Hall of Fame broadcaster Dick Vitale won’t be returning to the booth next week as we thought. It’s been almost two years since he last called a college game. His most recent broadcast was the international coverage of the 2023 championship game, where UConn defeated San Diego State. If you’ve been following college ball for even a little while, you know Vitale’s energy and enthusiasm are part of what makes this so special. He’s been a staple for decades, bringing excitement to the sport and making moments unforgettable.

The 85-year-old’s health battle has been nothing short of tough. In the summer of 2023, he shared that cancer had spread to his vocal cords and lymph nodes. Over the past four years, he’s fought through four different types of cancer. After going through rounds of radiation, chemotherapy, and multiple surgeries, Vitale finally declared himself cancer-free earlier this month!

LeBron James responded to the news on X, expressing how much Vitale means to the college basketball world. “College hoops ain’t the same without Dicky V calling them!” he wrote, throwing in some raising hands emojis to emphasize his point.

But Vitale won’t be calling next Saturday’s highly anticipated matchup between Duke and Wake Forest. The 85-year-old broadcaster revealed on X, “I’m recovering from a tough fall and staying active at the hospital,” he said.

But there’s some good news: “Good news is the neurosurgeons have said I am making great strides and surgery isn’t necessary.” The veteran also expressed regret that he couldn’t make it to courtside as planned. He assured fans that doctors expect him to make a full recovery eventually, but they haven’t given a specific timeline for his return.

As you may know, Vitale has also been a LeBron fan all his life.

Dick Vitale knew LeBron was special!

Back in 2020, Zion Williamson was dominating the prep basketball scene, earning viral highlights in almost every game he played. Even though Zion was all the buzz, Dick Vitale, ESPN’s expert who’s seen more high school talent than most, believes he’d seen better. When it comes to the greatest high school players of all time, Vitale has his own personal “Mount Rushmore” filled with legends.

In 2020, Vitale shared his picks for the top high school players on social media: “Hey ESPN, had several tv ppl pick the best HS player they have ever seen. My MOUNT RUSHMORE OF The BEST in HS would be No. 1 King James, 2 Magic Johnson, 3 Kobe Bryant, 4 Moses Malone.”

Before King James made history as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was already a household name. At St. Vincent-St. Mary’s in Akron, Ohio, he put up over 2,600 points, grabbed nearly 900 rebounds, and had 523 assists. His signature dunk and no-look passes became iconic. And now, as a three-time NBA champ, he’s a 20-time All-Star and four-time MVP. Not bad for a kid who changed the game before even entering the NBA. Cool, right?

Even when LeBron made a buzzer-beater against the Raptors in Game 3 of the playoffs during the 2017-18 season, it was clear for Vitale that the 4x champion was the GOAT.

After ‘The Chosen One’ sank the game-winner, Vitale wasted no time taking to X, declaring King James as the greatest player of all time. Some folks, though, still argue Jordan’s the GOAT because he’s got six rings to LeBron’s four.

What do you have to say?