Jim Valvano Quotes

A collection of quotes by Jim Valvano.

Jim Valvano was an American college basketball coach, born on March 10, 1946, in Queens, New York. Best known for his time as the head coach of the North Carolina State University (NCSU) men's basketball team, Valvano left an indelible mark on the sport.

Valvano began his coaching career in the late 1960s and went on to achieve tremendous success. His most iconic moment came in 1983 when his underdog NCSU team, led by star player Dereck Whittenburg, won the NCAA national championship with an exhilarating last-second shot. This historic victory remains one of the greatest Cinderella stories in college basketball.

Aside from his achievements on the court, Valvano was beloved for his charismatic personality and his commitment to charitable work. In 1993, he established The V Foundation for Cancer Research, aiming to raise awareness and funding for cancer research. Valvano's emotional speech at the inaugural ESPY Awards in the same year, as he was battling terminal cancer himself, has become legendary, with his words inspiring countless individuals to persevere in the face of adversity.

Tragically, Jim Valvano passed away on April 28, 1993, at the age of 47, but his legacy continues through his coaching achievements and his contribution to cancer research. He is remembered as an influential figure in the basketball community and for his unwavering determination in the face of challenges.

I asked a ref if he could give me a technical foul for think

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.

Be a dreamer. If you don't know how to dream, you're dead.

How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? I

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.

If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. Tha

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.

Don't give up. Don't ever give up.

Don't give up. Don't ever give up.

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give anothe

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.

And if you see me, smile and maybe give me a hug. That's imp

And if you see me, smile and maybe give me a hug. That's important to me too.

Smile

I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to

I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get you're emotions going.

Life

I will thank God for the day and the moment I have.

I will thank God for the day and the moment I have.

God

Now I'm fighting cancer, everybody knows that. People ask me

Now I'm fighting cancer, everybody knows that. People ask me all the time about how you go through your life and how's your day, and nothing is changed for me.

Time

I asked a ref if he could give me a technical foul for think

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.

Trust

When you put your hand to the plow, you can't put it down un

When you put your hand to the plow, you can't put it down until you get to the end of the row.

Smile

Now, I look at where I am now and I know what I wanna to do.

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.

Hope

How do you go from where you are to where you wanna be? And

How do you go from where you are to where you wanna be? And 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.

Life

People think I have courage. The courage in my family are my

People think I have courage. The courage in my family are my wife Pam, my three daughters, here, Nicole, Jamie, LeeAnn, my mom, who's right here too.

Courage

And I'm going to work as hard as I can... for cancer researc

And I'm going to work as hard as I can... for cancer research and hopefully, maybe, we'll have some cures and some breakthroughs. I'd like to think I'm going to fight my brains out to be back here again next year for the Arthur Ashe recipient. I want to give it next year!

Work

No matter what business you're in, you can't run in place or

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.

Business

We need your help. I need your help. We need money for resea

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.

Money