He's a successful television sports analyst, but a local basketball star says he would have never reached that success without a heart condition that could have killed him.
The basketball court is like a second home for 26-year-old King McClure.
McClure had a solid high school career in Dallas, which launched him into the top of college prospects.
"I think that I kind of was feeling myself. I think God has a funny way of humbling you, whenever you're feeling yourself because I was on top. I was a star player in the state of Texas, top three in the state. I go to Baylor, and all of a sudden I get hit with some very devastating news," said McClure.
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He hadn't even played his first game when a routine heart screening detected hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM, a condition that doctors told him raised his risk of sudden cardiac death.
"He basically tells me that I can never play basketball again and if I do, I will die. He's surprised that I haven't died," said McClure.
"For me to really dedicate my life to something and all of a sudden it gets taken away in the blink of an eye at 18 -- it was, it was devastating," he said.
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McClure was forced to quit the sport he loved until a doctor in Minnesota gave him hope.
McClure could play if he had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD, placed in his chest to monitor, even jumpstart, his heart.
UT Southwestern's Dr. Mark Link didn't treat McClure but says ICDs are one of several treatments that can help heart patients live longer lives.
"These devices have been shown to be very, very good at saving lives," said Link.
Link says HCM is genetic, and he says in recent years, it's become more manageable, even for high-level athletes.
Equipped with an ICD, McClure finished out his time at Baylor.
Even though his dreams of the NBA seemed lost, another door opened.
"I would have never ever imagined that I'd be working for ESPN, especially at the age of 22. I'm a big believer that if things are easy, things line up and that's God telling you that you should be doing something. For me, everything just lined up for TV," said McClure.
Now, the sports analyst is an American Heart Association ambassador, using his platform to promote awareness of health screenings and genetic heart conditions.
"That feeling that I felt was greater than any point I've ever scored in a big game. Just being able to help people being able to inspire and give people hope, to me, means more than anything," he said.
To read more about McClure and his involvement with the American Heart Association, click here.
