Jimmy V Classic Tickets

Jimmy Valvano is known to have said: My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.

Who Was Jim Valvano?

James Thomas Anthony Valvano, more commonly known as Jimmy V, was a prolific American college basketball player and coach, as well as a prominent ESPN broadcaster.

His career was marked by challenges that he fought to overcome. One of the most notable moments in NCAA history was when he led his team, the North Carolina State University, to an improbable victory against the Houston Cougars in 1983. After the game, Valvano was seen running up and down the length of the court in disbelief looking for someone to hug.

In 1992, Valvano was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer. It was his toughest fight, and one that he would eventually succumb to.

The Speech That Moved Us

Just eight months before he passed away, Valvano appeared at the 1993 ESPY Award ceremony to accept the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Here, he gave one of the most inspirational and memorable speeches of all time. Throughout his 12 minute speech, Valvano had one simple message to send everyone: “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.”

His speech still rings true today. Here’s what he said:

"I'm going to speak longer than anyone else has spoken tonight," Valvano had said, accepting the first ESPN-created Arthur Ashe Courage Award. "Time is very precious to me. I don't know how much I have left and I have some things I would like to say."

"To me, there are three things we all should do every day of our life," Valvano said. "Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two, think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears, be it happiness or joy.

"Think about it. If you laugh, you think, you cry, that's a full day," he said. "That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're gonna have something special."

"Cancer can take away all my physical abilities," Valvano said. "It cannot touch my mind. It cannot touch my heart. And it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever."

The V Foundation

During the speech, he also announced the formation of The V Foundation for Cancer Research. The goal of the Foundation was simple: to achieve victory over cancer. Since the foundation’s creation, it has awarded more than $170 million in cancer research grants across the country. It has also become one of the premier supporters of the top cancer research funds.

Two years later, the annual Jimmy V Classic college basketball tournament was announced. This event also generates a huge amount of awareness and donations in the battle against cancer.

What is the Jimmy V Classic?

The Jimmy V Classic is an event which features three games: two men’s games and one women’s. The event is held over the course of a week which is referred to as Jimmy V Week. During this time, ESPN showcases some of the top college basketball programs of the early season and airs initiatives all week long across numerous ESPN platforms with the intention of raising funds for cancer research.

The Men’s Jimmy V Classic

The Men’s Jimmy V Classic is a doubleheader event with two games played on a single day. Both games are aired on ESPN.

The Women’s Jimmy V Classic

There is one women’s game which is played and this game is also broadcast on ESPN.

If you are interested in attending one of these games and supporting the V Foundation, get yourself a pair of Jimmy V Classic tickets today.