You don’t have to be a Kansas basketball fan, or a fan of any of the five NBA franchises for which Scot Pollard played, to enjoy Heart of Pearl. The documentary, airing on ESPN+, follows the story of Pollard discovering that his heart was failing and his subsequent wait for a new one.
The show followed Pollard through his childhood, when his dad died due to a similar heart condition, how that affected Scot’s life as a teenager, and how it motivated him on the basketball court.
Pollard talked of his time at Kansas and about Roy Williams’ place in his life. He discussed his NBA years, including how it hurt when the Sacramento Kings traded him without warning after five successful seasons there, and the importance of playing for a Celtics team that won a championship.
Mostly, however, it is an emotional and personal story of Scot Pollard’s life and how it was saved.
Heart of Pearl is about Scot Pollard’s life, and it needed to be told
Few people know the journey one goes through to get to the point where they need a new heart to survive. Heart of Pearl offers viewers an intimate glimpse into the process and the challenges it presents for both the family and the patient.
For someone to get a new heart that will let them survive, someone else needs to die. In Pollard’s case, he needed a heart big enough to support his large body, and evidently, those are not readily available. Pollard even questioned if the transplant was the right thing to do. His wife reminded him that he didn’t want to leave his four children fatherless, as he had been.
Pollard is a gregarious man. He has always gone his own way. He is well known for his various hairstyles and facial hair during his time in the NBA. He handled his hospitalization with as much humor as possible, often joking with his doctors and nurses, and Dawn was with him every moment.
At one point, the Pollards thought a heart had been found, and he was prepped for a possible surgery. That heart didn’t prove to be viable for him, and the disappointment was obvious, but there was also guilt there. The whole process, knowing someone has to die to help you, has to be an overwhelming issue to come to terms with.
When a viable heart was located and Pollard was prepped for surgery, the most real moment of the whole documentary was when Dawn leaned in to kiss him as he was wheeled into the operating room. There is a fleeting moment where the audience can see the fear in Pollard’s eyes and the love he has for Dawn. It was an incredible, touching human moment.
Scot Pollard’s Kansas basketball and NBA career
Pollard played on one of the best teams in Kansas history and on teams loaded with talent. Still, Pollard made his mark. He played in 128 games, starting 62 of them. He averaged 9.4 points per game, but over 10 in each of his last three seasons. He added 6.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots over his college career.
Despite his secondary role at Kansas, he showed enough to be drafted 19th overall by the Pistons.
Pollard played 10 seasons in the NBA for five teams. He appeared in 506 games, starting 99 of them. He was a career backup, but one willing to do the dirty work. Teammates used those exact words to describe his contributions.
He averaged 16.5 minutes a game, 4.4 points, and 4.6 rebounds. His years in Sacramento were certainly his best. In those five seasons, he averaged 5.9 points per game and 6.0 rebounds.
The aftermath of Scot Pollard’s heart transplant
Pollard’s heart transplant was a success. Heart of Pearl gave viewers a brief glimpse of his rehab, from the first time he stood up to his first steps, less than 24 hours after the surgery. It revealed other aspects of his recovery, although it likely was much more complicated than what the documentary showed.
Pollard and his wife were obviously appreciative of the unknown person and family that supplied the heart. Pollard stated that he would like to contact the family as soon as it was appropriate.
In the meantime, a healthy Pollard was able to attend his son’s high school football senior day, something his own dad didn’t live long enough to see. Viewers could see that Pollard knew he had made the right decision to get the transplant. His children would continue to have their father around.
Lastly, the audience got to see Scot and Dawn meet with the family of the man whose heart Pollard received. In an emotionally charged documentary, this scene was the most poignant. Pollard allowed the wife and mother to listen to his heart through a stethoscope. That brought tears to everyone present, and likely to everyone watching as well.
Heart of Pearl humanized both sides of the heart transplant process in a real way. Viewers saw the guilt and doubt the Pollards dealt with, as well as the emotions the donor’s family went through.
The documentary was sincere and emotional, without becoming sappy or overdone. It effectively highlighted the importance of being an organ donor without bludgeoning the audience about it. It showed a professional athlete at his most vulnerable and how Pollard and his family handled the crisis with humor, love, support, and appreciation.