On today’s show I sat down with retired NBA center Scot Pollard, who was a 2008 NBA champion with the Boston Celtics in his last of 11 professional seasons, which included a three-year run with the Indiana Pacers.
Scot talks about his life from growing up poor in Utah and Del Mar, California, to becoming a star at the University of Kansas and being drafted 19th overall in 1997 by the Detroit Pistons. He recounts his NBA journey through Detroit, Sacramento, and Indiana, highlighting the 2002 Western Conference Finals Game 6 free-throw controversy between the Kings and Los Angeles Lakers that led to a Game 7, the 2004 “Malice at the Palace” brawl between the Pacers, Pistons and fans, and learning he was traded via TV.
He then details a genetic heart anomaly that also killed his father, triggered after illness and worsening into heart failure despite multiple ablations and drugs. After initially resisting, Pollard pursued transplant listings and was hospitalized at Vanderbilt, receiving a heart transplant on Feb. 16, 2024 from donor Casey Angel. He describes recovery, a pacemaker dependency, survivor’s guilt counseling, meeting the donor family, and promoting organ donation and travel assistance through his wife’s Pearls of Life Foundation.
If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. episodes where I interview Hoosiers making a difference, visit getindiana.com/podcast.
You are going to learn about:
Scot Pollard’s Background and NBA Journey
Heart Failure, Receiving a Transplant, and the Recovery Process
The Pearls of Life Foundation
Thank you to our partners:
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Check out these great clips from the show:
01:20 Guest Introduction: Scot Pollard, Ex-NBA Player
02:33 Family Falls On Hard Times
03:40 Del Mar Culture Shock
05:03 Dad Dies from Heart Failure
07:06 Recruiting Letters Roll In
07:35 Giants In The Family
09:18 Nike Coach Conspiracy
10:29 Finding Basketball Purpose
14:09 Choosing Kansas Over UCLA
17:00 Midnight Madness Moment
19:10 Solo Visits And Commitment
19:53 Son Transfer Portal Story
23:49 Kansas Life And Team Bond
25:42 Indiana Game Fan Frenzy
27:33 Transfer Era Then & Now
29:53 NBA Scouts Take Notice
31:51 Draft Workouts And Physicals
32:34 Draft Night Surprise
34:48 Rookie Money Reality
36:46 NIL Wild West Talk
38:09 Detroit Exit and Lockout
40:48 Atlanta Cut and Kings Call
43:15 Sacramento Rise and Lakers Series
45:54 Traded to Indiana
48:49 Indy Crowds and Fan Culture
53:52 Heart Failure Begins
56:26 Shots and ICU Scare
01:01:17 Ablations to Transplant Decision
01:04:54 Transplant List Requirements
01:06:34 Multi Hospital Listing Strategy
01:08:18 Vanderbilt ICU Turning Point
01:09:40 Birthday False Alarms
01:11:43 Donor Story And Charity
01:12:58 Recovery And Lifelong Drugs
01:15:03 Inside The Surgery
01:18:43 Pacemaker Reality Check
01:22:15 Meeting The Donor Family
01:25:14 Survivors Guilt And Mindset
01:28:34 Pearls Of Life Mission
01:33:25 Golf Fundraiser And Advocacy
01:35:12 Pacers Memories And Indiana
