages of 4.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in 506 games (99 starts) during his NBA career.