Most of you know and have heard about Jim Valvano.
He was the N.C. State basketball coach who led the Pack to a NCAA victory in 1983. He later worked for ESPN and died from cancer in 1993. He also was a visionary, leader, inspirer, and most of all a prophet.
When he was hired to replace Norman Sloan in 1980, he told everybody, “I’m gonna win a NCAA Championship here in Raleigh.” He held special practices at the first of each season with a gold pair of scissors cutting down the nets to represent winning the title. Players thought he was crazy but he knew what he was doing.
On April 4, 1983 Coach Valvano lived his dream.
The Wolfpack defeated Houston 54-52 in Albuquerque, N.M. for the National Championship. They were getting ready to cut the nets when Jim stopped all of them and pulled out his gold scissors. They didn’t have the right pair of scissors.
He knew. He said it. He spoke it into existence.
Ten years later, he was battling cancer. It was a fight he couldn’t win. He struggled to get on stage to make the speech that has inspired people for all time. He spoke of starting the Jimmy V Foundation for cancer research. Jim Valvano said these words of prophesy again: “It may not save my life. It may save my children’s lives. It may save someone you love.” Jimmy Valvano died on April 28 1993.
Thirteen years later, his daughter Jamie was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thanks to the research and funding through the V Foundation, his daughter beat that cancer. Jamie’s doctor in her victory over the disease was the same as her dad’s, Oncologist Joe Moore from Duke University. She is now a leader in the V Foundation search for a cure for cancer.
Now, to what this has to do about me?
On Feb. 26, 1982, I went to see my high school basketball team, the East Bladen Cougars, face Southern Durham at Western Harnett high school in the 3A playoffs. Watching the game was Jimmy Valvano, one year before winning it all in New Mexico. He was scouting high school players.
I just had to get his autograph, being a loyal N.C. State fan. I approached him at the game with my two friends, Wilt Hardin and Robert Tatum.
As I asked for his autograph, He asked,” What’s your name, kid?”
“Tommy,” I replied.
“Do you play high school basketball?”
“No. but I love basketball.”
Jimmy Valvano again spoke words of prophecy I’ll never forget: “Well, you’re gonna coach. And you’ll be a good coach. And when you coach, you’re gonna need a lot of luck. Who knows, you may coach for the Wolfpack one day. And you’re gonna need it.”
I got Coach Valvano’s autograph feeling on top of the world, and my friends laughed as we walked away. Me, a coach? they heckled.
Ten months later in December of 1982, I was playing recreation ball in Bladen County. I was waiting for my game and a coach got upset and quit on his team in the third quarter down by 15 points. The referees said they needed a coach.
The kids looked up in the stands at me and said, “He can coach us!” The ref looked at me and said, ”they need you.”
I took over as the coach as I waited to play my game — and the kids came back and won. I finished the season as their coach and never looked back.
I coached recreational basketball and intramurals during college until 1998 when I became an assistant coach for the East Bladen Cougars. I’m now in my 44th year of coaching basketball and my 29th at the high school level. I also know I’m in my fifth year as a Wolfpack assistant basketball coach (Whiteville). Jimmy got it right again as I coach for the Wolfpack (just not the NCSU Wolfpack).
I don’t know if Whit, Thurl, Sidney, or Jamie will ever read this article, but that man did a lot for me. I met him a couple of times after his prophecy and told him I was a coach. He said I knew you were going to be one.
I get emotional thinking about him today and how he changed my life. He spoke into existence. His words made me the man I am today.
If you have dreams, dream them. And most of all when things are tough, don’t give up! Don’t ever give up!
