50 Quotes by Jim Valvano
Jim Valvano, a charismatic coach, left an indelible mark on the world of sports and beyond. His tenure as a basketball coach at North Carolina State University culminated in an unexpected NCAA championship victory, but it was his spirited personality and inspiring words that truly defined his legacy. Valvano's battle with cancer led to the creation of the V Foundation for Cancer Research, a testament to his compassion and desire to make a difference. His poignant "Don't Give Up" speech at the ESPY Awards captured his resilience and optimism in the face of adversity, resonating with people far beyond the realm of sports. Jim Valvano's enduring impact lies in his ability to unite and uplift through his passion for both competition and the greater good.
Jim Valvano Quotes
My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.
We should do three things every day of our life. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is to think, we should spend some time in thought. And, number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears.
In every single day, in every walk of life, ordinary people do extraordinary things. Ordinary People accomplish Extraordinary things.
Nothing has ever been accomplished in any walk of life without enthusiasm, without motivation, and without perseverance.
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.
Life changes when you least expect it to. The future is uncertain. So, seize this day, seize this moment, and make the most of it.
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.
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.
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.
Never give up! Failure and rejection are only the first step to succeeding.
There are 86,400 seconds in a day. It's up to you to decide what to do with them.
Don't give up. Don't ever give up.
Nothing can happen if it's not first a dream. If you have someone with a dream, if you have a motivated person with a goal and a vision, if you have someone that never gives up, who has great hope, Anything can happen.
A person really doesn't become whole, until he becomes a part of something that's bigger than himself.
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.
You need to have a dream, a goal, and you must be willing to work hard.
Never give up...never ever give up.
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.
The greatest gift you can give your children is to believe in them.
I will thank God for the day and the moment I have.
Time is very precious to me. I don’t know how much I have left, and I have some things that I would like to say. Hopefully, at the end, I will have said something that will be important to other people, too.
Be a dreamer. If you don't know how to dream, you're dead.
Enjoy your life, the precious moments you have.
But try if you can to support, whether it's AIDS or the cancer foundation, so that someone else might survive, might prosper, and might actually be cured of this dreaded disease.
Conceive the inconceivable - then accomplish it.
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.
To find the unlimited scope of human possibility, look within yourself.
Other people go to the office. I get to coach. I know I've been blessed.
I made a ridiculous statement when I first went to North Carolina State. I said I know basketball down there was like life or death. It was very wrong. It's more important.
If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. (Meaning)
Know where you have been, where you are now and where you want to be
Spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get you're emotions going.
Coaches are basically schizophrenic. We are pessimistic to the press and among fellow coaches, but to our team, we are the eternal optimists.
It's so important to know where you are.
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.
The difference between Namath and me is that when you make the money he makes, they say you're ruggedly handsome. When you make the money I make, they say you have a big nose. (On resembling Joe Namath)
All really successful coaches have a system.
And if you see me, smile and maybe give me a hug. That's important to me too.
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.
I talked about my family, my family's so important.
Why shouldn't I milk it? We're an agricultural institution.
We win or the alumni bash in our teeth. (On the dental plan at NC State)
I can't tell you what an honor it is, to even be mentioned in the same breath with Arthur Ashe. This is something I certainly will treasure forever.
Every day ordinary people do extra-ordinary things!
Each day, be sure to laugh, to think, to cry; that's one heckuva full day.
Are you saying that the assistant had the answers all along, he just wasn't telling anyone?
Take time every day to laugh, to think, to cry.
― Jim Valvano Quotes
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
