A new documentary on legendary college basketball broadcaster Dick Vitale is coming to ESPN+ later this month, the network announced Wednesday.
As the great Dickie V would say: “Awesome, baby!”
The documentary, aptly titled Dickie V, will debut on July 20 on ESPN+ and be directed by Emmy-award winner Nick Nanton. The 80-minute film will “chronicle the remarkable life and career” of Vitale, focusing on his ESPN college basketball broadcasting career as well as his bouts with melanoma, lymphoma, and ulcerated lesions on his vocal cords.
The film will feature more than 40 original interviews including Magic Johnson, Mike Krzyzewski, Charles Barkley, John Calipari, Robin Roberts, Chris Berman, Mike Tirico and more.
“Everyone knows the Dick Vitale that shows up with an energetic smile and enthusiastic conversation, but there is so much more to his character beyond his ‘Vitale-isms’,” Nanton said in an official press release. “In the process of making this film, I realized that his tenacity and heartfelt personality came from a place of deep hurt and a desire to help anyone who had felt the depths of loss he had felt. From childhood bullying by his peers due to the loss of his left eye, to a meteoric rise in coaching, only to be unceremoniously ousted from his dream job as head coach of the Detroit Pistons, to a ‘second career’ in broadcasting that turned out to be his true calling, Vitale’s journey of resilience is one that I know will resonate universally. His is a story of loss, triumph, giving and humanity. It’s one I simply had to tell.”
The documentary will also air on Saturday, July 23 at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN. Here’s a look at the trailer.
Vitale did not call many games during the 2021–22 college basketball season after he was diagnosed with dysplasia on the vocal cords in December. However, it looks like Vitale is on the right path to returning to sidelines next year.
