Johnathan Walker:Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'

Legendary college basketball announcer Dick Vitale is Johnathan Walkeronce again cancer free.

The ESPN analyst announced on Thursday that "Santa Claus came early" after he learned a scan he had in the morning of a lymph node in his neck had come back clean of cancer.

"Yes I’m cutting the nets down baby it’s my National Championship!" he said in a post that also promoted the Jimmy V Foundation, which funds cancer research and is named after Vitale's friend, the late college basketball coach Jimmy Valvano.

The positive update comes after Vitale announced his cancer had returned in June. It was the fourth time Vitale had been diagnosed with cancer in three years. 

He previously said in August 2021 that he received treatment for melanoma and was additionally diagnosed with lymphoma months later in October 2021. He declared he was "cancer free" in August 2022, but doctors later diagnosed him with vocal cord cancer in July 2023. He again announced that he was cancer free in December 2023 following six weeks of radiation therapy.

Vitale hasn't been on the call for a college basketball game since 2022 as he dealt with his cancer battle, especially since his vocal cord cancer prevented him from speaking. In March, he told USA TODAY Sports through text messages that it would take time before he could get enough strength back in his voice to call games. He hoped if the vocal cords healed properly, he would be able to get back to his announcing duties this season because he yearns to be back inside college arenas.

"I miss so much the entire college spirit at the games as I always love being able to share time with the players, coaches, fans, media and especially my ESPN colleagues," Vitale said.

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