Former Pacers player in recovery after heart transplant, his wife says
(WISH) — Former Indiana Pacers basketball player Scot Pollard has a new heart, his wife said Friday night.
The search for a heart large and strong enough to supply his 6-foot-11, 260 pound body was a challenge for medical professionals. The 49-year-old on Feb. 6 went into intensive care at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
Dawn Pollard said on the X platform that her husband’s surgery went well, adding “I’ve been told the heart is big, powerful and is a perfect fit!
“Now on to the crucial part of recovery. Thank you to everyone for the continued prayers and support, but most of all, deepest thanks to the donor, our hero.”
Earlier in the day, she had shared on X, “Scot wanted me to let everyone know that the pre-heart transplant hair is gone, it’s go time! Please keep the prayers coming for Scot, the surgeons, for the donor and his family who lost their loved one. This donor gave the most amazing gift of life and we are forever grateful.”
Pollard had told The Associated Press on Feb. 7 that he was staying in the hospital until he got a heart replacement. “My heart got weaker. (Doctors) agree this is my best shot at getting a heart quicker.”
The need for a larger-than-usual heart was an immediate wake-up call, Pollard told the AP in telephone interview. “You don’t see a lot of old (7-) footers walking around. So I’ve known that my whole life, just because I had that seared into my brain as a 16-year-old, that — yeah, being tall is great, but I’m not going to see 80.”
Pollard was a first-round NBA draft pick in 1997 after helping Kansas reach the NCAA Sweet 16 in four straight season. He played for the Indiana Pacers from 2003-2006. He also played in the NBA for the Detroit Pistons, the Sacramento Kings, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Boston Celtics.