Jim Valvano Quotes: His Verified ESPY Lines and What They Mean

Jim Valvano quotes are some of the most shared words in American sports because he said them while dying of cancer. In March 1993, the former NC State basketball coach accepted the first Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs and spoke for about eleven minutes.

This page gives you his verified lines from that speech, explains the “laugh, think, cry” idea, clears up the “gift my father gave me” quote, and adds captions, messages for someone fighting cancer, and faith-based options. Lines marked original are not his words.

Quick 10 Jim Valvano Quotes

• “Don’t give up… don’t ever give up.”
• “If you laugh, you think and you cry, that’s a full day.”
• “Time is very precious to me.”
• “We hug, we kiss, we love.”
• “Nothing great could be accomplished without enthusiasm.” (Valvano quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson)
• “It may not save my life. It may save my children’s lives.”
• “I remember where I came from.”
• “You have to have an enthusiasm for life.”
• “Enjoy your life, the precious moments you have.”
• “I will thank God for the day and the moment I have.”

Who Was Jim Valvano?

Valvano was hired as NC State’s basketball coach on March 27, 1980, and in ten seasons won two ACC titles and made seven NCAA tournaments. His 1983 team won the national championship in one of the biggest upsets in tournament history.

He resigned in April 1990 after investigations into the program, then worked as a broadcaster. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023. People know him as Jimmy V. NC State adds Jim Valvano name to storied Reynolds Coliseum +2

The ESPY Speech, Explained

The speech worked because it was personal, funny and urgent all at once. These are the ideas people quote most.

The “Laugh, Think, Cry” Formula

Valvano said there are three things everyone should do every day: laugh, spend some time in thought, and have your emotions moved to tears, whether from joy or sadness. He called that a full day, and said doing it seven days a week would give you something special. The idea is easy to use. At bedtime, ask yourself whether you laughed, thought, and felt something. If you did, he’d say it was a good day. v

“Where You Started, Where You Are, Where You’re Going”

He told the audience that what matters to him comes down to knowing where you started, where you are, and where you’re going to be. He said it while talking about his friend Mike Krzyzewski, and it’s a useful check-in for anyone setting goals.

Family, Courage and a Failed Door

He said people credit him with courage, but the courage in his family belongs to his wife Pam, his three daughters, and his mother. He also told a funny story about his first locker-room speech at Rutgers, when he copied Vince Lombardi’s “family, religion, and the Green Bay Packers” talk, changed it to “Rutgers basketball,” and then failed to slam the door open. The humor is why the serious parts hit harder.

Enthusiasm and Dreams

He asked the audience to be enthusiastic every day and to keep their dreams alive in spite of problems. He tied it to hard work: a dream needs a goal and a willingness to work for it. For students, athletes and job-seekers, that’s the most practical passage in the speech.

Is “The Gift My Father Gave Me” From the ESPY Speech?

No. The “gift my father gave me” line, usually worded as “he believed in me,” circulates widely online, but it does not appear in the full ESPY transcript published by the V Foundation.

In that speech, Valvano mentions his father only in passing, calling himself the son of Rocco and Angelina Valvano. If you want to use the line, label it “widely attributed to Valvano” instead of citing the ESPYs, unless you can find the original source. That keeps your page accurate and protects its credibility.

Jim Valvano Quotes on Never Giving Up

His motto came near the end of the speech, when he announced the V Foundation. He also said he would “fight my brains out” to be back at the awards the following year. He used the “don’t give up” line earlier too, at NC State’s 10-year celebration of the 1983 title on February 21, 1993.

Original lines inspired by his message (not his words):

• Quitting is easy on a bad day. Stay anyway.
• You don’t need a big win. You need one more try.
• Hope isn’t loud. Sometimes it’s just showing up again.
• Slow progress still counts as progress.

Jim Valvano Quotes for Athletes and Coaches

“Survive and advance” is widely linked to Valvano’s 1983 title run, though it’s not in the ESPY speech. It suits a team in a tournament or a student in finals week. NC State later named the arena at Reynolds Coliseum for him, and the Valvano Arena dedication took place on December 5, 2018.

Original lines in his coaching spirit:

• Believe in the team before the scoreboard does.
• An underdog needs only one night.
• Praise the effort first. The result will follow or it won’t.
• Practice what you’re afraid of until it’s boring.

