Former NBA player Scot Pollard has been admitted to an intensive care unit at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. According to the Associated Press, Pollard has been diagnosed with a genetic heart condition that could've been prompted by a virus that the former NBA big man contracted in 2021.
As a result of his condition, Pollard is awaiting a heart transplant.
"I'm staying here until I get a heart," Pollard told the AP on Wednesday. "My heart got weaker. [Doctors] agree this is my best shot at getting a heart quicker."
The AP also reported that Pollard was originally admitted to the hospital on Tuesday after his heart had "been beating an extra 10,000 times per day" as a result of the genetic condition. Pollard's father also suffered from the same genetic condition and ended up dying at 54 years old. Some of Pollard's siblings also have the genetic condition.
"That was an immediate wake-up call," Pollard said. "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."
According to the AP, it's an uphill battle to find a heart for Pollard as a result of his size. Pollard is nearly seven feet tall and weighs 260 pounds.
However, doctors have told Pollard that they are "confident" that they'll be able to find a heart donor in the weeks to come. Pollard previously had a pacemaker put in last year to help with the genetic heart condition.
Pollard played for the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, and Sacramento Kings in his 11 NBA seasons. The former center spent five of those seasons with the Kings and averaged 4.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in his professional career. Pollard last played in 2007-08 with the Celtics and was a member of that 2008 Celtics team that won an NBA title.
