By Eric Stock
PONTIAC – Basketball broadcaster Dick Vitale brought his gift for gab to Pontiac on Thursday to help raise money for the proposed Basketball Museum of Illinois in Pontiac.
“They told me some of the ideas have with a basketball court, clinics, bringing teams here and players to demonstration and help young kids,” Vitale said. “I think it will be phenomenal. It will be awesome baby with a capital A!.”
The veteran hoops commentator said he doesn’t know how much longer he’ll be behind the mic, but he was honored that ESPN has told him he can stay as long as he wants.
“I don’t know much longer (I’ll work), I’m 78 years old,” Vitale said. “I’d like to keep going and going, but the man upstairs will have something to say about that
Vitale said he loves calling games because he loves people.
“If you look at my high school yearbook, I happened to run into that just the other day. I couldn’t believe it,” Vitale said.
“You look at my pictures and it says ‘Everybody’s buddy.’ I have always tried to be that way.”
The event at the Pontiac Elks Club also raised money for the V Foundation, a cancer charity named for the late coach Jim Valvano.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
Audio courtesy WMBD-TV.
