30 Inspirational Jim Valvano Quotes On Cancer & More

30 Inspirational Jim Valvano Quotes On Cancer & More

Last updated on January 5th, 2024 at 11:15 am

โ€œJim Valvanoโ€ by โ€œDo512โ€œ, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Popularly nicknamed Jimmy V, Jim Valvano was an American basketball player and coach. He was passionate about basketball from an early age and dreamt of playing it. Following his dream, while in college, his team came out to be victorious at the 1967 National Invitation Tournament. The same year, he got the title of Senior Athlete of the Year.

When he completed his graduation, he took up basketball as his profession. At the young age of 21, he became a coach for his college team. He served there for 19 years as a head coach. Throughout his career, he switched around several universities and schools. He was a head coach for North Carolina State University for some time. At that time, the NC State team won the 1983 national title in a match favouring the opponents.

Apart from being a great basketball player, Jimmy is also remembered for his inspirational & motivational speech at ESPY Awards in 1993. At that time, he was terminally ill with adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer. In his honour, ESPY has included an award named Jimmy V Award. As a tribute to his contribution to the basketball fraternity, a โ€œJimmy V Classicโ€ college basketball tournament has been introduced.

Here are some Jim Valvano quotes that will surely inspire you to fulfil your dreams.

Jim Valvano Quotes On Dreams

Since his childhood, Jimmy has had a dream of playing basketball. His life is a true example of always following his/her dreams. Let us browse through some Jim Valvano quotes about chasing dreams.

โ€œBe a dreamer. If you donโ€™t know how to dream, youโ€™re dead.โ€

JIM VALVANO

โ€œNothing can happen if itโ€™s not first a dream.โ€

JIM VALVANO

โ€œNever give up! Failure and rejection are only the first steps to succeeding.โ€

JIM VALVANO

โ€œKeep your dreams alive in spite of problems whatever you have.โ€

JIM VALVANO
SOURCE: ARTHUR ASHE COURAGE AWARD ACCEPTANCE ADDRESS

โ€œThe ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality.โ€

JIM VALVANO
SOURCE: ARTHUR ASHE COURAGE AWARD ACCEPTANCE ADDRESS
Jim Valvano Quotes On Dreams
โ€œYou need to have a dream, a goal, and you must be willing to work hard.โ€

โ€œIf 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.โ€

JIM VALVANO

โ€œHow many people do you know whoโ€™ve had their dream come true? Youโ€™re looking at one.โ€

JIM VALVANO

โ€œHow 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.โ€

JIM VALVANO
SOURCE: ARTHUR ASHE COURAGE AWARD ACCEPTANCE ADDRESS

Jim Valvano Quotes On Cancer

At the ESPY Awards 1993, Jimmy was seriously ill with cancer. Despite that, he gave a powerful speech saying, โ€˜Donโ€™t give up. โ€˜Donโ€™t ever give up.โ€™ This depicts how mighty his thoughts were! Let us go through some Jim Valvano quotes on cancer.

โ€œIโ€™ll also tell you that five hundred thousand people will die this year of cancer. And Iโ€™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.โ€

JIM VALVANO
SOURCE: ARTHUR ASHE COURAGE AWARD ACCEPTANCE ADDRESS

โ€œCancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul.โ€

JIM VALVANO
SOURCE: ARTHUR ASHE COURAGE AWARD ACCEPTANCE ADDRESS
Jim Valvano Quotes On Cancer
โ€œBut try if you can to support, whether itโ€™s AIDS or the cancer foundation, so that someone else might survive, might prosper, and might actually be cured of this dreaded disease.โ€

โ€œAnd Iโ€™m going to work as hard as I can for cancer research and hopefully, maybe, weโ€™ll have some cures and some breakthroughs.โ€

JIM VALVANO

Inspirational Jim Valvano Quotes

Struggling through life difficulties, Jimmy was never short of inspiration for all. Here are some Jim Valvano quotes that will ignite inspiration in you.

โ€œKnow where you have been, where you are now and where you want to be.โ€

JIM VALVANO

โ€œMy father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person. He believed in me.โ€

JIM VALVANO

โ€œDonโ€™t give up. Donโ€™t ever give up.โ€

JIM VALVANO
SOURCE: ARTHUR ASHE COURAGE AWARD ACCEPTANCE ADDRESS

โ€œA person really doesnโ€™t become whole, until he becomes a part of something thatโ€™s bigger than himself.โ€

JIM VALVANO
Inspirational Jim Valvano Quotes
โ€œItโ€™s so important to know where you are.โ€

โ€œNo matter what business youโ€™re in, you canโ€™t run in place or someone will pass you by. It doesnโ€™t matter how many games youโ€™ve won.โ€

JIM VALVANO

โ€œConceive the inconceivable โ€“ then accomplish it.โ€

JIM VALVANO

โ€œAll really successful coaches have a system.โ€

JIM VALVANO

โ€œIn every single day, in every walk of life, ordinary people do extraordinary things. Ordinary People accomplish extraordinary things.โ€

JIM VALVANO

โ€œLife changes when you least expect it to. The future is uncertain. So, seize this day, seize this moment, and make the most of it.โ€

JIM VALVANO
Inspirational Jim Valvano Quotes
โ€œTo find the unlimited scope of human possibility, look within yourself.โ€

Jim Valvano Quotes On Happiness

Jimmy spent a life full of kindness, compassion and love for all. The way he lived his later days is truly inspiring. We have curated some Jim Valvano quotes on happiness.

โ€œIf you laugh, you think, and you cry, thatโ€™s a full day. Thatโ€™s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, youโ€™re going to have something special.โ€

JIM VALVANO

โ€œHow do you go from where you are to where you want to be? And I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life.โ€

JIM VALVANO

โ€œAnd if you see me, smile and maybe give me a hug. Thatโ€™s important to me too.โ€

JIM VALVANO

โ€œI will thank God for the day and the moment I have.โ€

JIM VALVANO

โ€œI urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have.โ€

JIM VALVANO
Jim Valvano Quotes On Happiness
โ€œSpend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get your emotions going.โ€

More than the achievements, Jimmy was appreciated for his kind and compassionate nature. He was an inspiration, not only for his family and peers but for everyone who knew him. Although he left the world early, he profoundly impacted the world. He opened the V Foundation in association with ESPN, responsible for cancer research. Currently, this foundation stands tall with millions of dollars of funding.

We hope you enjoyed reading these Jim Valvano quotes. Let us know which one is your favorite.

You can also check out these 45 Gratitude Lao Tzu Quotes On Love, Leadership And Knowing Yourself.

Naveen Kumar is a writer and has a thing for collecting quotes and sharing them with people. Naveen is a space enthusiast. When he is not spreading good vibes or motivating people through quotes, you can find him sipping coffee while reading classic literature or on a long road drive.

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