Former Indiana Pacers player leaves hospital following heart transplant

The former Pacer had waited months for a donor and finally found one. Now, he’s walking out of the hospital just under two weeks after a heart transplant.

Having to sit on an organ transplant list to save your life is very scary. Millions of people have to deal with that reality every day. Even former athletes sometimes have that reality set on them. That includes a former Indiana Pacers player who needed a new heart.

Former Pacers player Scot Pollard has needed a heart for a while. He was admitted into the ICU at the beginning of February and was told he needed a new heart in order to leave. He waited for just over two weeks before an organ donor was found and he was able to get one.

Pollard had surgery in the middle of February and it was successful. He slowly was trying to get himself back to normal, which is not easy when you have a new heart. Now, the best possible thing has happened because Pollard is officially out of the hospital.

Former Pacers player’s wife chronicled his journey on social media.

Pollard’s wife Dawn chronicled Scot’s journey on X, the social media platform formally known as Twitter. She posted updates every few days and showed the progress that he was making. On Thursday, she posted him ringing the bell and leaving the hospital.

It’s obviously great news that Pollard is out of the hospital. He’s just 49 years old so he should have another few decades of life. Hopefully, the new heart gives him just that. He’s a big man, standing at 6’11 so that heart needs to be extra strong for someone his height.

Pollard came over to the Pacers in the Brad Miller trade back in the 2003-04 season. He played three seasons in Indiana and was a reserve most of that time. He never played more than 17 minutes a game for the Pacers but was a rotational center that could protect the rim.

In the final season of his NBA career, Pollard won an NBA title with the Boston Celtics. He only appeared in 22 games for them but still got a ring. I’m sure that’s now the second-most valuable thing in his life after his brand-new heart.