I was so saddened to hear about the passing of Bob Lanier. Bob and I had a fantastic relationship, both personally and professionally. For a number of years, we had a basketball camp together for youngsters between the ages of 10-18, which we held in West Bloomfield. Michigan.
The camp was called the BOB LANIER - DICK VITALE ALL STAR CAMP. Also though only for a short time, I had the opportunity to coach Bob with the Detroit Pistons in the late 70’s. He was a super talent and that was obvious by his induction in 1992 into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He was a super Solid Gold All-American at St Bonaventure University, as he led them to the Final 4.
Despite the many knee injuries in his career, he was super successful when healthy. Unfortunately, for me as a coach he missed about 35 games my first year due to knee problems and it hurt us big time.
My last time with Bob was several years ago, when he spent a weekend at my house and attended my Gala. We had so much fun as he had a great sense of humor. I always teased him that he was a gentle giant. After his playing career, he was hired by David Stern to be an Ambassador for the NBA and he traveled all over the world, promoting the NBA while inspiring and motivating young people to get an education .
I will miss him but never, ever forget the great memories we shared together over the years.
My heart and prayers go out to his family, friends and teammates. Please GOD let BOB RIP. I loved YOU GENTLE GIANT!
Sarasota, Florida was the sports capital of the world on May 6.
The 17th Dickie V gala was a huge success as we raised over 11 million for the Jimmy V Foundation for cancer research. We honored tennis legend Chris Evert, who has been in her own fight against cancer; Baylor hoops coach Scott Drew; former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson; and John Saunders courage award winner Rod Gilmore.
I was totally blown away by the generosity of our Sold Out crowd that responded in a big way to our message of how dollars are desperately needed for Pediatric Cancer Research. Wow CAN NOT BELIEVE IT as we raised $11.1 MILLION DOLLARS which certainly exceeded my expectations.
Our crowd was filled with greatness from the world of sports , business, entertainment, education , law, medicine etc.
I just want to say THANK YOU on behalf of my fantastic TEAM headed by MARY KENEALY - JANET ALLEN . A major thank you to SHANE JACOBSON CEO of THE V FOUNDATION & his staff for their incredible efforts in seeing that we get financial support for pediatrics.
It was a night filled with emotion & lived up to the words of my buddy Jimmy V that he stated in his legendary speech . Yes he said basically that everyday you should be moved to tears / laughter & thought & trust me our crowd of 900 felt those emotions during the entire night.
Yes to ALL that DONATED I say THANK YOU for using your success to help young kids in need of new medicines & treatments .
Please join our team: Donate at https://www.v.org/research/specialfunds/pediatrics/ or at dickvitale.com
May GOD BLESS YOU with health & happiness!
College basketball had more news with the transfer portal. Isiah Wong of Miami threatened to leave unless he had a greater NIL. He changed his mind and backed off of his threat. Several big schools landed veteran help. Duke added Ryan Young from Northwestern. Johni Broome went from Morehead State to Auburn.
The NFL Draft provided plenty of exciting moments. Javon Walker, a LB from Georgia, was the #1 pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars.Among teams that did very well in the first round included the Giants, Jets, Eagles, Ravens and Saints. Philadelphia added AJ Brown from Tennessee in a trade.
The NBA playoffs rolled on. Milwaukee got a big win in Boston. Golden State edged Memphis and earned the victory despite Draymond Green’s ejection in the first half.
The New York Mets used five pitchers to combine on a no-hitter of the Phillies. The Yankees extended a win streak to nine games.
Congrats to Miguel Cabrera on his 3000th hit. The Rays had a nine-inning no-hitter vs. Boston. The Red Sox scored twice in the tenth before the Rays scored three to win.
The NBA playoffs have provided excitement galore. Utah rallied to beat Dallas to even the series. The Celtics were very impressive in beating the Nets three straight.
The transfer portal continued to provide more news. AAC Player of the Year went from SMU to Memphis. Kansas State’s All-Big 12 guard Nijel Pack landed at Miami.
Tyson Fury retained his heavyweight title with a TKO.
The NBA playoffs got under way. The Boston Celtics edged the Brooklyn Nets as Jayson Tatum hit the winning shot. The Minnesota Timbwolves upset the Memphis Grizzlies. There were several players that shined in their first playoff game, including Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Maxey and Jordan Poole.
College basketball saw numerous moves via the transfer portal.
MLB rolled on. The Yankees lost two out of three at Baltimore.
Congratulations to Scottie Scheffler on winning the green jacket at The Masters. The world’s #1 player dominated Augusta.
Kansas rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit to beat North Carolina and win the national title.
Major League Baseball got underway. Padres pitcher Sean Manaea threw seven no-hit innings in his San Diego debut.
Congratulations to the women’s basketball national champion, SouthCarolina.Dawn Staley’s team won its first title. Since 2017.
On the men’s side, Kansas and North Carolina advanced to the final. The Jayhawks beat Villanova while the Tar Heels edged Duke, sending Mike Krzyzewski into retirement with 1202 career wins and five national titles.
In the NFL Tampa Bay Bucs coach Bruce Arians moved into the front office as Todd Bowles was promoted to head coach.
