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Former Kings center Scot Pollard returns to Sacramento following heart transplant

Scot Pollard a former Sacramento Kings player returns to area to participate in the Phil Oates Celebrity Golf Classic on Oct. 13, 2025. By HECTOR AMEZCUA

Scot Pollard was hard to miss.

The 6-foot-11 former Sacramento Kings center stepped out of a luxury bus in bright blue and red plaid pants. His black Kansas Jayhawks quarter-zip shirt, repping his alma mater, had matching blue stripes down the sleeves. His long Fu Manchu mustache typified the eccentric looks he became known for throughout his 11-year NBA career.

Pollard on Monday was back in Sacramento, where he played for the Kings from 1998 to 2003. This time he was playing in the Phil Oates Celebrity Golf Classic, a tournament that has raised roughly $1.5 million for local charities over the past five years.

His return marked just over 600 days since receiving a heart transplant that saved his life.

“I’m rusty,” Pollard said of his golf game. “It’s fun — and it beats not breathing.”

Former Sacramento Kings player Scot Pollard swings the ball on the fairway during the Phil Oates Celebrity Golf Classic in Granite Bay on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. Pollard received a life-saving heart transplant in 2024. HECTOR AMEZCUA hamezcua@sacbee.com

Pollard, 50, nearly died of heart failure in 2024. He suffered from cardiomyopathy, a disease of the muscle that can cause the heart to struggle pumping blood to the body. It’s often associated with people with bigger frames. Heart problems run in the family for Pollard, whose father, Pearl, was 6-foot-8 and died from a heart attack related to the condition when the former Kings big man was a teenager.

Pollard was among a field of celebrity golfers that included big names like Barry Bonds, Marcus Allen, Mike Bibby and David Justice. The event was a scramble format at the Granite Bay Golf Club. Pollard and his wife, Dawn, said they enjoyed coming to the tournament where they’ve seen friendly faces, including during the tournament’s kickoff party the night before.

“I get a lot of hugs and a lot of wishes of support, and they were praying for me,” Pollard said. “And I know it because it worked. I’m here. That feels good. That’s more than sports adulation because it’s a little bit more serious. Like, a lot more serious.”

Pollard was given VIP treatment. The tournament’s host, Phil Oates, chartered a plane for the Pollards, who traveled from Indiana, so they could attend. Oates works in commercial real estate and is part of the Sacramento Kings’ ownership group.

“Scot’s amazing,” Oates said. “His resume will match anybody here. He’s one of the all-time great Kings. He was on ‘Survivor,’ he’s gone through the heart transplant. Scot is an amazing story, and he’s a funny, funny guy.”

Former Sacramento Kings player Scot Pollard and his wife Dawn jump in the air during the Phil Oates Celebrity Golf Classic in Granite Bay on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. Pollard received a life-saving heart transplant last year. HECTOR AMEZCUA hamezcua@sacbee.com

Added Kings legendary radio play-by-play voice, Gary Gerould: “He was a character. I think that’s maybe the best way to sum it up. ... But more than that, a good person, but a person who really relished his role, and knew what his role was with the team. And that’s really what impressed me.”

Of course, Pollard was on the greatest Kings teams of their time in Sacramento, including one that reached the Western Conference Finals in 2001-02. He was a backup to Vlade Divac and Chris Webber, and was always eager to match up with Shaquille O’Neal of the rival Los Angeles Lakers, Gerould said.

Pollard averaged 5.9 points and 6.0 rebounds over 20.1 minutes per game during his five seasons with Sacramento. His top 20 scoring games all came in a Kings uniform, including his career-high 23-point, 14-rebound, 3-assist and 2-block performance in a 14-point win over the Golden State Warriors in April 2002.

He was also a former teammate of current Kings head coach Doug Christie, who is entering his first full season on the job after replacing Mike Brown on an interim basis over the final 51 games of last season.

“I know some of the things he’s experienced,” Christie said at Kings practice Monday. “And (I’m) super excited and proud of him for what he’s been able to do through that. Life is super, super precious, man.”

Sacramento Kings teammates Scot Pollard and Mike Bibby, the new coach of the Sacramento State basketball team, visit during the Phil Oates Celebrity Golf Classic in Granite Bay on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. HECTOR AMEZCUA hamezcua@sacbee.com

Christie, as a player during the Kings’ heyday, acknowledged how much the second unit would help prepare the starters for the difficult challenges they faced during the season. That second unit included Pollard, who was known for being physical and tough-minded during an era when physicality was more celebrated in the NBA, if not always during practice.

Christie said the starters might have been tired from playing 40 minutes the night before, but the reserves, including Pollard and veteran Bobby Jackson, would bring out the best of them on the practice court.

“And all of a sudden, the chirping starts,” Christie said. “And you lose a couple games in a row, and then it gets serious. So (Pollard) was very good at that. He’d set good, hard screens, which I didn’t always like. ... But by him doing that, it also helped me to realize I needed to be on point, and (that was) my time to learn how to deal with that.

“Without them, we’re not as good a team as (we) were. Because not only did they help us in practice, but in the games, there were times where we didn’t necessarily have it to start the game, and they came in and changed the whole complexion of the game. Your whole team is what it’s about, and that’s what we’re trying to build here.”

Pollard’s story of evading death thanks to a heart transplant was featured on ESPN’s “E60” documentary series called “Heart of Pearl.” He said that he hopes his story will encourage others with heart issues to be proactive in looking for potential donors for life-saving procedures. For Pollard, that includes talking to celebrities participating in this week’s golf tournament.

“Being able to help other people like that is pretty much the goal of my life for the rest of my life, (for) however much time I got left,” Pollard said.

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