40 Jim Valvano Quotes From The Beloved Basketball Coach

Martha Martins
Sep 19, 2023 By Martha Martins
Originally Published on Mar 18, 2021
Young Basketball street player
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Age: 0-99
Read time: 5.7 Min

Jim Valvano, popular with the nickname Jimmy V, is a former basketball player, basketball coach, and broadcaster.

He also earned fame as a broadcaster and an ESPY award holder. His ESPY speech and presence is one of the most memorable events of his life that inspires us.

Jim Valvano saw a number of ups and downs throughout his basketball career. The most major setback of his life is the time when he got diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, glandular cancer that spreads to bones. However, Jimmy overcame that phase like a true warrior and became the coach of a number of schools. He also became the coach of North Carolina State University. He died like a soldier putting up a tough fight against his cancer. Here are some Jim Valvano quotes about basketball, Jim Valvano quotes about a basketball coach, Jim Valvano quotes on inspiration, and more.

Best Quotes From Jim Valvano

Below is a list of the best Jim Valvano quotes on his everyday struggle, his work life, and much more.

1. 'Everybody has to have a personal philosophy of how you live your life.'

- Jim Valvano.

2. ‘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.’

- Jim Valvano.

3. ‘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.’

- Jim Valvano.

4. ‘Other people go to the office. I get to coach. I know I've been blessed.’

- Jim Valvano.

5. ‘Know where you have been, where you are now and where you want to be.’

- Jim Valvano.

6. ‘You plus motivation equals success.’

- Jim Valvano.

7. ‘I am an ordinary guy, I want to do extraordinary things in my life and I believe that.’

- Jim Valvano.

8. ‘We win or the alumni bash in our teeth.’

- Jim Valvano.

9. ‘Spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get you're emotions going.’

- Jim Valvano.

10. ‘Motivation to me vis three things. Three things I try to do each day.’

- Jim Valvano.

11. ‘That's me, I don't like when people ask me how many weeks off we get before we start to work, that's me. Maybe I am wrong but that's just how I am.’

- Jim Valvano.

Empowering Jim Valvano Quotes

Young Basketball Player on Practice Session

This category of Jim Valvano quotes contains Jim Valvano speech quotes that can empower us very much in our everyday life.

12. ‘I love what I do. Very fortunate. Enthusiasm. Give yourself an enthusiasm check.’

- Jim Valvano.

13. ‘I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have.’

- Jim Valvano.

14. ‘How many people do you know who've had their dream come true? You're looking at one.’

- Jim Valvano.

15. ‘Nothing can happen if it’s not first a dream.’

- Jim Valvano.

16. ‘To find the unlimited scope of human possibility, look within yourself.’

- Jim Valvano.

17. ‘To me there are three things everyone should do every day. Number one is laugh. Number two is think -- spend some time in thought. Number three, you should have your emotions move you to tears.’

- Jim Valvano.

18. ‘It's so important to know where you are. And I know where I am right now.’

- Jim Valvano.

19. ‘Family, religion Rutgers basketball. All eyes on me. I got it.’

- Jim Valvano.

20. ‘Never give up! Failure and rejection are only the first step to succeeding.’

- Jim Valvano.

21. ‘My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person. He believed in me.’

- Jim Valvano.

22. ‘How enthusiastic are you every day, every day in your profession?’

- Jim Valvano.

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

- Jim Valvano.

24. ‘It’s so important to know where you are.’

- Jim Valvano.

Jim Valvano Quotes On Fight Against Cancer

These Jim Valvano quotes inspire us to help anyone who is facing such deadly diseases with whatever we can and however we can.

25. ‘I'll also tell you that five hundred thousand people will die this year of cancer. And I'll also tell you that one in every four will be afflicted with this disease, and yet, somehow, we seem to have put it in a little bit of the background.’

- Jim Valvano.

26. ‘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.’

- Jim Valvano.

27. ‘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.’

- Jim Valvano.

28. ‘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.’

- Jim Valvano.

29. ‘Don't give up. Don't ever give up.’

- Jim Valvano.

30. ‘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!’

- Jim Valvano.

Inspirational Jim Valvano Quotes

Check out these motivating quotes by the basketball star Jim Valvano that are very inspiring.

31. ‘I'm 21 years old and the kids I'm coaching are 19 and I'm going to be the greatest coach in the world. ‘

- Jim Valvano.

32. ‘I set out very calculatedly to become known. The only thing I maybe miscalculated was how easy it would be.’

- Jim Valvano.

33. ‘That's a special place the locker room for a coach to give a talk.’

- Jim Valvano.

34. ‘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.’

- Jim Valvano.

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

- Jim Valvano.

36. ‘What people don't realize, he's a ten times better person than he is a coach.’

- Jim Valvano.

37. ‘I'm a very emotional and passionate man and I can't help it, that's being the son of Rocco and Angelina Valvano.’

- Jim Valvano.

38. ‘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.’

- Jim Valvano.

39. ‘Hopefully, at the end, I will have said something that will be important to other people too.’

- Jim Valvano.

40. ‘I talked about my family, my family’s so important.’

- Jim Valvano.

 

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Written by Martha Martins

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Linguistics

Martha Martins picture

Martha MartinsBachelor of Arts specializing in Linguistics

Martha is a full-time creative writer, content strategist, and aspiring screenwriter who communicates complex thoughts and ideas effectively. She has completed her Bachelor's in Linguistics from Nasarawa State University. As an enthusiast of public relations and communication, Martha is well-prepared to substantially impact your organization as your next content writer and strategist. Her dedication to her craft and commitment to delivering high-quality work enables her to create compelling content that resonates with audiences.

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