A Tribute to Jimmy V
The Voice That Still Echoes
Some stories never stop speaking. They outlast the scoreboard, the season, even the storyteller. They live on because they remind us of what we can be.
Jim Valvano’s story is one of those.
A Coach Who Believed in Magic
Jimmy V was a coach who believed in the impossible. He was passionate and inspirational. He told his players at NC State to dream big and then dream even bigger. In 1983, when his Wolfpack entered the NCAA tournament as underdogs, he told them they could win the whole thing. Not because of luck. Because of love.
They played for him, for each other, and for the kind of joy that makes basketball beautiful.
Every upset built momentum. Every buzzer-beater became a chapter in a story no one could have scripted. Then came that final game against Houston.
When Derek Whittenburg’s shot fell short and Lorenzo Charles caught it midair, time froze. The dunk went down. NC State won the national championship. And Jim Valvano ran across the court looking for someone to hug. Arms wide. Heart wide open. The picture of a man who had dreamed something into reality.
The Speech That Stopped the World
On March 4, 1993, in New York City, Jim Valvano stepped onto the ESPYS stage. Faced with terminal cancer, he delivered a speech the world remembers to this day. He said there are three things we should do every day: laugh, think, and cry. If you do those three things, that’s a full day.
He talked about his family. His players. The moments that make a life worth living. He announced the creation of the V Foundation for Cancer Research, and its motto of "Don't Give Up...Don't Ever Give Up!"®
A Legacy You Can Feel
Jim Valvano reminded us that courage isn’t loud. It’s steady. It’s the voice inside you that says keep going, even when no one’s watching.
Decades later, his words still move through locker rooms, classrooms, and hospital halls. They live on through ESPN's V Week, the ESPYS, and every time someone performs a YouTube search on the importance of never giving up.
100% of the royalties ESPN earns from the merchandise collection will be donated to the V Foundation.
