We wish him only the best and a speedy recovery.
Jack Ramsay, the Hall of Fame coach (he led the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers to a title with Bill Walton) and long-time broadcaster is stepping away from his role as a radio color commentator for ESPN during the playoffs to received medical treatment, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.Ramsay, 88, declined to discuss the nature of his medical condition. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1999 and received treatment, several years ago, for melanomas “all over my body….
“I’m going back to Naples and will start the treatment on Monday there,” Ramsay said by phone Thursday. “I have a specific time period where I must have this and cannot do it if I’m traveling around. I’ll miss doing the broadcasts.”
Dr. Jack — he has a doctorate in education from Penn — is just great to listen to, a basketball fan’s announcer who is about giving insights and breaking down the game, not screaming out catch phrases. He is a teacher of the game.
He had said before this likely would be his last season broadcasting anyway. But this is not how we wanted him to leave.
We hope he gets well soon and enjoys some time with family getting to relax in Florida. But we’ll miss his voice.