Prescription for Basketball -- Part 2

“Next week’s the party, isn’t it?” Bill asked his wife, Nancy. She knew what he meant: Tuesday of the next week was the annual, end-of-season, basketball banquet at Stanford’s Faculty Club. Bill continued, “You have to get me there.”

Bill Sabbag’s struggle with pancreatic cancer began the fall of 2005. When Bill, a psychiatrist in private practice nearby, was diagnosed in September, he made it his goal to live through the 2005-06 basketball season. Given the deadly nature of this cancer—three months is a long survival for many—this was a stretch. Bill, however, subjected himself to medication that might extend his life a few months. He then came to every home game, nearly every practice (even at 6:00 am and when family was visiting), and several of the away games. His presence at the Oregon State game in Corvallis, OR is documented in the picture on the left. We all marveled at his determination. Nancy acknowledges as well all the fellow fans who provided “amazing” support. Bill was awarded the Fan Spirit Award for the year. (See elsewhere on StanfordFBC.org for information on this award.)

Bill did attend the banquet. Nancy wasn’t sure how he did it. He wasn’t eating, couldn’t walk well, and slept nearly all the time. They did, however, create a plan for showering, rest, and dressing that day that could culminate in his getting to the Faculty Club. A fellow booster, Don Anderson, met them in the parking lot to help park and get Bill inside. Bill looked great; he wore a suit and was able to say hello to many friends and the team. On closer inspection, however, we could see how gray and weak he really was.

Bill met his goal of living through basketball season, and seeing “those kids” one more time at the banquet. It was the last thing he did, and he died three weeks later. Nancy reports that Bill’s involvement in the team last year was incredibly therapeutic and she knows it kept him alive.

This is the second of my essays on the contribution of Stanford women's basketball to the life of individual boosters. The Stanford team was a source of great joy to Bill.