How Sacramento Kings fans are helping Scot Pollard’s family following heart transplant

Scot Pollard gave the Kings the best years of his career over five memorable seasons as a fan favorite in Sacramento. Now, longtime friends, former teammates and Kings fans are teaming up to give something back as Pollard wages the fight of his life.

Jodi Bacon, a Sacramento-based television producer, launched a Go Fund Me campaign to help Pollard’s family with mounting expenses following his heart transplant procedure. Bacon started the campaign with a goal of raising $10,000, but the Pollard family had already received $16,000 in donations in the first 15 hours.

“I Met Scot Pollard while he was playing for the Sacramento Kings & I was covering the team for a local radio station,” Bacon wrote on the Go Fund Me page. “We quickly became friends with our twisted sense of humor & that friendship has blossomed into a 20+ year friendship.

“Scot is SOO much more than a former basketball player or Survivor contestant. He is a DEDICATED Father to 4 and the most loving Husband to his wife Dawn. ... Dawn has stayed by his side while they waited for a compatible donor to give him the priceless gift of continued life. That day finally happened!! Although the costs they’ll incur over this journey aren’t yet well-defined, what is clear is that they’ll be substantial over the long road ahead.”

After enduring a three-year battle with heart failure, Pollard, 49, received a heart transplant Friday at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Pollard’s wife has provided updates on social media. On Saturday, she shared a photo of Pollard on the first morning of his recovery, tweeting: “Look who’s awake and is feeling great! Breathing tube came out early this morning and he started cracking jokes and singing ‘I left my heart in San Fran-Nashville.’ We are all amazed at Scot’s recovery so far!”

Bacon explained the financial burden the family faces, writing: “Scot has been unable to work for sometime due to his health battle & Dawn has been holding down the fort. With Dawn sticking by Scot’s side, she’s not able to currently work. Supporting a family with kiddos and that BIG OLE MAN, the additional expenses of being away from home are going to add up & this is just the beginning of the road to recovery.”

Pollard’s story has generated waves of love and support from across the country.

Pollard starred at Kansas from 1993-97 before the Detroit Pistons selected him with the 19^th pick in the first round of the 1997 NBA draft. Pollard played for the Pistons in 1997-98, the Kings from 1999-2003, the Indiana Pacers from 2003-06, the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2006-07 and the Boston Celtics in 2007-08.

Pollard won an NBA championship with the Celtics in 2008, but his best years were in Sacramento. Pollard averaged 5.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 20.1 minutes per game over five seasons with the Kings.

Pollard, known for his colorful personality and creative hairstyles, was a part of five playoff teams under former Kings coach Rick Adelman, including the team that reached the Western Conference finals in 2002. Pollard started 29 games that season, averaging 6.4 points and a career-high 7.1 rebounds.