The Lakers lost six straight games to fall away from the playoffs.
It was another big week in sports.
We reached the Final Four in men’s basketball. Congratulations to Duke, North Carolina, Villanova and Kansas.
The NFL saw another major deal as the Chiefs sent WR Tyreek Hill to Miami for five draft picks. Matt Ryan was dealt to the Colts.
UConn women’s basketball team made the Elite Eight for the 16th straight time.
It was a busy week in sports, led by the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky, Iowa and Connecticut were first round shock city losers. St. Peter’s became the third 15th seed to make the Sweet 16, beating Kentucky and Murray State. They are this years biggest Cinderella, joining Florida Gulf Coast in 2013 and Oral Roberta in 2021 to go from 15rh seed to Sweet 16. Miami and Iowa State advanced to a Sweet 16 meeting stunning Auburn and Wisconsin.
The NFL and MLB had many transactions. The Tampa Bay Bucs, after bringing Tom Brady back, made several moves to strengthen their lineup. Devante Adams ended up in Las Vegas, Von Miller became a Bill, Deshawn Watson went to the Browns.
Freddie Freeman signed with the Dodgers. Carlos Correa landed with the Twins. Kenley Jansenand Matt Olson joined the Braves. Josh Donaldson became a Yankee, Kris Bryant became a Rockie. Trevor Story joined the Red Sox.
The field of 68 is set! Gonzaga, Arizona, Kansas and Baylor are the 1 seeds. I was surprised Tennessee and Iowa were seeded lower than they deserved.
Texas A&M, SMU, Xavier were left out and had a case to argue.
Championship week gave us some great moments. Virginia Tech was a great story as the seventh seed beat Clemson, Notre Dame, North Carolina and Duke to cut down the nets in Brooklyn. Arizona beat UCLA to win the Pac-12. Villanova and Kansas dominate their leagues.
Then big news as Tom Brady announced his return to the Bucs.
Mike Krzyzewski had an emotional farewell to Cameron Indoor Stadium. Over 90 of his former players were in attendance, though North Carolina spoiled the party.
Nebraska had a great week. The Cornhuskers surprised Ohio State and Wisconsin.
Three NBA stars had big games. LeBron James scored 56 vs. the Warriors. Jayson Tatum scored 54 against the Nets. Ja Morant had a 52-point effort.
College basketball is only a few weeks away from championship week, then comes March Madness. I am so excited about this time of the year. Last Saturday saw the top six teams in the AP poll and seven of the top 10 lose. That was the first time that happened.
Major league baseball is making a big mistake and this will only upset the fans.
Rafael Nadal beat Danil Medvedev in straight sets in Mexico. Mededev is the new number one after Novak Djokovic was stunned by Jiri Vesely in Dubai.
James Harden had a nice debut with the Sixers.
Congrats to rookie driver Austin Cindric for winning the Daytona 500.
The Phoenix Suns kept impressing as the hottest team into the All-Star break.
Texas Tech really impressed with wins over Baylor and at Texas. Coach Mark Adams has done a great job.
A wild week in sports.
We saw the Los Angeles Rams win the dramatic Super Bowl over the Cincinnati Bengals and Aaron Rodgers in the NFL MVP over Tom Brady.
The Olympics saw Chloe Kim, Lindsay Jacobellis, Erin Jackson and Nathan Chin among the big American Olympic winners. We saw Shaun White make an emotional farewell.
The NBA saw an amazing number of trades, led by the Sixers acquiring James Harden for Ben Simmons.
College basketball saw plenty of ranked teams fall. Auburn lost, Houston fell twice, UCLA lost to USC.
Justin Herbert was Offensive MVP as the AFC won the Pro Bowl in Las Vegas.
The Brooklyn Nets lost their eighth straight game.
It was a big week for Arizona and Kansas. The Wildcats beat UCLA and USC. Kansas blew out Baylor and beat Iowa State.
The Super Bowl is set. The Bengals stunned the Chiefs in overtime. The Rams edged the Niners by a field goal. They get to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium.
Rafael Nadal earned his 21st Grand Slam singles title, winning the Australian Open in five sets over Danil Medvedev. Nadal came back from a two-set deficit.
Kentucky scored a big win over Kansas. #1 Auburn beat Oklahoma.
The NFL playoffs saw upset city as the two top seeds were upset. The Titans fell to the Bengals. The Packers lost to the Niners. The Rams won at Tampa Bay. The Chiefs beat the Bills in OT.
Auburn moved up to number one in my poll vote. Bruce Pearl’s team got a big win over Kentucky.
The Australian Open moved to the second week. A number of seeds were upset, including Naomi Osaka, Alexander Zverev and Garbine Muguruza.
The NFL playoffs got under way. Josh Allen threw five TD passes as the Bills put up 47 points on the Pats. The Bengals won their first playoff game since 1991. The Niners hung on to edge the Cowboys in Dallas. Tom Brady and the Bucs advanced.
There were numerous upsets in college basketball. Baylor lost twice at home, falling to Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.
Oregon enjoyed a big week, winning at UCLA and USC. Coach Dana Altman earned his 700th career win in the victory over the Bruins.