Reflection 3: The Moment

The man and the legend, Jim Valvano. Jim Valvano may be known by most for his speech during the ESPY awards in 1993, when he said “don’t give up, don’t ever give up.” This line was in light of his struggle with cancer that permeated all throughout his body. He exclaimed that it was “all over.” But Valvano should not only be remembered for his public fight of cancer, but as a North Carolina State basketball head coach that made it more about sports, he made it about life.

           

In March of 1983, his North Carolina State Wolf Pack team was going into the NCAA tournament as a six seed. Throughout their historic run, running over and beating every opponent, they made it to the National Championship. They are playing the high-flying “Phi Slamma Jama” team from the University of Houston for the 1983 championship. The fact that a six seed made it this far is unbelievable in itself, but how Valvano carried himself and his team throughout their run is what is truly admirable.

As Valvano was continuing this streak, he did not take refuge in his home, aggressively studying tape for the next game, he enjoyed it with the people he loved, the team, his family, and the fans. This what was most important to Valvano. He understood that it wasn’t all about winning, it was truly about the journey. He made it clear for his team to take in what was happening, as it may be the only time you get to experience something like this. You can see this sense of eagerness to enjoy the moment from Jim. He would take interviews with a full smile on his face, then stand up and lead the school in their school hymn screaming into the mic. He was so grateful and loving in every minute of life, and that the exact message he wanted to convey. It wasn’t all about winning the championship, it was about loving what you do. I think that we can all learn a lot from Jim Valvano and the 1983 North Carolina State team. They embodied perseverance, selflessness, and hard work. They showed the world that truly anything was possible.

As the clock wined down on the 1983 national championship, the Wolf Pack were down by one. Derek Wittenberg gets the inbound pass and put up a 30-foot shot, it looked short. But then out of nowhere Lorenzo Charles grabs the ball from the air and dunks it for the win as time expired. North Carolina State did it, they were the best basketball team in the nation. But in typical Valvano fashion, Jim rushes on the court after the win, not celebrating for himself, but searching for someone to hug. You can see as the buzzer goes, Jim’s face turns to pure desperation to be with his team. This is what sports is about. It’s not always about chasing the championship, but it’s about the growth that you experience through that fight to the top with your team.

Jim Valvano is someone I try to emulate. He has a true passion for life and shows love to all the people in it. His ability to take this basketball to the next level shows a type of leadership and mentorship that not many people, let a lone a basketball coach, are able to display. During his 1993 speech at the ESPYs, he talked about how "cancer can take away all my physical abilities. But it cannot touch my mind and it cannot touch my heart and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever." His message will carry on forever. He is a man that will not let things like cancer affect what he lives for or how he lives his life. He didn’t care about the money or his image, he cared about making the game of basketball better and teaching the people who played it pertinent life long lessons. Jim Valvano is a true legend and should never be forgotten.