I can't believe that it has been thirteen years today since Jim Valvano died. Back in 1988, I was in Kansas City for the Final Four (Duke lost to eventual national champion, Danny Manning and the Miracles) were I saw Jim Valvano at the airport. It had just been reported that Valvano had turned down the UCLA job. He was walking around the airport in a sweatsuit, eating popcorn. I walked up to him, shook his hand and told him,"Coach, I'm glad that you are staying at State, even though I'm a Duke fan and you always give Duke trouble." He smiled back and said, "Not always, son, not always." I remember watching the ESPY awards and hearing the famous "Don't give up, don't ever give up!" speech afterwards he had to be literally carried back to his seat by Coach K and Dickie V (for those of you who think Coach K is an a-hole, I offer that evening and Coach K's friendship with Jimmy V as an example). Today, and any any day for that matter, is a good day to consider giving to the Jimmy V Foundation: http://www.jimmyv.org/ DON'T GIVE UP, DON'T EVER GIVE UP!
3 comments:
Jimmy V's speech was the best I ever heard. THE best. If listening and watching hthat speech does not bring a tear to your eye, then you are not alive!
Jimmy V was a great personality and an excellent coach. His tragic death has, however, hidden the fact that no one recruited players less likely to graduate than did Jimmy V. He was as sleazy as Tark, but he died young, so we are forced to forgive his sliminess.
Hm... you may be correct about his recruiting (except maybe Bob Huggins who must have had a worse graduation rate at UC). I think you would agree that except for possibly Lefty, no opposing coach had as much fun with the Cameron Crazies as Valvano. Could you imagine Dean sitting on the floor in response to chants of "Sit, sit, sit!"
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