43 Best Jim Valvano Quotes For Inspiration and Laughs

Have you ever heard of a coach who called press conferences “therapy sessions” and motivational speeches “fireworks shows”?

That’s Jimmy V for you, folks. The man with enthusiasm for life and basketball could light up a stadium with a smile. Sure, he led NC State on an improbable run to the 1983 NCAA championship, a feat that still makes underdog fans everywhere misty-eyed. But Valvano’s legacy extends far beyond the court.

He was a master communicator, a guy who could turn a locker room pep talk into national inspiration. His quotes are like gold nuggets – tiny bursts of wisdom that pack a motivational punch. Take this one for example: “If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day.” See? Makes you want to grab life by the horns, doesn’t it?

So, buckle up because we’re diving into Jimmy’s best insights. Get ready for a rollercoaster ride of laughter, tears, and pure, unadulterated inspiration.

Best Jim Valvano Quotes

Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.
I will thank God for the day and the moment I have.
My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me.
Number one is laugh. Number two is to think — spend some time in thought. Number three, you should have your emotions move you to tears. If you laugh, think and cry, that’s a heck of a day.
Nothing has ever been accomplished in any walk of life without enthusiasm, without motivation, and without perseverance.
In every single day, in every walk of life, ordinary people do extraordinary things. Ordinary people accomplish extraordinary things.

Motivational Jim Valvano Quotes

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.
A person really doesn’t become whole until he becomes a part of something that’s bigger than himself.
But try if you can 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.
I talked about my family, my family’s so important.
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.
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.

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Good Jimmy Valvano Quotes

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.
Why shouldn’t I milk it? We’re an agricultural institution.
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.
There are 86,400 seconds in a day. It’s up to you to decide what to do with them.
We win or the alumni bash in our teeth. (On the dental plan at NC State)
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.
We have a very intelligent team. I’ve had clubs that when you tell a guy to go back door, he leaves the gym. Or you tell the team you’re going to have a closed practice, and eight guys don’t show up.

Jimmy Valvano Sayings

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.
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)
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.
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!

Inspirational Jim Valvano Quotes

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.
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.
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.
To be enthusiastic every day and as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘Nothing great could be accomplished without enthusiasm,’ to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems whatever you have. The ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality.
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. I can’t thank ESPN enough for allowing this to happen and I’m going to work as hard as I can for cancer research. And hopefully, we’ll be … maybe we’ll have some cures and some breakthroughs, and I’d like to think I’m gonna fight my brains out to be back here again next year for the Arthur Ashe recipient. I want to give it next year. I know I’ve got to go.

Jimmy V. Quotes

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

Jimmy Valvano Quotes on Family

And if you see me, smile and maybe give me a hug. That’s important to me too.
No matter what business you’re in, you can’t run it in place, or someone will pass you by. It doesn’t matter how many games you’ve won.
I talked about my family, my family’s so important.
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.
Never give up. Failure and rejection are only the first steps to succeeding.

Closing Thoughts

Valvano, a charismatic personality gave many a memorable speech. He’s known for the importance of perseverance, being a great coach, and being a passionate man. He inspired countless individuals and stole the ESPY awards by leaving an indelible mark on the night he gave his speech on resilience.

I hope you enjoyed this collection of Jim Valvano Quotes.

By Mike O’Halloran

Founder and Editor, Sports Feel Good Stories

Mike O’Halloran founded Sports Feel Good Stories in 2009. He co-authored four trivia books for kids under the Smart Attack line. Mike coached basketball for 15 seasons, taught tennis, and has written four books on basketball coaching. He has been a contributing writer for USA Football, the youth arm of the NFL. Mike is the founder of the Fantasy Football Team Names Hall of Fame.