NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Scot Pollard, a retired NBA player who spent most of his career with the Sacramento Kings, is set to receive a new heart Friday days after being admitted to the ICU.
His wife, Dawn Pollard, made the announcement in an Instagram post on Friday. The photo shows her shaving Scot’s head as he prepared to be taken to the operating room for his transplant.
“After a rollercoaster ride of emotions, a few offers of hearts that got our hopes up and down, they finally found THE ONE,” wrote Dawn. “This donor gave the most amazing gift of life and we are forever grateful.”
It’s a quick turnaround after news broke of his hospitalization last week. At 6-foot-11, Pollard’s size made it challenging to find a heart with a pump big and strong enough to supply blood to his body.
Pollard’s heart was beating an extra 10,000 times per day due to a genetic condition likely triggered by a virus he contracted in 2021. The Associated Press reports half of Pollard’s siblings have the same condition as well as his late father who died at 54 years old.
Pollard tried medication and had three ablations — procedures to try to break up the signals causing the irregular heartbeats. To maximize his chances, he was advised to register at as many transplant centers as possible.
A 1997 first-round draft pick after helping Kansas reach the NCAA Sweet 16 in four straight seasons, Pollard was a useful big man off the bench for much of an NBA career that stretched over 11 years and five teams. He played 55 seconds in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ trip to the NBA Finals in 2007 and won it all the following year with the Celtics despite a season-ending ankle injury in February.
Pollard retired after that season, and then dabbled in broadcasting and acting. He was a contestant on the 32nd season of “Survivor,” where he was voted out on Day 27 with eight castaways remaining.
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