Tolbert eyes return to airwaves after heart surgery

Affable sports talk radio host and former NBA player Tom Tolbert underwent emergency heart surgery last week to repair a thoracic aortic aneurysm, he revealed in a recorded message on his KNBR show Wednesday.

While describing the scary incident, the 51-yearold Tolbert reassured his audience that he’s recovering well and hopes to return to the airwaves in two weeks for his afternoon show with co-host John Lund.

“No promises. Should be good to go,” Tolbert said during his 10-minute message. “Again, no promises.”

That’s certainly a much better prognosis than Tolbert feared he was facing after being rushed from an East Bay hospital by ambulance to Stanford Medical Center at 2 a.m. last Tuesday.

“And six hours later, boom, I wake up,” Tolbert said. “I found out all this news, what had happened. And how close you had come to shaking hands with the real grim reaper ... It was a little sobering ... little sobering, I gotta admit.”

Tolbert, in his 21st year of hosting an afternoon show on KNBR after a seven-year NBA career that included three seasons with the Warriors, was on his couch watching a baseball game when both of his temples began hurting. His anxiety grew as his pain spread to his shoulders, then his upper chest and lower throat.

“I went up and asked my wife Lorrie, who was sleeping at the time,’’ Tolbert recalled. “I said, ‘I don’t feel good. There’s something wrong with me.’ And she obviously knows that I don’t do that very often so she was startled and taken aback.”

NBA

TIME TABLE UNCERTAIN FOR THOMAS » Isaiah Thomas beamed as he held up his new No. 3 Cavaliers jersey for the first time. There’s no telling when he’ll wear it in a game. Stunned by Boston’s decision to trade him to Cleveland as part of a package for Kyrie Irving, Thomas chose not to share much information about a hip injury that ended his inspirational playoff run last season and will sideline him for the start of this season — and probably a lot longer.

College football

BUECHELE QUESTIONABLE » Texas starting quarterback Shane Buechele did not throw in practice Thursday because of a bruised shoulder, and coach Tom Herman says his status for Saturday against San Jose State will be a game-day de-

Golf

THOMPSON LEADS » Lexi Thompson shot a 9-under 63 to take a one-shot lead over Sandra Gal and Kris Tamulis in the LPGA Tour’s inaugural Indy Women in Tech Championship in Indianapolis.

Soccer

cision. Buechele is 5-8 in his career as a starter. IRMA CANCELLATIONS » Florida State and Florida canceled their Saturday home football games because of Hurricane Irma. No. 10 Florida State was set to play Louisiana-Monroe, and No. 22 Florida was scheduled to face Northern Colorado. Also, South Florida and UConn called off their game in Connecticut because of travel concerns. The cancellations came after Florida Gov. Rick Scott ordered all state colleges and universities closed through Monday in order to support shelter and emergency relief efforts. SUMLIN RECEIVES THREATENING LETTER» Texas A&M and law enforcement officials were investigating after football coach Kevin Sumlin received a racist and threatening letter at his home. His wife, Charlene Sumlin, posted a picture of the letter , which had a return address in Houston, on Twitter on Thursday night. The handwritten letter read: “You suck as a coach! You’re a (racial epithet) and can’t win! Please get lost! Or else.” NOTRE DAME LAWSUIT » A former linebacker has filed a lawsuit against Notre Dame, claiming the university concealed the results of a spinal scan from him and that he has potentially permanent nerve damage to his neck. The Indianapolis Star reports that Douglas Randolph filed the complaint this month in St. Joseph Circuit Court, naming coach Brian Kelly among the defendants. MATCH TO BE REPLAYED » FIFA’s decision to order a World Cup qualifier to be replayed because of matchfixing by a crooked referee is unprecedented and unfair, according to the country stripped of a vital victory despite playing no role in the wrongdoing. The South African Football Association said it was considering appealing FIFA’s order that the 2-1 win over Senegal last November is annulled and the game is replayed because Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey was found guilty of manipulating the match.