Remembering Jimmy V: Hall of fame basketball coach dies to cancer 32 years ago
Even though he wasn’t someone I knew personally, James “Jimmy V” Valvano is someone I find myself thinking about a lot.
If you’re a fan of basketball — specifically, college basketball — you probably have heard the name Jimmy V or at least know what March Madness is. Also coined the name “The Big Dance,” teams from across the country — all from different backgrounds — are united by one thing.
That one thing is basketball.
It’s also the last chance for players and coaches to make an everlasting effect on the game. There’s a term given to underdog or low-ranked teams who end up making it far into the tournament — Cinderellas.
Everyone loves a good fairy tale and Jimmy V, in a sense, proved that they can happen despite how unfair and tough life can be, whether you’re on or off the court.
Before his death to cancer in 1993 (metastatic adenocarcinoma), V’s “Cardiac Pack” over at North Carolina State edged by the Houston Cougars — who were also nicknamed the Phi Slama Jama — by a bucket at the buzzer and won 54-52. If one looks up footage of that game, after that buzzer sounds from the Lorenzo Charles basket over now-NBA great Hakeem Olajuwon, Jimmy V is seen storming the court with so much expression, so much life. Hell, so much love for his players.
But why? Why was it a big deal for basketball and sports?
The Houston Cougars — similar to this past season that just finished — were ranked No. 1 in the tournament with some of the biggest names to ever exist in basketball, such as Clyde Drexler and of course, Olajuwon — both who went to play for the Rockets.
As for N.C. State, their sixth-seed ranking doesn’t seem too far off from Houston’s, but they had to survive some tough games. More notably, the double overtime dub over Pepperdine, before they took the trek to beat UNLV, Utah, Virginia and Georgia to claw to the Cougars (NCAA.com). In a sense, it was a “David and Goliath” matchup — in which Jimmy V and N.C. State took down basketball giants over in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Cinderella not only went to the ball, she took home a trophy along the way as well.
The 1993 ESPYs
Less than two months after the ESPY Awards, Jimmy V died of cancer at age 47 on April 28, 1993.
However, in a timely fashion, Jimmy V accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage Award and gave a speech filled with gems that anyone who heard them, probably pocketed and kept them close to this day.
Ten years older and in his words, ailed with “tumors all over my body” — the now hall of fame coach did what all great coaches do — he spoke from the heart. While being thankful for what time he has left, to the stories he told of his time as a young 21-year-old coach, all eyes were on Jimmy V at the ESPY Awards.
One of the greatest takeaways is Valvano’s advice for what we should do on a daily basis. The first thing he says is that we should “laugh” every day. Then, the second thing is that we should “think” every day. Number three, which is probably the most important, is he said we should have our emotions bring us to tears.
The last piece of advice goes back to when he won that championship in 1983 and when he was giving his speech. When the Wolfpack won, Jimmy V ran the court to hug his players. During his speech, he even makes mention that if one sees him in public, that they should say hello and to give him a hug. In that short span of 10 minutes of him speaking, everyone was able to follow the three criteria that Jimmy V says we should all follow (The V Foundation for Cancer Research YouTube).
Everyone laughed, thought and were moved to tears.
Near the end of his memorable speech, Jimmy V proved why he was a force off the court. He announced the V Foundation for Cancer Research. It is an organization that is committed to fighting cancer (V.org). It’s an effort that forever cements Valvano as a name that is remembered both on and off the hardwood floor.
Even though cancer took him away from us too soon and he wasn’t someone I knew personally, Jimmy V is someone I think about a lot.