Quotes for Someone Fighting Cancer

His most quoted passage says cancer can take his physical abilities, but it cannot touch his mind, his heart, or his soul, and that those three things would carry on forever. People share it with patients because it separates what a disease can take from what it can’t.

Original messages:

• I can’t fix this. I can sit with you through it.
• Today you only have to get through today.
• Laugh when you can. Rest when you can’t. Both count.
• You’re not doing this alone.

How to Choose the Right Jim Valvano Quote

For a speech or tribute, use a verified ESPY line and name the source. For a friend in treatment, keep it short and honest. And for a team, use the underdog or enthusiasm lines. For a caption, pick something under ten words.

What His Words Built: The V Foundation in 2026

Valvano announced the foundation with ESPN during the speech and asked for help directly: “We need your help.” Here’s where it stands now:

• In August 2026 the foundation announced it had passed $500 million in cancer research grants, across nearly 1,500 grants. v
• Its grantees have been connected to nearly 1,100 clinical trials. v
• It reported $52.1 million in grant funding in the current fiscal year as of August 2026. fundsforngos
• In July 2026 it announced $11.2 million for 14 scientists through the Breaking Barriers in Cancer Research Award. cancerletter
• An endowment covers administrative costs, so 100% of direct donations goes to cancer research and programs. v

The foundation’s own site says an estimated 4.5 million cancer deaths have been averted over the past 30 years, which is its estimate, not an independent figure.

Jim Valvano’s Cause of Death

Valvano died of metastatic adenocarcinoma at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, on April 28, 1993, at age 47. He had been treated every two weeks at Duke, and doctors described the cancer as incurable. He was diagnosed in June 1992 and died less than two months after the ESPY speech. upitheclio

Jim Valvano Captions for Social Media

1. Laugh. Think. Cry. Repeat. 💙
2. Full day loading… 😂🤔😢
3. Don’t give up. Not today. 💪
4. Survive and advance. 🏀
5. A heck of a day is a choice.
6. Enthusiasm over everything. 🔥
7. Hug more. Worry less.
8. Jimmy V energy only.
9. Make today count.
10. Know where you started. 🌱
11. Today: one more try.
12. Smile. Give someone a hug. 🤗
13. Fight like Jimmy V.
14. The soul stays strong. 🎗️
15. Still here. Still fighting.

Tip: pair “Don’t give up” with a comeback or workout photo. Save the “laugh, think, cry” captions for reflective or tribute posts.

Faith-Based Messages and Bible Verses for Courage

Valvano ended his speech by thanking God for each day and asking God’s blessing on the audience. This section is for readers who want a faith-based message for a patient, a grieving friend, or themselves.

Original Faith-Based Messages

• Faith doesn’t remove the mountain. It gives you company on the climb.
• Pray for strength today. Tomorrow you can pray again.
• Some days hope is only a prayer you keep saying.

Bible Verses (NIV)

• “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
• “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)
• “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
• “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)
• “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)

Galatians 6:9 is the closest match to “don’t ever give up,” and 2 Timothy 4:7 often fits tributes.

FAQs

What is Jim Valvano’s most famous quote?

“Don’t give up… don’t ever give up” is his most famous line. It’s the V Foundation’s motto and comes from his 1993 ESPY speech.

What is the Jim Valvano laugh, think, cry quote?

He said if you laugh, you think and you cry, that’s a full day, and doing it daily makes something special.

Is “the gift my father gave me” in his ESPY speech?

No. It isn’t in the V Foundation’s full transcript, though the line circulates widely online as a Valvano quote.

What was Jim Valvano’s cause of death?

He died of metastatic adenocarcinoma on April 28, 1993, at age 47.

Where can I read the Jim Valvano ESPY speech transcript?

The full transcript is on v.org, and Rev also publishes one.

When did Jim Valvano give the ESPY speech?

He gave it in early March 1993 at the first ESPYs; sources list March 3 or March 4.

What is the V Foundation doing today?

It passed $500 million in cancer research grants in August 2026 and says 100% of direct donations goes to research.

Did Jim Valvano say “survive and advance”?

The phrase is widely linked to his 1983 NC State title run, but it isn’t in the ESPY speech.

Conclusion

Jim Valvano quotes last because he earned them. He asked people to laugh, think and cry every day, and he asked them not to give up while his own time was short.

Use a verified ESPY line for a tribute or speech, a short caption for a post, and a faith-based message for someone who needs it. Then pass it on.