Pollard was 6 feet 11 inches tall and had trouble finding a heart large enough and powerful enough to pump blood to his body.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Former NBA player Scott Pollard, who spent most of his career with the Sacramento Kings, is scheduled to receive a new heart on Friday, just 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 Scott’s head as he prepares to be taken to the operating room for the transplant.
“After a rollercoaster ride of emotions and several heart-pounding offers that raised and lowered our expectations, they finally found THE ONE,” Dawn writes. “This donor gave us the greatest gift of life, and we are forever grateful.”
This is a sudden turn of events since news of his hospitalization broke last week. Pollard was 6 feet 11 inches tall and had trouble finding a heart large enough and powerful enough to pump blood to his body.
Pollard’s heart was beating more than 10,000 times a day due to a genetic condition believed to be caused by the 2021 virus. The Associated Press reports that half of Pollard’s siblings have the same condition, as did his late father, who died at age 54.
Pollard tried medication and underwent three ablations, a procedure to block the signals that cause irregular heartbeats. To maximize his chances, he was advised to enroll in as many transplant centers as possible.
A first-round draft pick in 1997 who helped Kansas reach the NCAA Sweet 16 for four straight seasons, Pollard was a useful big man off the bench for most of his 11-year, five-team NBA career. He was active. He played 55 seconds in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2007 NBA Finals appearance, and despite his season-ending ankle injury in February, won the championship with the Celtics the following year.
Pollard retired after that season and then dabbled in broadcasting and acting. He was a contestant on the 32nd season of “Survivor,” but was voted out on the 27th day when only eight castaways remained.
See more ABC10: Sacramento Kings host empowers youth with Team Up for a Change
RELATED: Former NBA player and Survivor contestant Scott Pollard waits in hospital for heart transplant
RELATED: Fox scores 30 points to rally Kings from 16-point deficit to 102-98 win over Nuggets
