Former Celtics big man enters ICU in need of heart transplant

Former NBA journeyman Scot Pollard had a decade-long career thanks to his 6-foot-11 frame. The same bulky body that helped him bang down low against other NBA big men has been a hindrance toward getting a new heart.

Pollard, who played 11 seasons in the NBA, has long been cognizant of the health issues that come with being an abnormally large human. Those fears finally came to life for the Kansas alum during the early years of the pandemic.

Pollard on Tuesday was admitted to the I.C.U. at Vanderbilt University Medical Center due to a heart issue that’s continued to worsen over the last few years, according to a report from Jimmy Golen of the Associated Press. Given his size, Pollard needs a donor with a similar physical profile that has a heart strong enough to pump blood throughout his nearly seven-foot frame.

The 48-year-old’s heart has been beating an additional 10,000 times a day — a genetic condition that was likely triggered by a virus in 2021. Pollard is just a few years away from the age his father died due to the same condition. Pollard, the youngest of six children, has three brothers even taller than him. He revealed that half his siblings also share the condition that took their father’s life when Pollard was just 16 years old.

“You don’t see a lot of old (seven-)footers walking around. So I’ve known that my whole life, just because I had that seared into my brain as a 16-year-old, that — yeah, being tall is great, but I’m not going to see 80,” Pollard told Golen.

“I have known my entire life that there’s a good chance I wasn’t going to get old and so it gives you a different perspective on how you live your life and how you treat people and all that kind of stuff,” he added.

Pollard will reportedly wait at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center until he gets matched with a heart donor fit for a transplant.

Pollard still called being tall “a blessing,” one that led to his lengthy NBA career that culminated in a 2008 championship run with the Boston Celtics. Pollard’s season ended early that year due to an ankle injury, but he still got the championship ring to cap off his career.

Pollard played in over 500 games for 5 different NBA teams. He averaged 4.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks while mostly coming off the bench as a backup center.

You can read Pollard’s full interview with Golen here.