James Thomas Anthony "Jim" Valvano (March 10, 1946 – April 28, 1993), nicknamed Jimmy V, was an American college basketball player, coach, and broadcaster.
While the head basketball coach at North Carolina State University, his team won the 1983 NCAA Basketball Tournament against small odds. Valvano is not only remembered for running up and down the court after winning the game against the Houston Cougars, seemingly in disbelief and looking for someone to hug, but also for his inspirational 1993 ESPY Awards speech, given just eight weeks before he died of bone cancer.
Biography
Personal
Valvano was the middle child of Rocco and Angelina Valvano, and was born in Corona, Queens, New York. Valvano was a three-sport athlete at Seaford High School in Seaford on Long Island and graduated in 1963. He married his high school sweetheart, Pamela Levine, and they had three daughters - Nicole, Jamie, and Lee Ann. His younger brother, Bob, is a sportscaster and former basketball coach.
Football coach Vince Lombardi was Valvano's role model. Valvano told an ESPY audience, on March 3, 1993, that he took some of Lombardi's inspirational speeches out of the book Commitment to Excellence, and used them with his team. Valvano discussed how he planned to use Lombardi's speech to the Green Bay Packers in front of his Rutgers freshman basketball team prior to his first game as their coach.
"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me."
"I asked a ref if he could give me a technical foul for thinking bad things about him. He said, of course not. I said, well, I think you stink. And he gave me a technical. You can't trust em."
"Be a dreamer. If you don't know how to dream, you're dead."
"To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special."
"How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal, and you have to be willing to work for it."
""Don't give up, don't ever give up.""
"To me there are three things everyone should do every day. Number one is laugh. Number two is think -- spend some time time in thought. Number three, you should have your emotions move you to tears. If you laugh, think and cry, that's a heck of a day."
"No matter what business you're in, you can't run in place or someone will pass you by. It doesn't matter how many games you've won."
"Now, I look at where I am now and I know what I wanna to do. What I would like to be able to do is to spend whatever time I have left and to give, and maybe some hope to others."
"Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul."
"We need your help. I need your help. We need money for research. It may not save my life. It may save my children's life. It may save someone you love. And it's very important."
"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special."
His inspiration for the project came from the book “I Remember Jim Valvano,” which is a compilation of anecdotes about the late North Carolina State basketball coach ... “And since I was friends with Holli, I pitched the idea ... Grobstein, who died Jan ... ....
Holiday girls’ and boys’ basketball tournaments/showcases in South Jersey are a longstanding tradition ...It’s an event named after the late North Carolina State coach Jim Valvano, whose Jimmy VFoundation has for years raised funds for cancer research.
... team in the mid-1970s who later coached under Norm Sloan for three years as an assistant, Stokan had a chance to follow Sloan to Florida or stay with the Wolfpack under incoming coach Jim Valvano.
He’s also a longtime fundraiser for cancer research, helping friend Jim Valvano to the stage at the 1993ESPYs, where Valvano delivered his famous “Don’t give up” speech. Valvano died of adenocarcinoma less than two months later ....
He’s also a longtime fundraiser for cancer research, helping friend Jim Valvano to the stage at the 1993ESPYs, where Valvano delivered his famous “Don’t give up” speech. Valvano died of adenocarcinoma less than two months later ...Sign up here ... Source .
He’s also a longtime fundraiser for cancer research, helping friend Jim Valvano to the stage at the 1993ESPYs, where Valvano delivered his famous “Don’t give up” speech. Valvano died of adenocarcinoma less than two months later ... .
Vitale made the announcement while promoting the V Foundation for Cancer Research, named for the late college basketball coach Jim Valvano - who died of cancer in 1993... Read More ... 'You just made our week,@DickieV!,' they wrote ... .
...Pack responded with a pair of 3s for Miami in a 14-all tie six minutes into the game, which honored the legacy of late NC State coach Jim Valvano and the foundation's cancer research in his name.
They say the only constant is change ... With change in the air, both teams ventured to Madison Square Garden for the Jimmy VClassic - held in honor of former NC State head coach Jim Valvano, who passed away from a cancer battle years ago ... .
This was the team’s first time playing in the Jimmy VClassic, a doubleheader tournament named for legendary coach Jim Valvano, who died of cancer in 1993 at age 47. It was held at MSG as part of Jimmy V Week, which raises money for cancer research.
FAYETTEVILLE -- The Arkansas Razorbacks realize tonight's game isn't just any basketball game at just any venue ...Classic. Named for the late North Carolina StateCoach Jim Valvano, who died young of cancer, the Jimmy V.Classic benefits cancer research.
Michigan football wild upset of Ohio State. How it happened, now what?. "HailYes!" podcast hosts react to Michigan's incredible 13-10 win at No ... 30, 2024 ... ... 14 on Monday ... Razorbacks. Matchup. No ... State head coach Jim Valvano, who died of cancer in 1993.
