Hall of Fame broadcaster Dick Vitale made his return to broadcasting Saturday when No. 2 Duke faced Clemson in a marquee ACC clash. Vitale had been on a nearly two-year long hiatus from television as he had battled four different types of cancer in the last four years. He was set to return last month but experienced an accident that delayed his comeback.

“This is like my Super Bowl, being able to be sitting courtside and do a game,” Vitale stated during the ESPN broadcast. “It beats the hell out of chemotherapy and radiation. I want to say to all cancer patients out there, please, listen to me, think positive, and have faith.”

Vitale announced on January 8 that he is cancer-free after undergoing five major surgeries, 65 radiation treatments, and six months of chemotherapy. His return comes 22 months after his last assignment with ESPN during the international broadcast of the UConn vs. San Diego State national title game on April 3, 2023.

Vitale has been with ESPN since the 1979-80 season, calling over 1,000 games in his esteemed career. He is also a member of both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the College Basketball Hall of Fame and has raised tens of millions for pediatric cancer research through the V Foundation.