26-05-2025
Why former KU Jayhawks, NBA forward Scot Pollard was grand marshal at Indy 500
Former University of Kansas forward Scot Pollard served as grand marshal for the Indy 500 Festival Parade on Saturday in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The 6-foot-11, 260-pound, 50-year-old Pollard, who has lived in Carmel, Indiana the past several years, rode during the parade in a float with his own family members as well as the family of the late Casey Angell.
Pollard, the former KU and NBA basketball star, received a life-saving heart transplant — the heart of Angell — in February 2024. Upon Angell's death in a Texas hospital, family members approved sending his heart to Pollard, who was bedridden in a hospital in Tennessee at the time, suffering from heart failure triggered by a virus.
Pollard and Angell's family members were to watch the Indy 500 Sunday in a suite at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Pollards and Angells have become friends since they met several months ago.
Pollard and his wife, Dawn, have dedicated themselves to raising awareness of organ donation through Dawn's charity, 'Pearls of Life.' The charity is named in honor of Scot's dad, Pearl, who died at the age of 54 because of heart problems.
The Pollards spent the weekend spreading the word about organ donation at the prestigious Indy car race.
'When it comes to charity, the bigger the audience you can get, the better,' Pollard told reporter Mark Ambrogi of 'I'm using my former notoriety as a basketball player (at KU from 1994-97 and 11 years in the NBA) to help out my wife Dawn's charity, Pearls of Life. We've always used my former profession as a lantern to whatever charity we go to.'
Pearls of Life according to the organization's Facebook page, 'was created to advocate for organ donations, educate the community and support families who are going through the organ transplant or donation process. We believe in the power of community and the impact of compassion.'
As main spokesperson for the organization, Pollard recently was featured speaker at the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation in Boston. He received a standing ovation from a convention center full of doctors, including his own heart transplant surgeon.
While in Boston he attended a Celtics playoff game and was accorded another loud ovation by the fans. He was a member of the Celtics' 2008 NBA title team.
An E60 documentary on Pollard's heart transplant is set to be released on Father's Day (June 15).
'The ESPN documentary is going to help a ton, because that is going worldwide because of Uncle Mickey — Disney,' Pollard told referring to ESPN's Disney ties. 'The goal is to spread the word as much as we can, and I think that's why (500 Festival CEO) Bob Bryant and the board at Indy 500 Festival recognized those efforts and gave me the title of grand marshal for the 500 Festival. It's just a huge honor.'
Pollard told he has been healthy enough to coach his youngest son, Icean, 9, in basketball this year and watch his son, Ozzy, a defensive lineman, play football at Carmel High School. Ozzy will play college football at Marian University in Indy in the fall.
'Day to day, I'm not very dependable, so I'm not going to go back to work,' Pollard said. 'But if I know I have one thing going, like a basketball practice I'm coaching or a basketball game, I can rest up.
'Most days are better than not. If I do too much, I feel it and I'm definitely back on the couch for a couple of days. I'm well aware I have to walk that line for the rest of my life.
'My body just works differently now,' he said. 'It doesn't adjust, but compared to heart failure, this is a lot better.'
